Web-GIS based urban management information system: the case of satellite cities in Istanbul

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is defined as a computer based tool useful for capturing, storing, retrieving and manipulating, displaying and querying both spatial and non-spatial data about given areas to generate various planning scenarios for decision making. On the other hand, an Urban Management Information System (UMIS) is an economic resource that can benefit decision makers in the planning, development, and management of urban projects and resources using statistical data such as social, economic, demographic, housing and health data. Since Internet technology reduces the cost of data management and information distribution to mass usages as in UMIS, web based systems are mostly used for a UMIS applications throughout the world. Nowadays, the number of satellite cities is rapidly increasing in Turkey, especially in Istanbul. A satellite city for Istanbul can be defined as a mini city established outside Istanbul that has its own shopping centers, schools, social clubs, cinemas, restaurants, etc. Though it is not a municipality by itself, it needs to conform to the requirements of both the municipality it belongs to and its management. In this study, a prototype web-GIS based UMIS is developed for satellite cities. The system integrates the digital base map and statistical data of a satellite city that can be input through a user-interface and offers a variety of querying and reporting options. The developed system is tested for one satellite city in Istanbul and the results showed that it is promising as a starting system for other similar applications.