Development of an Integrated System to Enhance Spatial Data Processing & Management for Planning Authorities

Abstract

In a world where there is constant data generation and processing, the need for an integrated system cannot be overemphasized. The systems that enable storage of large amounts of spatial data and must be made available to multiple users in real time. Studies have shown that standalone desktop spatial systems are often rigid and inflexible to support multiple data processing or demands from multiple users. The integrated spatial management system was designed to address the above highlighted challenges by bringing enhanced possibilities of utilization of spatial data though improving accessibility, visualization, and processing spatial information. The present work employed a mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative techniques to obtain the desired result. Qualitative data collection tools were used to collect field data required to design the prototype. The research sought to establish whether the integrated systems are in use by the targeted institutions, the findings highlighted that 71.4% have no integrated spatial data systems while 28.6% have partial-integrated systems. An overview of the architecture of integrated spatial systems consists of a well distributed database linked to multiple tools and platforms to query both the spatial and non-spatial data. The WEB-GIS and Mobile GIS interfaces were developed to allow multiple users to access information through the web in real time and data collection, respectively.