Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/27856
Memphis Construction with the city of Memphis. “But these men are retiring, and we now need to begin the conversion of our paper records to a system that is more compat- ible with the new generation of workers who are more attuned to computer systems.” The city of Memphis partnered with the University of Memphis’ Center for Partnerships in GIS (CPGIS) to digitize the systems. CPGIS acts as a university portal, connecting outside entities seeking GIS solutions to the expertise available on campus. CPGIS promotes engaged scholarship by hiring students to work on projects, thereby increasing their knowledge in GIS and improving their marketability upon graduation. “The partnership with CPGIS has been extremely beneficial for the city,” says Della Adams, enterprise GIS manager for Memphis. “The city has for several years sought ways to capture this infrastructure data in an efficient and cost-effective way. CPGIS provided this service. The city was able to leverage the high- level expertise of a university center, leading-edge GIS technology and an abundant pool of qualified student resources to map our infrastructure in a timely and cost-effective manner. We also are pleased to be able to engage our local students, providing meaningful real-world work experience.” lThe Memphis stormwater infrastructure was mapped in a GIS and overlaid on high-resolution aerial photography. M A R C H 2 O 1 1 / W W W . G E O P L A C E . C O M 25