Southfield

Southfield launches web gallery of apps and maps

By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

SOUTHFIELD — Destination Southfield, an online gallery of apps and maps designed for public use, is now up and running on the city’s website, http://maps.cityofsouthfield.com/destinationsouthfield.

Southfield is among the first communities in the country to take advantage of the Geographic Information System provided by Environmental Systems Research Institute.

“These new interactive maps and layers will help the city to improve operations and communication with the public while saving both time and money,” said Michael Manion, Southfield’s community relations manager.

“It provides a wealth of information without having to leave the comfort of your home, like everything else these days,” said Sally Price, GIS coordinator.

Three apps are now available online, with plans to roll out more in the coming months to provide the community with even more resources, Manion said. Those available now include “Southfield Viewer,” “Parks & Rec Finder” and “Polling Places.”

Internet users can access the app, find their way around the city, get a sense of direction in the community, do a property search, locate voting precincts and information about elected officials, learn about trash collection schedules as well as transportation, and find the proximity to tennis courts, golf courses or picnic shelters.

“Destination Southfield will help to promote the growth of existing business and attract new investments into the city while providing vital information such as property ownership, zoning, voting districts, parks, refuse and recycling information and many other commonly used data layers,” Manion said.

So far, the response has been positive as Internet users begin to learn of Destination Southfield, Price said. One user had posted a review on the “Southfield Viewer” site on Feb. 5, saying, “I love it. Lots of information at your fingertips.”

“The one big thing is that this gives residents the ability to look up information on their own, 24/7,” Price said. “We’re doing so much more with less — like everybody — and we’ve been fortunate that we’ve never had layoffs. This (tool means) less phone calls that would come in — (callers) can just do it themselves. It’s less deployment of licensing that we have to have. It’s less desktop software that you need. I can give zoning information right here — I don’t have to send them over to planning. People in other states and cities can look here and hopefully plan a business here.”

The best part is that it’s user-friendly, she said.

“A lot of people are already used to these interactive maps with their cell phones and everything,” Price said.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1108.