Tri-County Regional Planning Commission

DATA SERVICES

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission data services is responsible for the collection and management of data so decision makers can make more informed decisions.

Census Information
The Tri County Regional Planning Commission is designated as a census repository. This means that census information and documentation is sent to the Commission. This information is considered in the public domain and is open to use & view. Like most public libraries, TCRPC receives the census information in large bound books and digital database programs. However, TCRPC vitalized GIS (geographic information systems) to analyze the data. The US Census Bureau has published most information online. Go to American FactFinder

We have prepared a document that describes the Tri-County community. It includes economic information, school data, recreation ideas etc... This is ideal for people who might be new or thinking of moving into the area. The document is a zipped PDF file, that is 615k.

GIS Services
GIS is a rapidly growing technological field that incorporates graphical features with tabular data in order to assess real-world problems. What is now the GIS field began around 1960, with the discovery that maps could be programmed using simple code and then stored in a computer allowing for future modification when necessary. This was a welcome change from the era of hand cartography when maps had to be painstakingly created by hand; even small changes required the creation of a new map. The earliest version of a GIS was known as computer cartography and involved simple linework to represent land features. From that evolved the concept of overlaying different mapped features on top of each other to determine patterns and causes of spatial phenomenon. TCRPC uses ESRI products, and also has some expierence with GeoMedia

GPS Services
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. TCRPC has two receivers one sub-meter unit and one sub-centimeter units capable of measuring exact elevation & location down to half of an inch.