Purpose of the Tucson Area GIS Cooperative

• The City of Tucson has formalized the existence and function of a GIS Cooperative. During early years, members of the Cooperative were, for the most part, employees of the City of Tucson who had developed expertise in the use of geographic information systems (GIS) as a part of their duties. In 2004, membership was expanded to include more representatives from other incorporated jurisdictions, Pima Association of Governments, The University of Arizona, utilities and private sector firms.
• Until August 1999, the Cooperative had been meeting as a loosely organized GIS Users Group. But now, it is being called on (see Mapping the Future below) to assist the City in moving forward in enterprise GIS development and to spread the benefits of GIS throughout City government, and ultimately to the citizens of Tucson.
• The GIS Cooperative meets regularly, sponsors training, advises on GIS matters and exerts significant influence on the expenditure of centrally budgeted GIS funds.
• This web site is to support the work of the GIS Cooperative and to be a means for spreading the word about GIS to all who work for the citizens of Tucson, from elected officials and City management to all employees who have a need for tools to better understand and communicate geographically related information.

GIS Cooperative Activities in Review