Geographic Information Systems and the State of Databases as they relate to Historic Resources

Abstract. The effective management of information about historic resources is essential to their conservation and protection. As part of a larger project to develop a citywide historic resource survey methodology for the City of Los Angeles, the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) examined data systems and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that have been implemented in North America cities. Existing systems are broadly classified into three main types: parallel, dispersed, and centralized. A parallel GIS runs parallel to and entirely separate from a city’s existing infrastructure, planning, and zoning GIS. A dispersed GIS is also an entirely separate system, but with a formalized data transfer protocol between the historic resource GIS and the city’s primary GIS. With the centralized GIS approach, a city builds and maintains a single, central GIS that serves as the hub for all of its infrastructure, planning, zoning, and historic resource data. Each type is illustrated with examples herein and the advantages and disadvantages are highlighted. 1