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Information and Technology
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SANDAG researchers, demographers, geographic information system analysts, statisticians, and economists generate and analyze a wealth of demographic, economic, transportation, land use, environmental, and criminal justice information. Some examples include long-range growth forecasts, current estimates of population, housing, and demographic characteristics, crime statistics and analyses, transportation modeling, Web-based mapping and other applications, Geographic Information System (GIS) applications and support, and general interest publications such as INFOs and Fact Sheets. INFO publications issued during the past year contain information on commute characteristics of the region’s drivers, updated information on population demographics and housing information, and an analysis of shifts in land use patterns. Between 1995 and 2003, residential land acreage experienced a 12 percent gain, primarily to support single family development. Commercial and office land uses also rose by 12 percent, while land use for public facilities and utilities increased by 4,600 acres (two percent) – most of which was for transportation-related uses. However, the most significant change in land use during this eight year span was in the amount of acreage used for parks and recreation. In 1995, 36 percent of the region’s land was utilized for these purposes. Fueled by the region’s concerted habitat conservation efforts, the number increased to 45 percent (a gain of 240,000 acres) in 2003. A new enterprise underway for SANDAG is the formation of a service bureau that consolidates the services and expertise currently offered through the Local Technical Assistance program (for SANDAG member agencies), SourcePoint (for non-member agencies and the public), and the Assistance to Transit Operations and Planning (ATOP) under one umbrella. The services and information SANDAG provides depend on a comprehensive system of reliable and up-to-date information and state-of-the art technology. A successful service bureau will increase the resources available to maintain and enhance this Regional Information System. The reorganization into a single service bureau will provide for better integration of staff resources, creating a more efficient and effective approach to the delivery of services. Services include compiling and analyzing demographic and economic information, custom mapping, transportation modeling and analysis projects, and survey design and analysis. |
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