Philadelphia, PA --- April 6, 2005 --- Avencia has released a new version of CityMaps, the City of Philadelphia’s first public online mapping application.
Users with internet access can visit http://citymaps.phila.gov and use the mapping website to view zoning information, aerial photography, and city service information like leaf collection days, rubbish collection days, health centers, police stations, and a variety of other services. CityMaps users can simply type in their address and return interactive maps and lists of nearest facilities, zoning overlays, and aerial photography. The website also links users to public information on schools, city council, public recreation, public transportation, political boundaries and recycling. Users can also create and export high quality customized maps of their area.
The CityMaps website has between 5,000 and 6,000 hits per day indicating that it has been a success in providing Philadelphians with important geographic information in a user-friendly way. Robert Cheetham, President of Avencia, said ‘We are very proud of CityMaps. It was created using sophisticated geographic technology and we are pleased so many Philadelphians use this website everyday.’ CityMaps has been used to provide emergency services information to the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia residents. In 2003 a snowstorm blocked storm drains and threatened flooding in several neighborhoods. CityMaps users were able to type in any city address and find storm drain locations near that address.
CityMaps was built using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology from ESRI. Recent upgrades to CityMaps have included transformation from a conventional web-based application to a series of web services that add spatial intelligence to any City of Philadelphia business process. These new services include address validation against a master address database, sophisticated aliasing functionality, geocoding, activity-tracking, map generation and service area location. Avencia worked with the GIS Services Group at the City of Philadelphia to create CityMaps.
About Avencia, Inc.
Avencia is a Philadelphia-based geospatial analysis and software development firm specializing in the creation of innovative location-based software tools to enhance decision-making processes in governments, businesses, and non-profits. Avencia believes these location-based technologies can help promote the emergence of more dynamic, vibrant communities.
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If you would like more information about Avencia or this project, please contact Bradley Breuer at 215.925.2600 or e-mail
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