Long Island Index and Mapping Software

Here's an update from SlashGeo you may be interested in -- if you're technically minded and can wade through the jargon. Otherwise, what you need to know is that there's a new web-based indicators interface being demo'd and you can take a look.

Steven Romalewski writes: "I read Slashgeo on a regular basis (mainly from links via PlanetGS). I thought you'd be interested in a new application based on a customized integration of ESRI and open source technologies. You can access the site at http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/longislandindex/m ap.aspx It was developed for the Long Island Index project, which has been developing and monitoring regional community indicators for the past several years. (Here is some background about the Index itself.)

The maps are still in "beta" testing phase, so you'll need to register to access them (just a temporary thing), and it's a work in progress so feedback is welcome. We're excited about it because it leverages the combination of ESRI on the backend, OpenLayers for map navigation, and the ext.js framework for an AJAX-style interface. All of the mapped information is displayed via WMS, and much of the data is accessed using REST.

Among other things we include the ability to access Microsoft's Virtual Earth bird’s eye views based on a click on the map, and we also implemented the ext.js transparency tool to make it easy to compare multiple thematic layers and aerial imagery. The transparency tool always gets a "wow" reaction from the crowd when we demo the site, but it's also a powerful tool for visual analysis. Anyway, hope you like the site. We'd be very interested in your feedback as well as what your readers think. Thanks for taking a look!" The beta version will ask you for a name, organization and email.