1. Development of User-Participation-type Communication tools for revitalization of local communities using MapServer
Kei SAITO*, Michihiko SHINOZAKI* and Shinji CHIBA**
* Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan
** ARCHI PIVOT, INC.,
FOSS4G2006

2. Introduction
Recently, making the hazard map, the region community map and etc by collaborative work with neighboring residents is popularly practiced in our country.
Various regional information-sharing is preceded. For example, good reputation restaurant, historic site spot and dangerous point and etc...in our neighborhood.
However, it is very difficult for the general resident to develop the tool of the information management combined with digital-map such as GIS technology.

3. Purpose of this Study
We provide the efficient communication tools for collecting and sharing various regional information using FOSS WebGIS and DBMS – MapServer and PostgreSQL-
With widely-distributed mobile phone equipped with the digital camera and GPS locator in Japan.
We make active use of free spatial data that is provided free from the Internet.

4. Spatial Data improvement in Japan
The governments embarked for active efforts toward improve GIS-related in the wake of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Free service of browse of land information and GIS spatial data have been offered through the Internet as part of the measure of spreading and promotion of GIS from April 2001.
Download Service of Digital National Land Information.
Download Service of Block Position Reference Information.
Land Information Web Mapping System
District and Population
Land Use
Aerial photo Data

5. Development of the User-Participation-type Communication tools using MapServer
This support system builds up with FOSS Web-based GIS application such as MapServer and free several spatial data.
Client users use the digital camera and GPS locator equipped mobile phone as a tool to gather several local information
This system composed of the all free GIS software, DBMS and spatial data.
Users can use this system any time and anywhere because this system is Web Mapping type GIS.
Users can use own regular mobile phone as a terminal device to gather and input a lot of different information.

6. System configuration

7. Example of Operation
This system uses the Web browser as GIS client such as a map viewer and an interactive I/O for the command of spatial and attribute search.
The users use the mobile-phone as support tools for the field survey to gather the positional information and circumference situation including image data.
The mobile-phone used for the information gathering is the commonly used type in our country

8. Positional Information acquisition “Under positioning your
Example of Operation
Screenshot of Mobile-Phone
Click
Positional Information acquisition
“Under positioning your
present location”

9. Manually input Data and up-load by CGI
Example of Operation
Screenshot of Mobile-Phone
Received Data
Submit
Scroll Down
Manually input Data and up-load by CGI
Title
ex. Favorite Shop name
Comments
etc.
Received Positional Data
Latitude ( )
Longitude ( )
Altitude (40m)

10. Data recorded in the Database Picture of the site situation
Example of Operation
Screenshot of Mobile-Phone
Submit
Data Recorded
Data recorded in the Database
Picture of the site situation

11. “Mapfile” description Stored Spatial Data on the PostGIS
Example of Operation
Screenshot of Database Console
“Mapfile” description
Stored Spatial Data on the PostGIS

12. Example of Operation Screenshot of MapServer on the Web
BaseMap (Several Layers)
Town District
Main Roads
Railways
Color-coded Map
Population
Number of household
Commercial statistics, etc...

13. spatial search to the attribute data
Example of Operation
Screenshot of MapServer on the Web
Figure is Highlighted
Input Search Keyword
spatial search to the attribute data

14. Example of Operation Screenshot of MapServer on the Web Stored POI
Click Icons
Stored POI
Figure is Highlighted
Shop
Restaurant
Historical
Recommend
Park
Dangerous
Positional Coordinates Point data stored on the PostGIS
Comment and Image date stored on the Database

15. System Feature
This system enables user to preserve the situation in the region matched to the positional information as digital data in real-time, and to add data on GIS and to be able to display it from the remote place.
The user can work without needing an advanced GIS skill because the map data and attribute information stored in the database can be operated through the Web a browser.
There is an advantage such as possible of the information collecting and sharing between local residents.

16. Conclusion
We developed the free Web-based GIS system that combined the FOSS MapServer and the PostGIS, and applied the support system for good local communication using commonly used mobile-phone.
The neighboring residents collect the latest information change from day to day, and they can be shared on the Internet.
This communication tools can be expected to lead to the community strengthening in the region as one of the new media.
We were able to develop and to propose the system for the GIS support tools for local communication that makes the best use of the feature of FOSS through this research.