Urban information systems in Turkey

Geographical information system (GIS) projects were initiated during the 1980s in Turkey. The numbers of those projects increased both in public and private sectors during the 1990s, encouraged by the rapid developments in technology. One of the types of institutions most eager to use GIS technology is municipalities in the country. The administrators of the municipalities consider that effective management of the large amount of data in cities to access correct, up-to-date and comprehensive data is only possible with the use of information technologies. This idea has led them to establish urban information systems (UISs). However, they face technical, organisational and legal issues in their efforts. There is therefore a need for solutions to make UISs effective. In this context, this paper presents an overview of the UIS projects which have been implemented in Turkey. The issues faced during those projects are discussed, along with recommendations for solving those issues.