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reliance on paper forms," says Corey Halford, IT Data Services Team Leader for the City of Airdrie. Empowering Citizens to Become Environmental Stewards GIS is also a powerful engagement tool. Through cost-effective web and mobile mapping applications, munici- palities can provide self-serve access to information and analysis tools that can guide residents' actions and encourage them to preserve the environment. A good example is the District of North Vancouver's solar application, which promotes the adoption of solar water heating systems in private homes. Through an online map, residents can locate their home, see how much sun- light hits each square metre of their roof in a year, determine the best spot to place a solar water heater, and find out how much money they can save by installing the system. The GIS application uses Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) or remotely sensed data, and takes into account the slope and orientation of individual roofs, the location and height of trees and buildings, sun movement, cloud-cover patterns, and other data. Now, at the click of a button, residents can determine if their home is suitable for solar technology. Without question, GIS is a powerful and versatile technology. Its ability to integrate and map data from numer- ous sources provides rich context for smarter environmental analysis and planning. The efficiencies gained from geoenabling processes improve productivity while mitigating risk to the environment. Protecting the en- vironment is not the government's responsibility alone: GIS facilitates public participation in decision making and finding the right balance between economic, environmental, and social priorities. We only have one world. Using GIS helps us to make the best use of our environment while protecting it – ensur- ing a sustainable future for us and the generations to come. MW March 2012 Municipal World 19

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