Aurora, CO USA Merrick & Company, a world leader in LiDAR, digital ortho imaging, photogrammetry, and geospatial solutions was awarded a $569,000 contract with the City of Chihuahua to deliver aerial photography, 3-meter LiDAR data, 20-centimeter pixel resolution digital orthophotos, a DTM to support 0.5 meter contour extrapolation, planimetric data, and delivery of Merricks MARS software. Awarded in June 2007, final delivery of all data products is planned for March 2008.
Chihuahua, population 758,791, is increasingly relying on geospatial data as a key input to decision-making. In order to support the needs across various municipal agencies, a work team was established and included representatives from the Systems Department, the Municipal Treasury, the Cadastral Office, the Department of Urban Development and Ecology, and the Municipal Planning Institute to examine the procurement processes and use of geospatial data. The team ultimately defined the municipal data needs and selected Merrick in a competitive proposal selection process.
The City agencies will use the updated geospatial data in a variety of applications including the inventory of pavement, green areas, public space, and urban infrastructure; poverty detection by area; urban water studies; and as input to the Urban Management Plan.
The geospatial data will be centrally stored and administered and maintained by the respective agencies on the municipal network, explains Carlos A. Martinez Mar, Coordinator of Geostatistical and Informatics at the Municipal Institute of Planning in Chihuahua, Not only will all of the participating agencies use the data in their work, we will also support inquiries by both public officials and the community at large, concludes Mar.
Visit Chihuahua on the Web at www.implanchihuahua.gob.mx and www.municipiochihuahua.gob.mx.
About Merrick & Company
Founded in Denver in 1955, Merrick & Company is a world-leading geospatial solutions, surveying, multidisciplinary engineering, architectural, and construction management firm. The employee-owned company provides these services to municipal, state, federal, and private-sector clients. With approximately 400 employees, Merrick has offices in Aurora and Colorado Springs, CO; Los Alamos and Albuquerque, NM; Atlanta, GA, Ottawa, Canada; Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico; Bogota, Colombia.