Blueprint for Design

Hello fellow designers and planners, this is my first blog for Blueprint For Design, I hope you find it useful. This article is about using GIS to gather information for planning architectural projects.

First, what is GIS?

Geographic-Information System – those who have not used them before these are systems that store property tax information, map information, and sometimes-utility information. To some extent, this also includes things like zoning maps, Aerial photos, building footprints, and road contours. More and more counties, cities, and other jurisdictions are implementing GIS to make information available across disciplines for the use of the city departments. However, since this is public information we in the design community can make use of it too.

How to find it.

First, one of my favorite tools is epodunk.com, this website will list everything about a town, no matter how small, how remote. Often there will be link to GIS information, and if not find the Town or county website. From here if the county has GIS you should be able to find it. Additionally this site is valuable to find local resources that may become useful later, or for gathering other information about the town that may be useful to you or your client. If no link can be found call the county, they may still have one you can use.

What is it good for?

GIS information is typically available in a special browser. Read carefully what browsers it works best for, some will favor Explorer over Firefox or Chrome. The browsers I’ve used typically ask for property addresses, tax ID numbers or cross streets, and then they zoom in like most map programs. Most will also let you zoom in using a magnifying tool.

Once you find your property see if the browser has a menu to include information like zoning, FEMA map boundaries, utilities, rights of way, and other information. I’ve used several and they all have different options.

Additionally there are queries that using the Tax ID number or a tool with usually an “I”, one can click the boundary, and it will bring up information about ownership, tax value and other public information. This may also be useful to look at the properties surrounding your client’s property, especially brown fields, commercial or industrial structures.

Some browsers also contain measurement tools. These can be useful if the survey the client has given you is limited in scope and you need quick take offs for zoning or other ordinances that may have limiting factors on the position of the building to other structures.

Additionally what is on the GPS is what the tax records indicate. It should a red flag if the two don’t agree on the general shape and size of the parcels. Then you should confirm the age and accuracy of the survey with the surveyor.

Liabilities

Again, don’t take the GIS information as gospel, it should never replace a survey performed by a licensed professional. Any information that becomes part of the contract documents, or cited in correspondence from the GIS should be noted by date it was viewed and what the source information is. New information is constantly being input, so your facts could change. Clearly indicate in notes that it must be V.I.F – Verified In Field – by contractors prior to any work. There is no substitute for a site visit either, but this tool can help pull information together and help you serve your client. These tools can help you know what else to look for while you are there.

Other GIS locations

Here is a short list of other websites that can be useful in the due diligence process.

EPA – locations of known hazard reports
FEMA Flood Maps – official flood insurance maps
USGS – All kinds of maps, and GIS systems.