Urban planning is the process of both developing and designing open land, urban areas, and the built environment.
Urban planners, sometimes known as city planners, design cities and create plans for future improvements and growth, which includes much of what you see when moving through an urban environment: streets, parks, public spaces, and more.
GIS in urban planning is becoming increasingly useful over time. Initially, the high costs of installation and operation stunted the adoption of GIS in urban planning. However, as GIS hardware became less expensive and GIS software became more user-friendly, adoption has increased.
There are numerous benefits of using GIS in urban planning but to mention a few;
With speedier access to a wider range of important geographic information, planners can create informed strategies more effectively. they can explore a wider range of uncertainty leading to stronger, more effective long-term strategies.
One of the reasons why GIS is important in urban planning is the ability to better understand the current needs of a city, and then design to fulfil those needs, processing geospatial data from satellite imaging, aerial photography and remote sensors, users gain a detailed perspective on land and infrastructure.
GIS software can also show all relevant stakeholders exactly what the changes on the ground will look like to help them make better decisions. For example, GIS software may generate visualizations of an area’s current environmental conditions and allow users to draw comparisons between the anticipated results of proposed development plans.
Planners make use of GIS to smooth the progress of citizen participation and community input as they develop a vision for the community that enhances the quality of life for all citizens.
