The Importance of GIS in the Development of Smart Cities

GIS is used throughout the life cycle of a smart city, from site selection through maintenance.

FREMONT, CA: In smart cities, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) have become ingrained in our daily life. GIS enables the integrating of all stakeholders and processes associated with smart cities, from planning and conceptualization to development and maintenance. While intelligent cities offer significant growth potential in the following years, there are still numerous obstacles to their implementation. For instance, overcrowded cities can result in the absence of future infrastructure development opportunities. Numerous challenges can be resolved by implementing and integrating GIS.

Smart City Platform for Growth Lifecycle

A centralized information system built on GIS technology provides an IT framework for installing and sustaining data and applications across all facets of city development.

Purchase (Site selection to Land Acquisition & Legal Compliance): GIS enables the identification of possible city development sites, legal borders and assists end users in arriving at the appropriate valuation for new or existing properties. Additionally, GIS combines and integrates numerous forms of information to aid in decision-making. It can provide high-end visualization tools that help in site identification, appraisal, and ultimate selection. Real estate organizations can arrive at the correct property assessment by considering closeness to road networks, soil qualities, groundwater depth, and vulnerability to natural disasters.

Since GIS provides a standardized platform for communicating with government authorities and the general public, it has become more accessible and less time-consuming for users and real estate firms to comply with regulatory obligations. GIS outputs can assist in rapidly producing reports that clearly illustrate how compliance requirements are met.

Conceptualization, Design, and Visualization

The geodesign framework will serve as the foundation for envisioning, developing, and planning smart cities, assisting in all stages of infrastructure development, from site study through simulation and evaluation. GIS integration with design tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) would enhance analytics and cost estimating capabilities for planning and processing intelligent city infrastructure.

Utility mapping within a geo-design framework enables communities to manage and map the millions of kilometers of underground and overhead circuits.

Building and Project Management

Integrating geographic information systems with the project and financial management software provides more efficient and successful project management. Additionally, GIS serves as a central repository for all construction-related papers and files.

Sales, marketing, and Financial Administration

With GIS, city developers can entice prospective firms by developing marketing reports that showcase the economic possibilities of new places or future improvements in their immediate vicinity. Additionally, GIS benefits occupants by visualizing all information affecting the property's value and desirability and by offering a more realistic image of the property's suitability for their needs. GIS enables the analysis of demographics and market circumstances and provides users with precise property information.

Maintenance

Integrating asset inventory with inspection history and work order management with a geographic information system (GIS) can effectively maintain crucial investments.

See Also : 

Real Estate  Business Review