Synopsis: MapGeo is already an essential GIS resource for many local governments. But how can these governments be sure that they are getting the most out of the platform?
AppGeo is using our expertise in GIS to analyze and improve how local governments understand and use spatial information. This webinar (recorded on June 21, 2022) brings together Priya Sankalia, Project Manager and SIQ for MapGeo Team Member, Laura Doty, Customer Success Lead and MapGeo Team Member, and Rebecca Talamini, Project manager and SIQ for MapGeo Team Member to discuss useful tips and tricks for local government users of MapGeo.
MapGeo’s Potential
Sankalia: “MapGeo is a mapping platform to build smarter cities and counties. We really think of it as a citizen’s hub, where you can get all your information, it connects you to everything, it really has the community at your fingertips. You can get all the information you want using a map and accessing all this information.”
MapGeo’s primary use is to identify and search for parcels, such as addresses. MapGeo also provides additional information about a selected parcel, such as zoning, ownership, and acreage, to help local governments make more informed decisions. Google Street View is integrated directly into the MapGeo platform, allowing seamless transitions between the two. MapGeo’s search functions also allow you to find properties and sort your results in a huge variety of ways, such as by date of sale, building value, sanitary source, and more. Users can even combine multiple features to better handle specific use cases. MapGeo’s many functions streamline answering property and parcel questions, saving time and money for local governments.
Sign Up, Roles, and Users
Doty: “Many of our users have information that they want to be held back from the general public. It could be suppressed properties, where for whatever reason the owner of the property does not want their information to be shown online. Or it could be utility themes, planning themes, things that are not suitable to the general public to have access to. That is handled by assigning roles to each individual user who has a login. You can really fine tune the roles too. We have clients that have certain functionality hidden from the general public. We have a client that has an engineering help desk role, so that only certain data is available at the engineering help desk for contractors who come in so they can get all the information that they might need about utilities while they are on a work site. It’s only available to that user who is logged into that help desk office. People only see what they need to see and any sensitive information is hidden from the general public or other departments.”
Creating specialized roles for certain users allows local governments to tailor the experience and strip down data to its essential components. Most users probably do not need complete access to MapGeo to accomplish their goals. By crafting specific roles only relevant data and results will be presented, increasing efficiency and reducing unnecessary information.
If local governments want, users can also mark-up and share their edits with other users on MapGeo. This allows for increased collaboration and quick spread of information and maps across departments or within a certain user role. This allows maps and spatial information to be updated and maintained in real time, as users out in the field can share new data with their counterparts remotely.
Themes and Map Linking
Talamini: “By now most of you have gathered that MapGeo is pretty customizable and configurable to suit your needs. For the map linking option a lot of these configurations that folks have set up are using the unique ID from the data to connect to a variety of online documents or hosted services. Nearly all of our clients have a link to their property record card, that pulls data from the property database service or pulls in a static PDF to their MapGeo site, to quickly look up some details that might not be shown in the property panel of MapGeo. Other source data can be linked to MapGeo map features too. For example, Chelmsford is linking their sewer as built to the data within MapGeo. A field worker can click on a MapGeo sewer line if they have some questions on it, and they’re able to link to the actual plan to get further information.”
Maplinking allows local governments to overlay spatial data to more effectively convey and prioritize information within their maps. By linking maps with outside information users can show visually how land records, utilities, or districts are laid out geographically.
Themes allow users to switch freely between aerial imagery, terrain, and road style maps. This versatility allows for change detection or other more advanced visual analysis, while still retaining the simplified road maps for less intensive purposes. MapGeo can do it all!
Learn more about MapGeo at MapGeo.io!
