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Land Use and Development Rules are critical instruments in shaping sustainable urban development and optimizing land resources. However, the process of editing and updating these rules can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, particularly when outsourced to design organizations. To address this challenge, Geometa has introduced a new module that empowers municipalities to autonomously modify and improve their land use and development rules. By leveraging existing data within the Geometa system, this tool enables municipalities to enhance the quality and efficiency of their rule revisions. Moreover, even when collaborating with third-party design organizations, the module facilitates quality control and the identification of necessary revisions. This article explores the functionality of the module and its potential to reduce the frequency of changes to zoning and planning regulations, thereby streamlining the urban planning process.
Understanding Land Use and Development Rules
Land Use and Development Rules encompass a comprehensive set of normative documents and regulations that define permissible uses of land plots and outline the requirements for their development. These rules govern the types of development permitted on specific plots of land, including considerations such as building layout, height, and shape. Additionally, they set requirements for safety, aesthetics, and environmental compliance, ensuring the sustainable growth of territories and optimal utilization of land resources.
Land Use and Development Rules serve as the primary local-level town-planning regulators. They are employed in various processes, such as issuing land certificates, site development plans, building permits, and occupancy permits. Changes to these regulations may be necessitated by factors such as the approval of new master plans or planning projects, initiatives from executive authorities, or requests from individuals and organizations to alter territorial zones based on specific intentions. Minimizing the frequency of changes to Land Use and Development Rules is an ideal objective.
Introducing the Module:
The Geometa module offers municipalities a powerful tool for drafting and amending zoning and planning documents. This module incorporates a complete copy of the current territorial zones and electronic Land Use and Development Rules, enabling users to make necessary revisions and approve them as either new documents or amendments to the existing regulations. One of the module’s key features is its ability to visualize the impact of Land Use and Development Rules on the entire city’s territory. By employing this tool, municipalities gain valuable insights into the regulatory effects imposed by restrictions, fostering informed decision-making processes.
Functionality of the Module:
The module integrates three essential tools for working with Land Use and Development Rules:
- Comparison of Regulation Editions:
This tool enables users to visualize differences between current and draft versions of territorial zones on a map or through tabular representation, facilitating effective analysis and revision.
- Technical Quality Checks of Documents:
By employing this functionality, users can assess the quality of documents and ensure compliance with town-planning and land codes. This verification process minimizes the risk of refusals to register territorial zones.
- Meaningful Checks of Documents:
The analytical module allows users to examine the city-wide implications of Land Use and Development Rules. By adjusting parameters related to permitted land plot use or construction projects, users can simulate changes in the regulatory impact of the document. This tool accommodates analysis of both documents developed by local government specialists and those provided by external developers.
Verification Parameters:
The module facilitates comprehensive verification through a range of parameters, including:
1.Verification of compliance of permitted land plot uses with Land Use and Development Rules throughout the city
2.Checking for exceeding the maximum number of floors.
3.Checking for exceeding the maximum percentage of development.
4.Check for exceeding the maximum and (or) minimum size (area) of land plots.
5. Displaying permitted land plot uses on a map.
6.Comparison of current and project versions of territorial zones.
7.Comparison of current and project versions of zoning and planning regulations.
8.Checking for intersections of territorial zones and land plots.
9.Checking for overlaps of territorial zones.
10.Check for self-intersections of territorial zones.
Development Process:
The module was meticulously developed by Geometa’s Research and Development (R&D) team, which distinguishes itself by working not only on software but also on data. Recognizing that socially beneficial products require not only software solutions but also relevant data, the team creates tools that leverage existing data within the Geometa system. This approach enables the compilation, enrichment, and utilization of data to deliver innovative and valuable solutions for urban planning professionals.
Future Enhancements:
Currently, Geometa is gathering feedback from users to refine and enhance the module’s functionalities. The team aims to expand the analytical capabilities of the module to include checking the size of building setbacks from land plot boundaries and red lines. This complex task necessitates training the system to accurately identify front, rear, and side boundaries of each land plot, even when they exhibit intricate geometric shapes. By addressing this challenge, the module will further optimize urban planning processes, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in rule revisions.
By empowering municipalities to autonomously revise and improve their land use and development rules, this tool streamlines the urban planning process, enhances the quality of rule revisions, and facilitates sustainable and efficient development of territories.
