Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/778125
Integrating Planning and Development To enable coordinated planning of the region's capital projects and non- government development initiatives, functionality developed for the Niag- ara Connections framework was com- bined with an application recording and tracking system that allows plan- ning and engineering departments to access all aspects of the development application process in real time. This system integrates with the region's enterprise GIS and supports centralized management of spatial data. It allows planners to view the original applications, along with all related documents including com- menting letters, reports, studies, and legal agreements, without the need to get in and out of various software applications. They can also redline or circulate the applications easily for approval. All relevant information is geographically referenced and can be easily accessed for reporting to council. Having a central online repository for all development applications has improved communication within the department and allowed planners to do their work more efficiently. It has also improved service delivery by re- ducing the time it takes to respond to applications. Peter Colosimo, Niagara Region's Director of Development Services, notes that this system improves ef- ficiencies, streamlines processes, and saves time. "It's an integrated com- munications and analytical tool that supports our continuous improvement initiatives. It gives planners trend- ing information that provides richer context to individual applications and allows them to see the bigger picture, such as the impact on the overall in- frastructure." New Perspective, New Opportunity With this kind of system, planners can analyze information in different ways to see where and when develop- ment is occurring and manage growth more effectively. "Development tracking and the ability to connect growth, develop- ment, servicing, and financing is vital to successful growth management," says Mary Lou Tanner, Associate Di- rector for Regional Policy Planning. "It offers an opportunity to look back as well as forward, to examine the outcomes of decisions and identify the lessons learned for future applica- tion. This is a major advantage that will help council in future decision making." Currently, all of Niagara Region's 2011 development applications are included in the integrated system. It will eventually include applications dating back to 2006, allowing plan- ners to use the system's advanced statistical reporting capabilities to analyze the impact of council's past decisions. The region also plans to expand access to the system to all 12 municipalities and other agencies within the region to facilitate collab- orative policy development. Niagara's successful deployment of GIS technology has revolutionized its business processes and boosted operational efficiency. With its evi- dence-based approach to planning, the region can confidently look forward to long-term positive outcomes. MW 24 Municipal World June 2012