Teamwork Between GIS and Planning in Kingston

When it comes to urban development, blending Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with planning processes is essential for future growth and confident decision making. The City of Kingston is an example of collaboration between the GIS and Planning teams, allowing them to work toward their shared goals and projects that will strengthen and grow their community. 

The Evolution of GIS in Planning

Over the past 15 years, Kingston’s Planning GIS team has expanded from a single Planning Technician to a dedicated team of three GIS Specialists led by a manager. The Planning GIS team is embedded within the Planning department and understands the planning process and technical workflows positioning them to effectively support the needs of the business unit. In addition, a GIS Analyst from the Corporate GIS team is assigned to Planning integrations and special projects. The increased resourcing and unique organizational structure have strengthened collaboration between technical staff and planners. 

Alexandra Dowker is the Manager of Planning GIS at the City of Kingston. Her career at the City started in planning, then moved her over to GIS, then back again. This path gave Alexandra a deep appreciation for how GIS supports planning efforts. 

"There's always been a need for operational work to support planning. And this team structure allows us to do that operational work and have the time and resources to get traction on bigger-scale projects." – Alexandra Dowker, Manager, Services Standards & Data Management.

This blend of expertise has created a collaborative culture where both teams work together on various projects, ensuring that GIS tools are effectively integrated into planning processes.  The new organizational structure has created a strong working relationship between the two departments, leading to better outcomes and greater productivity.  These changes took time and were led by senior-level champions; leadership understand the role GIS can play in planning , and how crucial collaboration is for enhancing urban planning initiatives.

 Planning and GIS teams collaborate to enhance urban planning initiatives

Collaborative Projects

One project that highlights the collaborative nature of the GIS and planning departments is the development of Kingston's new official plan. This initiative required extensive mapping and data analysis, as well as a deep knowledge of planning best practices, combined with a future vision for the community . The public now has an opportunity to review the OP in an online application. By incorporating 3D modeling and GIS analytics, planners can visualize urban development more comprehensively, leading to better-informed decisions.

The teams have also focused on automating processes to make workflows smoother. For example, they created a map package script that automatically generates the necessary maps for planning reports. This innovation has saved planners a lot of time on manual tasks, allowing them to concentrate on more valuable activities. 

Noah Cameron is an Engineering/GIS Technologist on the GIS Planning team at the City of Kingston.

“Automation saves us a ton of time, but requires collaboration to work. We’ve recently automated our quarterly reports on planning statistics, which are provincially mandated. GIS and planning coordinated the set up, and planning knows which data is required. The planners know to keep their numbers up to date on their files so that we are pulling reliable data for the reports.” – Noah Cameron, Engineering/GIS Technologist

Building Relationships and Training

A big part of the success of the GIS and Planning teams lies in their commitment to building strong relationships. They hold regular meetings and training sessions to ensure planners are comfortable using GIS tools and to understand where improvements could be made in tools they already using.

Rayne Jones is a GIS Analyst at the City of Kingston. She has a background and education in both GIS and urban planning, allowing her to connect the dots between technical GIS applications and planning needs.

"As planners become more familiar with GIS tools and the team, they're learning that they can rely on it a little bit more for their projects. The GIS analysts are serving the planners to serve the public." – Rayne Jones, GIS Analyst

For example, years ago planners would bring drawings to the GIS team and have the GIS team replicate the drawings in the digital environment. Now, the GIS and planning teams work collaboratively within a GIS environment, and are able to model  heights and development potential to get metrics on-the-fly.

This proactive approach to training has fostered a culture of continuous learning, encouraging planners to explore the full potential of GIS. The teams have also collaborated on outreach initiatives, sharing their successes and challenges with other municipalities, further strengthening their network and knowledge base.

The City of Kingston is growing and their GIS team is essential to that growth

Future Directions

While they've achieved a lot, the team recognizes there are still challenges to tackle. As in all municipalities, there are finite resources, so they need to prioritize projects  that support council’s strategic goals and align with corporate priorities. An exciting initiative on the horizon is the development of a dashboard for tracking housing supply and development applications. This project aims to create a centralized platform for planners and the public to access vital information, boosting transparency and engagement in the planning process.

Kingston’s GIS team continues to grow and support other departments, such as engineering and utilities. Additionally, they are growing their GIS footprint with ArcGIS Urban, with support from Esri Canada’s Planning and Housing team. The junior GIS staff is learning the needs of the planning department, which creates a good environment for recruitment and retention, as well as growing the GIS and planning skills Kingston will need in the future.

Kingston is developing a dashboard for tracking housing supply and development applications

Conclusion

The collaboration between the GIS and Planning teams in Kingston is an example for other municipalities looking to integrate technology into their planning processes. Through their shared commitment to innovation, training, and relationship-building, these teams have shown how powerful collaboration can be in achieving common goals.

The growth-mindset environment at the City of Kingston continues to encourage collaboration and drive the success of their planning department projects. The ongoing efforts to enhance GIS capabilities within planning will not only benefit the teams but also the community, ensuring a more sustainable and well-planned urban environment for everyone.

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