Custom Software Development
Planning Portals
Our self-developed online Planning Portals assist with information management and retrieval, public education, and decision support. Borne out of the need to process the wealth of information that comes into and out of the regional model, the Portal helps clients better understand the complexity of local systems and, ultimately, better utilize the information in the planning process. Our software development team custom designs Portals to client specifications. Some of the past features of the Planning Portal have been:
- data collection and management
- best practices guideline development
- live data searching
- interactive mapping
- local plan overlay (gap, conflict analysis)
- public outreach tool (blog, forum)
- visualization tool
- land use model interface
- public discussion mediation
Web-based Modeling System
Our software development has evolved to make all tools available via the web, utilizing open source software and eliminating expensive software licenses. The LEAM land use model can be used by clients via an interface built into the Planning Portal, either alone or in conjunction with other models such as travel demand and water quality. Our standard modeling system offers a wide array of functionality and special output, but our programming team can also customize any additional functionality, inputs, and outputs required by clients. Read more on the DesktopLEAM interface...
Visualization
Often, data and information are not well understood without advanced visualization techniques. Our creative team specializes in the emerging field of visualization. Following the latest psychological research, we experiment with new and different representations. Our visualization techniques utilize different types of media, including print, web, and video. Maps and charts are optimized to communicate the greatest detail in the simplest and most vibrant way. The Planning Portal can be programmed to include any visualization gallery for reviewing.
