Advanced GIS-based tools for municipal planning, parcel analysis, and economic development strategy
Access powerful tools designed specifically for economic development professionals
Explore Island Falls parcels with a powerful interactive map (open it from the Try Civil Engineering link above) featuring multiple basemap options and real-time data visualization.
Access comprehensive parcel information including assessed values, ownership details, zoning, and historical data.
Calculate Tax Increment Financing scenarios for development projects with detailed financial projections.
Generate comprehensive statistics and insights on municipal data, property values, and development trends.
Compare multiple parcels side-by-side to identify opportunities and make data-driven decisions.
Create and manage custom parcel groups for targeted analysis and tracking of specific areas or property types.
Rank and score parcels based on economic development criteria to identify priority opportunities.
Calculate mortgage scenarios and project property value growth for development planning.
Export data, generate reports, and create presentations with comprehensive analysis results.
Upload and manage property photos for visual documentation and tracking of parcel conditions over time.
Toggle between light and dark themes for comfortable viewing in any lighting condition.
Role-based access control with admin, editor, and viewer permissions for team collaboration.
Harnessing data to make inferences about Parcel Market Values in relation to each other
Scores are derived from measurements reflecting both quality and quantity of known attributes. The design of this system and the resulting scores for each Parcel of Land have been built to reflect both usability and accessibility, the two main drivers for Parcel Market Value.
The value for which a Parcel of Land can be sold.
A measurement system allowing for identification and measurement of all known and measurable attributes. Each attribute is given an Attribute Score based on the measured volume of the attribute relative to the total volume measured within the population of parcels. This allows each parcel to be stack ranked by its volume relative to the whole population.
A score representing a parcel's volume of an attribute relative to all other parcels within the population being measured.
The sum of all Attribute Scores. Once all Attribute Scores have been assigned, adjustments are made to align each attribute's weight in the equation to its impact on usability and accessibility.
In the short run, Parcel Market Value can be quite volatile and reflective of changes in the greater economic environment.
In the long run, this value is expected to be less volatile and primarily related to the sum of all known attributes, valued at a price relative to other nearby Parcels of Land.
Example: A higher volume or measurement of lake frontage would be expected to yield a higher Parcel Market Value relative to another Parcel of Land with the same volume of all other known attributes, but with a lower lakefront measurement. This expected increase in value diminishes as the volume increases beyond what market demands can provide.
Each known attribute for each Parcel of Land has a score, and each Parcel of Land can have many attributes. We aim to measure each individual attribute for each Parcel of Land. The sum of all attributes—the Accumulative Attribute Score—provides a total score for each Parcel of Land encompassing all known and measured attribute scores.
Apply this framework in practice: try your hand at civil engineering and explore city planning scenarios using the Try Civil Engineering link above (the Interactive Map). Test how resource allocation decisions affect outcomes, then adapt your strategy when conditions change.
The Attribute Scoring Matrix is improved by our ability to adjust the weight of each attribute in its impact on the total Accumulative Attribute Score. For example, a property with a lakefront score may be more desirable than a property with a similar riverfront score. In this case, the lakefront attribute should carry more weight when totaling all attribute scores.
The ability to adjust the carrying weight of each attribute and its impact on the Accumulative Attribute Score allows us to make reasonable adjustments to align with the desirability of an attribute relative to other known attributes.
We can expand our analysis further by grouping Parcels of Land into zones. By segmenting a municipality into zones, we are better able to identify abnormalities that may exist.
Example: There are varying types of Parcels of Land, with varying types of usability or accessibility. By grouping types together (all lakefront parcels in the Lakefront group, or large parcels of farmland in The Land group), we can adjust the significance of impact that an individual attribute has on the Accumulative Attribute Score. In a lake town, a 2-acre lakefront property might be more desirable than 200 acres of farmland in the woods. By allowing for adjustment of the weight carried by each Attribute Score, we are better able to align how each score influences the Accumulative Attribute Score.
Each attribute follows the same equation: measure each parcel, sum the population, and derive the parcel's percentage of the whole
Determine each parcel's proximity to the highway pin. Sum all individual measurements to arrive at a total for the population. Divide each parcel's measurement by the sum to get a percentage of the whole.
Determine each parcel's proximity to the downtown center pin. Sum all individual measurements to arrive at a total for the population. Divide each parcel's measurement by the sum to get a percentage of the whole.
Determine each parcel's riverfront measurement (feet of river frontage). Sum all individual measurements to arrive at the total for all parcels with this attribute. Divide each parcel's measurement by the sum to get a percentage of the whole.
Determine each parcel's lakefront measurement (feet of lake frontage). Sum all individual measurements to arrive at the total for all parcels with this attribute. Divide each parcel's measurement by the sum to get a percentage of the whole.
Determine each parcel's acreage measurement. Sum all individual measurements to arrive at the total for all parcels with this attribute. Divide each parcel's measurement by the sum to get a percentage of the whole.
This equation produces a score for each parcel, allowing us to stack rank all parcels against each other to determine the equitable percentage weight each parcel should carry for the expense of the municipality's budget.
Each known measurable attribute contributes to the total Accumulative Attribute Score. The higher the score, the higher the expectation for market value and related capacity to contribute to the tax contribution to the municipality.
We stack rank parcels by their relative position in the group, determined by the volume of each specific attribute. A lakefront parcel with 200' of frontage receives twice the score as one with 100'. A property with 200 acres obtains a score twice that of a 100-acre parcel. We sum all Attribute Scores to produce the Accumulative Attribute Score.
The Accumulative Attribute Score is also impacted by other attributes—a public paved vs. a private unpaved road, a corner lot vs. a non-corner lot, year-round access vs. seasonal access.
The ability to adjust the carrying weight of each attribute and its impact on the Accumulative Attribute Score allows us to make reasonable adjustments to align with the desirability of an attribute relative to other known attributes measured.