Open-source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping and modelling BGI
By bringing together and analysing a wide range of geospatial data, GIS provides useful ways of assessing the potential and type of BGI at individual development sites and also at a wider more strategic level, which makes it a valuable tool in scaling up the outcomes of the BEGIN project.
The workshop was attended by BGI and GIS professionals from Kent C.C., Enfield Borough Council, Bradford Council, CIRIA and Bergen Kommune with additional GIS expertise from IHE-Delft and the University of Sheffield.
Central to the day was a presentation by Atkins Global showing how they carried out opportunity mapping for several UK organisations using their SuDS StudioTM toolkit.
The SuDS Studio toolkit is a geospatial tool that identifies potentially feasible SuDS and then selects the most cost-beneficial solution. It does this by inputting a range of GIS data that defines the geospatial relationship between sources, runoff and locations where SuDS might be installed.
CIRIA’s B£ST tool is used as a starting point in this procedure to identify and quantify the benefits associated with the mapped opportunities.
Building on the approach used by Atkins, the potential of GIS to enhance the B£ST tool provided the basis of another workshop session.
Presentations and discussions also included GIS concepts, open-source solutions, the use of GIS in planning BGI in Bergen, and how GIS on the internet can engage with communities and help them gather useful site data.
Some of the work done in Bergen is available to view here: https://arcg.is/m0z50
