Columbiana County GIS Planning Model

For the past several years, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has proved to be highly effective for community planning purposes, particularly when outlining or updating a comprehensive plan. Not only is it a means for applying modern technology in the planning process, but it can be a great means of communicating growth patterns, trends and statistics more clearly with the public.

GIS technology can supplement these types of projects by:

• helping evaluate the current conditions
• creating a usable plan for future growth by defining goal
• targeting areas for growth
• assigning desired land uses with a geographic basis
• providing for a more sustainable future for the city or county who is utilizing this geospatial knowledge

This valuable knowledge can be transformed into a Land Use Plan for the community which can depict:

• growth trends
• current land use
• zoning
• overlay growth areas
• character districts
• environmental corridor
• future utility expansions
• a series of activity centers
• a series of disaster management scenarios

This power point is an example of a series of maps created for Columbiana County using available data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). If you would like to consult with the GIS program at the Sustainable Development Center for a planning project in your area, please contact Talia Brown at brown.2934@osu.edu .