Buildable Area with Templates and Custom Exclusion Zones.

Step-by-step approach to determining the buildable area for your project site in Transect Reports.

Overview

Our Buildable Area tool in Reports allows you to use all of the map layers in a Transect Report to define the boundary of a preferred buildable area. You will do this by excluding and buffering map layers that represent landscape or infrastructure characteristics that you don't want to build on.

*This should be considered early stage buildable area as the slope is calculated at 30mx30m granularity.

In this article, you will learn how to:

• Generate a buildable area
• Use custom templates
• Create a custom exclusion area
• Hide polygons you do not want to include in the buildable area
• Create a new report from the buildable area
• Generate a KML of the buildable area
• Evaluation methods

• Developed area definitions

Generate a Buildable Area

1. Within a report navigate to the map layers tab in the upper right-hand corner and select the green button "create" to the left of the Buildable Area layer
2. A popup titled "Update Buildable Area Layer" will appear.
3. Select the map layers and sublayers you would like to exclude from your buildable area. Click on the dropdown to add a buffer around them, if desired (up to 1000 feet per buffer). As you add layers and buffer, the exclusions will populate in yellow on the map.
4. Once you have made all of your selections, click the create layer button at the bottom of the tab; allow 2-5 minutes to generate.
5. You will receive an in-app and email notification when your Buildable Area layer is ready to view. An acreage ticker will also appear that provides the total buildable acres and the acres of each shape that makes up the buildable area (if there are multiple).

Templates for the buildable areas

If you have standard exclusions with buffers save time by creating templates. Templates will be saved at the user level.

Create Custom Exclusion Area

Sometimes landowners will let you know of areas on the parcel that keep outs not defined by any map layer. In those instances, you can create a custom exclusion layer.  

1. Click on the "+" button to the right of create exclusion area

2. Select either a point, polygon, or line to determine the boundaries of the exclusion area

3. Define buffer size in ft

4. Click save

5. Title the layer name

6. Click save

Hiding Buildable Areas

The Buildable Area layer is often made up of many separate and distinct polygons (shapes) due to the dissecting nature of the exclusion areas. You can hide any polygons that you don't want to include in your buildable area by expanding the acreage ticker and clicking the caret to turn hide/unhide. You can also click on the polygon itself to hide/unhide. All polygons that are less than 1 acre are automatically hidden, but these can be unhidden if desired.

Create a new Transect Report with your Buildable Area as the project area

1. Select the Buildable Area map layer
2. In the acreage ticker, select Order New Report

Generate a KML of the Buildable Area

1. Navigate to the Sharing and Export Tab > KML

2. Make sure the Buildable Area layer is included in your KML download

3. Click the Generate KML button at the bottom of the builder

4. In several minutes, your KML will be ready to download. You will get an in-app and email notification. Download the KML from the notification email or the Exported KMLs table below the builder.

Evaluation methods

We use raster data at a 30 * 30m grid to evaluate each parcel in terms of slope, aspect, protected areas, wetlands, flood zones,..etc. Then, aggregate the results to create the filters. 

Developed area definitions

Developed, Low Intensity- areas with a mixture of constructed materials and vegetation. Impervious surfaces account for 20% to 49% percent of total cover. These areas most commonly include single-family housing units.

Developed, Medium-intensity- areas with a mixture of constructed materials and vegetation. Impervious surfaces account for 50% to 79% of the total cover. These areas most commonly include single-family housing units.

Developed, High Intensity-highly developed areas where people reside or work in high numbers. Examples include apartment complexes, row houses and commercial/industrial. Impervious surfaces account for 80% to 100% of the total cover.