Transect’s Buildable Area tool allows you to define the constraints of a preferred buildable area by using map layers to exclude landscape or infrastructure characteristics.
The Buildable Area data is generated in a 30m x 30m grid to evaluate each parcel’s slope, aspect, protected areas, wetlands, etc. These results are then aggregated to create the filters. This should be considered an early-stage buildable area.
In this article, we'll review:
- Creating a Buildable Area
- Creating and Saving a Custom Template
- Building a Custom Exclusion Area
- Hiding Polygons from the Buildable Areas
- Exporting the Buildable Area
- Running a New Report on the Buildable Area
- Important Notes
Creating a Buildable Area
There are two ways to define a buildable area: during your initial site search within the Map or the Parcel Filter, or after creating a report for a specific project.
To create a Buildable Area in the Map:
- Click the toggle to enable the Buildable Area layer.
- To modify your selection, select Edit Criteria and select your constraints by selecting Allow or Exclude.
- When finished, click Save. Your changes will automatically be applied to the map.
The Buildable Area criteria is auto-selected in the map based on common selections for renewable energy projects. You can modify this selection at any time.
Once a report has been created, follow these steps to generate a buildable area:
- Select Create within the Map Layers modal.
- Within the pop-out, check the boxes to add constraints or click the caret to populate a dropdown for options within that category.
- After adding a constraint, a dialogue box will populate where you can input the buffer (ft).
- When you’re finished adding constraints, click Save. It will take 2-5 minutes to generate the buildable area. You’ll receive an email and a bell notification when it’s ready.
Adding a Custom Template
If you are applying the same constraints to multiple reports, you can save time by creating a template. Templates are saved at the user level.
- Within the Buildable Area modal, select +New.
- Check the boxes to add constraints, or click the carets to populate a dropdown for options within that category.
- Once you’ve selected your preferences, click the pencil and add a name for your template.
- When finished, select Save Template.
- Add the template to your report by selecting the dropdown and then the template.
- Select Save to lock in your buildable area.
You can modify your template by checking the boxes to add more constraints and clicking Save next to the template name. You can delete templates in the dropdown by clicking the trashcan next to the template.
Building a Custom Exclusion Area
If you’re aware of areas on a parcel that should be excluded from the buildable area, you can create a custom exclusion layer to remove that area.
- Within the Buildable Area, modal, click the
icon.
- Select whether you’d like to identify your constraint by:
: A point
: A polygon: A line
: A KML upload
- Next, define the buffer (in ft) by adding it to the dialogue box.
- Click Save.
- In the pop-out, add a layer name and click Save.
- Click Save again.
Hiding Polygons from the 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. For this reason, you can hide polygons from the buildable area by clicking the acreage dropdown in the upper right-hand corner and selecting the eyeball icon. You can also hide polygons by clicking the area on the map.
Please note that all polygons that are less than 1 acre are automatically hidden. These can be unhidden by clicking the acreage dropdown and selecting the eyeball next to that area.
Exporting the Buildable Area
The Buildable Area can be exported to both KML and PDF formats.
To export to PDF:
- Click the Export dropdown in the upper right-hand corner.
- Select PDF.
- Drag and drop the Buildable Area map layer to the right side, including any other layers you’d like to export.
- Click Generate PDF.
To export to KML:
- Click the Export dropdown in the upper right-hand corner.
- Select Map Layers.
- Drag and drop the Buildable Area map layer to the right side, including any other layers you’d like to export.
- Select the Generate Map Layers dropdown and then KML.
Your report will begin generating, and you’ll receive an email and notification when it’s ready.
Transect Admins can also download a Buildable Area KML by hovering over the Buildable Area layer and selecting the Download icon.
Running a New Report on the Buildable Area
Once the Buildable Area has been generated, you can run a new report on that area by clicking Order New Report in the acreage modal. A dialogue box will populate where you can enter your project details and then select Order New Report.
Important Notes
Within the Land Cover constraint, there are options for low, medium, and high-intensity developed areas. See below for a breakdown of each definition:
- 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.