All data about a city in one place
Urban planning by nature is a complex process, mainly because each new development should consider a multitude of different aspects: accessibility by road, public transport, walking and biking; healthcare availability, air quality, safety, green space and presence of neighborhood services such as shops and bars, to name just a few. Factual data about these aspects typically resides within different departments of a municipal government: water and sewage, mobility, social services, and so on. For an urban planner or architect to access a latest version of such data often involves e-mailing back and forth, sending spreadsheets over, or using heavy-duty GIS applications. Governments using Nexus link data sources from all those different departments together, in order to have a single data hub that shows all different aspects of a city’s infrastructure from a single and secure web portal. As specialists in different departments modify or add data in their source databases, it is automatically updated in Nexus too. Information like zoning plans, recent crime events, social media feeds, citizen reports and traffic information can also be added to Nexus.
Nexus as fact-machine in the urban development process
Urban planners and city architects within municipalities can use Nexus as a fact-machine about the urban environment. Which communities are difficult to reach for the fire department? How old is the sewage system in neighborhood X? How much green space is located in area Y? Such questions can be answered in two clicks, without needing technical knowledge. Nexus is also suitable for stakeholder sessions or meetings with partner organizations, as it presents all information on a map which can be accessed through a regular web browser.
Going next level
Nexus comes with specialized algorithms for road network shortest path calculations, allowing users to review things like travel time for fire departments, neighborhood reachability by police and proximity of schools. It also enables urban planners to evaluate the impact of specific policies, such as the effect of additional street lights on public safety, or the effect of green space on the urban heat island effect.