The Irish Government’s Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government website, www.Myplan.ie, is the national resource for those seeking free open data sets regarding planning information both locally and nationally. This is an exceptional resource for both professionals and the general public wishing to know about the widest array of data – both contemporary and historic – within the planning sphere.
Myplan.ie draws on information from many sources: old maps, satellite maps, demographic, topographic – layer after layer of rich knowledge – made available by the Department for free.
One of the key datasets in Myplan.ie is GeoDirectory because of the comprehensive coverage, variety and positional accuracy of the GeoDirectory data.
Bruce McCormack, a Planning Inspector with the Department and also current President of EUROGI, the European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information, led the Myplan.ie project.
He says that even though GeoDirectory has been well known within the Department for some time it’s only now that they are really finding out how rich the information ‘hidden within GeoDirectory’, as he puts it, really is.
Bruce believes that GeoDirectory gives an important layer of information that can be added to existing data layers for those interested in planning issues. For example the location of each dwelling in Ireland is a critical piece of planning information. Also, GeoDirectory within Myplan.ie provides important information about businesses which can be used in relation to developing retail strategies or more generally, economic strategies on a county or regional basis. GeoDirectory data also provides a useful basis on which to monitor spatial patterns of development trends.
Bruce also highlights the ease of use of the GeoDirectory data within Myplan.ie.