Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) said its online planning portal has won a prestigious international award for its innovative use of geographic information system (GIS) mapping technology.

The UPC’s Spatial Data team had beaten more than 100,000 contenders worldwide, for its impressive Smart GeoPlanner Enterprise Spatial Portal.

They will be presented with the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award at the ongoing '2017 Esri User Conference' which concludes on July 14 in California, US.

The UPC Spatial Data team will showcase its three main applications - Smart GeoPlanner, The Abu Dhabi Maritime Atlas Portal and the Development Code Spatial Portal - at the event.
 
The Smart GeoPlanner System is an interactive map that facilitates access to the latest spatial data. The system provides planners with smart tools that allow them to perform advance spatial analysis to support informed planning decisions.

The Abu Dhabi Maritime Atlas Portal is an interactive spatial portal, which includes a detailed map showing exactly where each project is located within Plan Maritime – one of the UPC’s strategic framework plans.

The Development Code Spatial Portal provides a user-friendly map, where planners can locate and retrieve zoning regulations for designated plots.

The UPC will also be participating at the showcase event along with delegates from the Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA), Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Centre (ADSIC), Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and UAE University.

The council’s award-winning internal web portal uses state-of-the-art software to allow planners to search, visually identify and track master plans, planning processes and regulations for any location or area.

The team was among 175 winners from different categories, chosen from more than 100,000 Esri clients.

Esri president Jack Dangermond chose winners based on innovative and intelligent applications of GIS technology.

This award has led to the portal being ranked one of the ‘best practice sites’ using GIS technology, including efficient mapping and spatial data analytics.

According to UPC, the achievements of the Spatial Data team are in accordance with the Abu Dhabi Plan, to provide enhanced government services and processes, as well as optimising information and communication technology.

As the government entity responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi’s urban environments, the UPC has integrated the digital mapping technology on some of the most significant plans in the emirate including Madinat Zayed, Mina Zayed and Mussafah masterplans, it added.

Falah Al Ahbabi, the director general of the UPC, said: "It is a proud moment for us to be selected for such an internationally-renowned award with our portal having stood out from over 100,000 entries."

"This award is testament to the GIS team’s continuous hard work and innovative applications of GIS technology," he noted.

“We pride ourselves on being a global leader in urban planning and that means we must embrace the latest technologies, such as GIS mapping and spatial data, to help our planners and partners deliver what is needed for the future of Abu Dhabi. It is fantastic for this to be recognised on a global scale," he added.-TradeArabia News Service