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GIS/Maps

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What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?
GIS stands for “geographic information system”. "So, what is a geographic information system," you may ask. In the simplest terms, a GIS is a way to show information about the City in a "picture" form. It has been said that 90% of a City's operations are land related, whether it is locating your home for a 911 call or planning an economic development project. GIS goes beyond the ability to simply look at a map. With a GIS you can click on a map and it will tell you such things as what street you've just clicked. Or, you might want to know where the nearest city park is located and will "zoom" into the neighborhood and show it to you.

St. Cloud’s GIS
In 2003, the City of St. Cloud recognized that in times of depleting city budgets, GIS could enable the City to provide information to the public with increased efficiency (time savings) and improved effectiveness (better service) with relatively limited expense compared to the benefits received.

The St. Cloud GIS includes many layers of information, such as parcels, streets, zoning, and air photos, that are used in many aspects of local government. Below are several maps that demonstrate how the City uses GIS:

• Core Neighborhoods Total Value (Residential Structures) - 2006
• Core Neighborhoods Licensed Rental Properties - October 2005
• Core Neighborhoods Residential Structures Year Built 2006
• Core Neighborhood Residential Property Ownership
• St. Cloud Regional Airport—Safety Zones A, B, and C
• St. Cloud Public Facilities Map—2006
• Future Land Use Plan—2003 Comprehensive Plan
• Parcels Platted After Approval of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Ordinance

In order to have a complete and successful GIS, the City must maintain the hardware, software, people, and data to manage its resources. This is no small task. The City's GIS links data sets together by common identifying features, such as a parcel number, which helps departments and agencies share their data. By creating a shared database, departments can benefit from each others work—data is collected once and used many times. The collection of these layers offers everyone better tools for better decision-making, thus building a better and efficient community and quality of life for St. Cloud.

In the near future, the City will launch an interactive Internet mapping application that will allow the public to retrieve useful data and mapping information by way of their desktop computer.

The following is a list of the City’s most frequently requested maps relating to planning and zoning activities:

• St. Cloud Historic Districts Map
• 2005 St. Cloud Rental Map
• 2030 Future Land Use—St. Cloud Metro Area
• Joint Area Planning District—Growth Boundaries
• 2009 Zoning Map of St. Cloud