There are a number of examples of GIS applications and the spheres of local government in which GIS can be used, namely:

• Land use and urban growth planning;
• Economic development planning;
• Infrastructure management;
• Crime tracking and law enforcement planning;
• Educational planning (schools, universities, technicons and so forth);
• Social services planning (libraries and public information services);
• Health planning (clinics and hospitals);
• Emergency management;
• Environmental monitoring (open spaces, wildlife and vegetation); and
• Geotechnical reporting.

The CGIS has a wide range of clients, including staff members of City departments, consultants, property developers, estate agents, engineers, banking concerns, architects and even students and ratepayers.

• Internal clients use the GIS information mainly to support decision-making in implementing the vision of the City.
• Consultants and developers often use the GIS information to assist in infrastructure and services planning.
• Students use the geographic data as datasets for study in subjects like architecture and geography.
• Learners from Grade 10 upwards do GIS as part of their curricula and use the website and training courses extensively.
• Ratepayers are especially interested in their property or site information, which gives an indication of the zoning, building line restrictions, density, height and so forth.

CGIS offers information and maps on all Johannesburg properties via various services such as the interactive mapping service (IMS), the fax information service, Public information counter and the Projects sections.

The interactive mapping service (IMS) is available to the public and obtainable on the e-services website. Click on the online maps (GIS) option listed on the left of the page.

Two levels of access to the website are available:

• Free maps: Basic information is available at this level, including stand numbers, street addresses, township names and basic zoning.
• Subscription maps: These include full resolution aerial photography, detailed zoning, proposed townships, customised mapmaking tools, including annotation and Dxf/shp file downloads (at an additional cost).

The subscription service is available at a cost to the user, and is based on periodic access; ie, a payment is made for access to the maps for the time paid for (either monthly or annually) and different payment options are available, ranging from online payments to offline payments.There are two levels of subscription access available:o Individual - only a single user may access the website at one time; ando Company - many users may access the website at any given time.More information can be obtained in the comparison between free and subscription access, or various subscription options.

CGIS also offers free training on the use of the online maps.
Click here for a list of training dates.

A fax information service is available for regular clients.
Download the application form for the fax information service in Adobe Acrobat format
Click here for terms and conditions for the fax information service

The projects section is available to assist clients by compiling relevant maps that can be produced on paper or in digital format. Aerial photography is also available and can be produced in A4 or A3 paper size. Some examples of maps produced are land-use maps for surveys that were conducted in specific areas, locality maps for study areas of university and technicon research projects, Local Integrated Development Plan maps for planning purposes and various other thematic maps.

Quotation/request for clients external to the council

Quotation/request for clients internal to the council

The public information counter is available for immediate queries. Visit the Corporate GIS offices at the Metro Centre, Block A, Floor 8, Rissik Street, Braamfontein.

The following information can be included on the maps or reports:

• Density;
• Height zone;
• Coverage;
• Full area report;
• Parking requirements;
• Building lines;
• Amendment schemes/schedule/annexure;
• Zoning certificate;
• Prints (A series, B series, amendment schemes/schedule/annexure, locality, cadastral/contour maps, general plan/SG diagram, aerial photograph in A3/A4).

If you are involved in the planning or development of a specific area, geographic data can't be ignored, as they are part and parcel of the dataset on which you should base your decisions.

If you wish to submit a planning application to the City of Johannesburg (for example for building line restriction, rezoning and so on) your builder or developer will advise you on the precise information you need to attach. This might include some of the following property information that is available from the CGIS information counter or online:

• Density;
• Height zone;
• Coverage;
• Full area report;
• Parking requirements;
• Building lines;
• Amendment schemes/schedule/annexure;
• Zoning certificate;
• Prints (A-series, B-series, amendment schemes/schedule/annexure/SG diagram, aerial photograph in A3 or A4).

This depends on what you want. If it is a map of a region or ward, then just the name is sufficient. For a map of a particular area, boundary street names are required; for a plot of land, the erf number is required or a street address.

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