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Base Canvas Essentials
Base Canvas Essentials
Unlock Urban Intelligence with the most extensive land use canvas available anywhere. Map and assess existing conditions for any U.S. location using geospatial data on more than 120 million parcels.
Comprehensive coverage
Understand existing land use conditions for any U.S. location in minutes.
Base Canvas Essentials powers smart urban and mobility planning at every scale. Map and assess existing conditions with built-in parcel and block-level land use, housing, and employment data.
Extensive data
Explore 120M+ parcels, each with over 70 land use attributes.
Each parcel in Base Canvas Essentials is preloaded with over 70 data attributes, including population, residential and employment characteristics, parcel area, building area, land use type, intersection density, and more.
Trusted crowd-sourcing
Get the most up-to-date information for your location.
Base Canvas Essentials is updated regularly based on new data sources, user intelligence, and proprietary algorithms.
How is Base Canvas Essentials built?
Data pipeline
Base Canvas Essentials combines commercially-sourced parcel data along with trusted public and open data sources using proprietary algorithms and data normalization processes.
Civic partnerships
We acquire and integrate the latest land use data and parcel geometries from participating cities in the UrbanFootprint Civic program.
Validation & accuracy
To ensure the highest quality and accuracy, we validate our canvas against publicly available census data as well as internal benchmarks.
Regular updates
Our team of planners and data scientists routinely update canvas data via major quarterly releases and weekly targeted updates.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the data in Base Canvas Essentials come from?
Base Canvas Essentials data is composed of a variety of commercial and publicly available data sources combined using proprietary algorithms and processes. Each parcel includes over 70 attributes including population, residential mix, employment mix, parcel area, building area, land use type, intersection density, irrigated area, and more.
Where do the land use designations come from?
UrbanFootprint Analyst includes a library of over 150 representative building and place types that describe land use at the parcel and district scales. Every parcel and census block is classified according to its on-the-ground characteristics. Users may also create their own buildings and places to build new scenarios or to further calibrate the Base Canvas to local conditions. Learn more about UrbanFootprint’s Building and Place Type library.
Can I supply my own data as a Base Canvas?
Yes. Public agencies such as towns, cities, counties, or regional agencies may integrate their own Base Canvas via the UrbanFootprint Civic program. All users may edit the existing Base Canvas to enhance parcel information in their own projects. Learn more about the UrbanFootprint Civic data-sharing program and editing the Base Canvas.
Can I download canvas data?
Yes, however, some locations are not available for direct data download due to licensing restrictions.
What formats are available?
Data can be downloaded as shapefiles (.shp), geopackages (.gpkp), scaleable vector graphics (.svg), geoJSON (.json), or comma-separated-values (.csv).
How often is Base Canvas Essentials updated?
The Base Canvas is updated each quarter. There are also targeted updates made on a weekly basis.
Can I update the Base Canvas myself?
Yes, in UrbanFootprint Analyst you can modify land use and values associated with any parcel. This is useful if a parcel has recently been developed and those changes are not yet reflected in the latest version of the Base Canvas. Learn more about editing the Base Canvas.
No installation
UrbanFootprint is cloud-based software, ready to go with just a computer and internet connection.
Flexible plans
One license covers everyone at your firm, jurisdiction, or organization.
Consistent upgrades
New platform features roll out to all users every season at no added cost.
Robust support
We’re invested in your success. Our customer support team is here to help.
Talk to our team
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