Where are cadastral surveying data being used?

Cadastral plans are used in accordance with the needs of individual users and therefore differ in their content, level of detail and scale. The traditional paper plans are increasingly being replaced by digital plans and information systems.

Geographical information is captured, managed, analysed and presented by means of geographical information systems (GIS). Geographical information (or geodata) is location-based and spatially referenced. It describes the features of the land in the form of coordinates, place names, postal addresses and other criteria. Thus geodata serves as the basis of a huge variety of GIS applications such as flood simulation, tourism information, police and fire brigade traffic management, natural disaster maps, road information systems, analysis of the spread of pollutants, aircraft noise analysis and many more.

Street maps can be found in almost every household. They are used to find exact addresses, roads and streets or public places. City maps are also used for many other purposes such as the definition of school districts or the design of new road layouts. Increasingly, city and district street maps can be found on the Internet, showing for example the locations of branches of a particular company.

Before a building construction project can be planned the builder must find out whether the site in question is actually within the approved building zone. This is where the zoning plan helps, as it identifies where the construction of buildings is permitted within the development planning framework, and thereby contributes to the protection of the landscape. If the construction plans adhere to the requirements of the zone then an application to build may be submitted.

Anyone who wishes to lay pipes or cables also needs to know what lies underground. Where are the pipes and cables located? The utilities’ versions of the cadastral maps will help because the locations of both underground and overhead pipes and cables such as those for electricity, water, sewage, gas, telephone, TV, etc. are all clearly shown.