GIS Civic Services

Maps that
unite your
community

We build interactive GIS applications for neighborhood councils — turning fragmented documents, buried data, and unclear responsibilities into a single, living map every stakeholder can understand and act on.

The Mapping Innovations framework

01
Shows
The Need

Visualize community conditions, infrastructure gaps, and equity concerns at the neighborhood scale — evidence that speaks before a single word is said.

02
Gets
The Money

Align project maps with grant criteria, capital budgets, and jurisdictional funding pools. Show funders exactly where and why their investment is needed.

03
Tracks
The Work

Live project dashboards keep council members, city agencies, contractors, and residents on the same page — no more lost emails or buried PDFs.

04
Proves
The Value

Document outcomes spatially. Show before-and-after conditions, community input captured, and measurable improvements that justify the next investment.

The Problem

Everything is fragmented.
We fix that.

Neighborhood councils are doing vital civic work — but the information they depend on is scattered across dozens of city websites, agency portals, and bureaucratic silos. Community members can't track what's happening. Council members can't tell who's responsible. Nothing connects.

A single interactive map can replace the maze — consolidating data, documents, jurisdictions, and stakeholders into one place the whole community can navigate.

— The Mapping Innovations Promise
  • Documents are buried — environmental reports, meeting minutes, design specs, and grant applications scattered across websites no one knows to look at.
  • Jurisdictions are fragmented — a single block can fall under LADOT, DPW, RAP, LAFD, and multiple council districts simultaneously.
  • Accountability is unclear — no one knows who is responsible for what, who approved what, or where a project is in its lifecycle.
  • Funding criteria differ — each grant source has different geographic requirements and reporting formats that community volunteers can't easily navigate.
  • Community input gets lost — feedback from residents gathered at meetings or online is rarely captured, mapped, or tied back to specific projects.
Our Approach

One map.
Every stakeholder.

We build GIS applications purpose-designed for the civic context — where data is public, audiences are mixed, and community trust is everything.

Step 01
Discover & Map the Landscape

We audit existing data sources — city datasets, planning documents, grant requirements — and map every stakeholder, jurisdiction, and information gap for your specific project area.

Stakeholder mapping Data audit Jurisdictional overlay
Step 02
Build the Living Map Application

We design and develop a tailored interactive GIS application — accessible to the public, intuitive for council members, and structured to satisfy both community and funder needs.

Custom GIS application Public interface Document integration
Step 03
Engage, Track & Report

The map becomes the living center of your project — capturing community input, tracking milestones, documenting changes, and producing the reports funders and agencies need.

Community input Progress tracking Funder reporting
Current Applications

Two projects.
Pro-Bono Conceptual Projects

Built for Los Angeles neighborhood councils, these applications demonstrate what purpose-built civic GIS can accomplish. This application was independently developed as a pro-bono community prototype and is not officially endorsed or funded by the UNNC or Jefferson Park Watch.

Neighborhood Council

Neighborhood Improvement Map

A comprehensive project management and community engagement platform for neighborhood councils. Consolidates project proposals, funding status, responsible agencies, and community feedback into a single interactive map.

  • Overlay projects across city agency jurisdictions
  • Link funding sources to project locations
  • Capture and display community input geographically
  • Track project status from proposal to completion
  • Locate crimes, traffic acccidents, emergency services.
  • Accountability dashboard — who is responsible, by location
View The Map
Environmental Planning

Greening Master Plan

An environmental planning and community engagement map for Neighborhood Council's urban greening initiative — connecting tree canopy data, heat island analysis, and resident priorities with funding and implementation.

  • Urban tree canopy gap analysis
  • Heat island and climate vulnerability overlay
  • Community greening priorities mapped by block
  • Grant-aligned project identification
  • Track plantings and green infrastructure over time
  • Coordinate with LA Sanitation, DPW, and RAP
View The Map
Why It Matters

GIS is the language of place.

Civic problems are spatial problems. The map is not a deliverable — it's the platform where community conversation, civic accountability, and project management finally connect.

Community members understand maps instantly

A spreadsheet of project proposals is inaccessible. A map showing which projects are planned on your street, who approved them, and where to comment is immediate and actionable. Maps lower the barrier to civic participation.

Funders want geographic specificity

Most civic grants — from CDBG to state environmental funding — require evidence of need tied to a specific geography. A well-structured GIS application is itself a funding tool, not just a visualization.

Accountability requires a shared spatial record

When commitments are captured on a map — tied to addresses, parcels, and project boundaries — it becomes much harder for them to disappear into bureaucratic processes. The map becomes the accountability layer.

One map, many agencies

The complexity of urban service delivery — overlapping jurisdictions, multiple departments, shifting responsibilities — is inherently spatial. Only a map can show all of it at once and make the handoffs visible.

Ready to start?

Your neighborhood deserves a map that works as hard as you do.

Whether you're a neighborhood council, a civic planner, or a city agency, we'd like to talk about what a custom GIS application could do for your community.

Email Us to Get Started Review Our Work First