Since an Address System offers a platform where several other developments can be incorporated in the future, the way forward after the establishment of a Geospatial Addressing System is its application in resolving real-world challenges.
District Boundary Disputes
Urbanization can cause the relocation or destruction of physical structures like cutting down of trees or pulling down of structures. District boundaries in most developing areas are invisible lines determined through the use of physical features like trees or small water bodies where there were no major streets. In the case where trees and other physical structures are destroyed through urbanization, there is the tendency of shifting these boundaries to the advantage of one district and the disadvantage of another.
The overlapping of district boundaries creates litigations for District Authorities which can be settled without going to trial and having a mutual agreement by referral to old cadastral maps. However, it gets worst when it has to be settled in arbitration where the decision is generally binding and the parties have a little recourse to challenge a judgement.
Sample Cadastral Map with Street names
As part of the process of Addressing Streets, boundaries will be identified and re-aligned unto streets which are visible making them easy to be identified.
Chieftaincy disputes on Community Boundaries
The same can be said about chieftaincy disputes where traditional authorities disagree on community boundaries and have to resort to court judgements to resolve issues. Using a theme of ‘Heroes’, a list of prospective heroes within a community can be accepted from the Chief’s and Elders of a community. This heroes list can be used as names for adjoining streets to act as boundaries for the different communities.
This way, Street Addressing have assisted traditional authorities in establishing means of identifying their communities from others.
Codification
For the purposes of billing, Account Numbers are generated through the process of valuation. The Land Valuation Board (LVB) is the department within the Lands Commission (LC) with the authority to value properties for billing within Districts.
As part of the valuation exercise, account numbers are created for each property. This is done by segregating the entire area for a District into one or more Divisions. The division is again segregated into smaller containers referred to as blocks. Unique numbers (codes) are assigned to each Division and Block. Properties are then numbered serially within the blocks. So the Account Number is a combination of the Division number, block number and the serial number of each property.
However, Account Numbers created using the Division / Block approach is difficult to identify because the divisions and blocks created are invisible and can only be identified by trained personnel and not just anyone.
Another option for creating Account Numbers is through the Street Addressing approach. Streets are named and coded by assigning unique string of characters to each street. Each property on a street is numbered and a unique code made up of the street code and the property number is generated for each property.
Therefore, with the development of a street codification system which can be expanded to the properties, account numbers can be generated for each property owner which will be easier to use in Web Applications and Navigation Systems. Due to their uniqueness, these codes qualify as account numbers . The visibility of the street names and codes also promotes easy identification of properties using their account numbers.
Revenue Mobilization
The Geo-Spatial Address System comprises of location information whiles the Legacy Valuation Roll is simply Textural and consist of only Attribute Information in Alpha-Numeric format. However, a combination of both systems will result in the establishment of a Geo-spatial Valuation Roll.
A Geo-Spatial Valuation Roll with Location Information on the left hand side and green background whiles Codification Information is in the middle space with white background. The Legacy Valuation Information can also be found on the right with green background.
This is made possible by evaluating and matching existing block sketches with the digital base map and block feature class.
The revenue mobilization efforts of most Districts is being frustrated by the inability to identify properties during bill distribution and revenue collection. This is because, the Block Sketches being used are outdated, not coloured, not drawn to scale, making it difficult to interpret whiles comparing with ground situation. All of these shortfalls are corrected with the establishment of the Geo-Spatial Valuation Roll.
Through the use of current basemaps, the process of conversion of legacy data into spatial will lead to the identification of un-valued properties. Properties that have been given extensions or completed (uncompleted initially) can also be identified and treated as potential valuation units.
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FOR CONSULTATION ON THE DESIGN OF A GEO-SPATIAL ADDRESS SYSTEM THAT WOULD FACILITATE THE COMPUTERIZATION AND INTEGRATION OF STREET NAMES AND TOPOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, SEND A REQUEST THROUGH THE ‘CONTACT US’ MENU.
