Falkirk Council has recently launched a new Spatial Data Portal, marking a significant step forward in digital transformation and public engagement. This portal empowers residents, businesses, and stakeholders by providing easy access to a wide range of spatial datasets and interactive maps relevant to the local council area.
Natalie Bushell, Planning Technician at Falkirk Council, saw the potential of ArcGIS Hub. She explained: “We’d get these data requests that were just finicky little jobs, and I kept thinking, there’s got to be a better way. A lot of the datasets people wanted were already being shared through the Spatial Hub, so I thought: why not make them easier to access directly?”
“I first became aware of the possibilities of ArcGIS Hub by seeing what other councils had done - Edinburgh and Stirling, for example. I realised it could make our own processes much easier.”
Portal features and functionality
The Spatial Data Portal offers the public the ability to explore and download data on various topics, including housing land supply, school catchment areas, nature reserves, and historic protected sites. Interactive maps allow users to visualise this information spatially, making it easier to understand and analyse local issues.
For example, a parent can quickly determine which school catchment area their home falls within, while a developer can assess available housing land or protected environmental zones. The portal supports both casual browsing and more in-depth data analysis, catering to a wide range of users.
“It began with just our planning datasets, because I’m a planning technician. The first version was basically an open data hub for the planning department. But once the whole council moved onto ArcGIS Online, we decided to expand it into a resource for everyone,” Natalie said. “There was already a template from Esri that helped me get the first version off the ground quickly. The second iteration is much cleaner and more minimalist - a definite lessons-learned improvement.
“I wanted it to do two things: be a portal where people could download and access datasets directly, and also be a showcase for the web maps and apps we’d been building. That way, less technical users could simply zoom in on a map and get the information they needed.
“It’s become a one-stop shop - not just for datasets, but also for maps and apps that make the data easier to understand. It works for people who don’t even know what GIS is, and also for analysts who want to pull datasets directly into their own systems via API.”
Benefits and impact
- Reduced workload for staff
By making spatial data openly available, the portal significantly reduces the volume of direct data requests handled by the technical team. This allows staff to focus on more complex tasks and strategic projects. - Real-time data updates
Automatic synchronisation between ArcGIS Online and the portal ensures that users always access the most current data, enhancing reliability and trust in the information provided. - Enhanced public engagement and transparency:
Easy access to spatial data supports transparency and encourages public participation in local planning and decision-making. Residents can use the portal to inform their contributions to local place plans and development consultations. - Support for analytics and decision-making:
The ability to view and analyse datasets spatially enables more informed decision-making for both the public and council staff. This supports evidence-based planning and policy development.
“It’s clear the positive impact this has had. It saves everyone time. Instead of FOI requests or data requests being passed around, people can just find what they need themselves,” said Natalie.
“The Hub cuts out a lot of middle steps - no more downloading, clipping, or reformatting data. That means we as technicians can spend more time on creative, complex tasks instead of repetitive admin.
“We’ve also linked the Hub to community councils too, so they can use it for local place plans. We’ve created maps and story maps to give them background data about their area, which they can build on in discussions with residents.
“It’s designed to work for everyone.”
Conclusion
The Falkirk Council Spatial Data Portal exemplifies how digital tools can transform local government services. By leveraging Esri’s ArcGIS Hub, the council has created a robust, user-friendly platform that not only improves efficiency for staff but also empowers the community with accessible, up-to-date spatial information. This initiative is a model for other local authorities seeking to enhance transparency, engagement, and data-driven decision-making.
“I feel like I’ve been part of that shift away from paper and print, towards digital services and open data. GIS is at the heart of that change. It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come in just a few years,” Natalie added. “The plan is for more and more datasets to go up, because now every team has the tools to publish their own data. We’re encouraging each service area to have someone trained who can manage and share their information. It’s becoming a genuinely council-wide platform.”