A Practical Strategy for Planning and Built-Environment Teams
Across planning, development management, infrastructure, asset management, and policy work, we rely on shared information. Often this information is stored as spreadsheets, documents, and map files on network drives or in email chains. While familiar, this approach makes it difficult to ensure that everyone works from the same version, and it becomes harder to maintain long-term consistency and accountability.
A more robust model is to shift from network-accessible files to centrally managed, web-accessible databases. This does not require abandoning existing systems. It is about maturing the way information is stored, edited, and shared.
Why Move Beyond Shared Files?
Relational databases (such as PostgreSQL) are designed to hold information securely and reliably, even when many people are using it at the same time. Compared with traditional shared files, they offer:
| Issue with Shared Files | Benefit of Database-Backed Workflows |
|---|---|
| Multiple copies of the same document circulating by email | Everyone sees and edits one source of truth |
| Risk of accidental overwriting and corruption | Safe multi-user editing with concurrency control |
| Hard to search or analyse large datasets | Powerful queries and reporting |
| Limited visibility of what changed and when | Automatic version history and audit trails |
| Manual backups and inconsistent file structures | Automated backups and structured storage |
For teams dealing with spatial planning, this advantage becomes even more important.
PostGIS (an extension of PostgreSQL) allows maps and location-based data — sites, constraints, infrastructure networks, designations — to be stored and queried natively, without relying on multiple GIS files scattered across desktops.
Making Data Usable: Web-Based Editing Interfaces
Storing information centrally is only half the solution. The second step is making it easy for staff to access and update it using familiar, simple browser-based tools.
These interfaces:
- Look and feel like an online form or index card system
- Are accessible through a standard web browser
- Use role-based permissions to manage who can edit, view, or approve changes
- Prevent duplication and ensure changes are recorded
This means that instead of emailing spreadsheets, staff work directly with the authoritative record — in a controlled, reliable environment.
The database holds the truth.
The browser provides the doorway.
How This Supports Professional Practice in Planning
This approach directly addresses common challenges in planning workflows:
- Development Management: Maintain live registers of applications, constraints, site histories and decisions without dependency on individual spreadsheets.
- Plan Making: Keep evidence base layers and site assessments current, authoritative, and traceable.
- Infrastructure and Asset Records: Support cross-department collaboration without risk of data drift.
- Public Engagement: Publish maps and registers directly from the trusted database, removing manual exporting.
The result is a consistent organisational memory, not dependent on individual staff or local knowledge.
A Practical and Gradual Implementation Path
This is not a “big system replacement”. It is a phased maturity pathway, achievable for most organisations:
| Stage | Purpose | Typical Tools | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Web Hosting Environment | A place to run browser-based tools | cPanel / Plesk | Beginner |
| 2. Communication Layer | A structured way to publish procedures, policies, documentation | WordPress | Beginner |
| 3. Simple Browser Tools | Task-specific tools to reduce reliance on spreadsheets and local workflows | Small custom web forms / dashboards | Beginner |
| 4. Enterprise Database Backbone | Central authoritative storage for tabular and spatial data | PostgreSQL + PostGIS / Mys SQL / Maria DB / Oracle / SQL Server | Advanced |
| 5. Spatial Publication | Live maps served directly from internal record of control databases | GeoServer, ArcGIS Online, MapLibre, QGIS connections | Advanced |
| 6. Bespoke Applications | Staff editing records through secure browser forms | Low-code platforms or bespoke internal dashboards | Advanced |
Most organisations can begin with Stages 1–3 without major IT restructuring.
Stages 4–6 consolidate and professionalise the data environment and will normally involve more advanced professional support
Why Use Well-Established, Mainstream Platforms?
The goal is long-term reliability, not experimental technology.
- WordPress powers over 40% of the web.
- MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL are widely used in government, infrastructure and academic sectors.
- PostGIS is the accepted standard for open spatial data infrastructure.
- cPanel-type hosting environments are stable and well-supported.
This means skills are transferable, documentation is plentiful, and succession risk is reduced.
A Sustainable Digital Ecosystem for Planning Teams
By combining:
- A relational database as the authoritative core
- Browser-based editing to support day-to-day workflows
- PostGIS and GeoServer for spatial data sharing
- WordPress for communication and documentation
…an organisation gains:
- Confidence that records are current and accurate
- Clear auditability and traceability of decisions
- Reduced reliance on personal file management habits
- A digital environment that supports collaboration rather than hinders it
This is not about technology for its own sake — it is about building an organisational memory that endures, scales, and supports professional judgment.
Link to slightly more technical article along the same lines.