Sustainable City Year Reports 2024-26 (Oakridge)

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    Open-Source Oakridge: Exploring Open-Source Software and Creating a Buildable Lands Survey for the City of Oakridge
    (University of Oregon, 2024) Haefker, Finn; Yang, Yizhao
    A team of students in Advanced GIS conducted a two part project to support GIS development needs and application for the City of Oakridge. First, students conducted a comparative analysis of four leading open-source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) products. Given that Oakridge uses open-source GIS software for their planning work, staff sought clarification on what software would best suit City needs. During the research process, students created an evaluation framework based on literature review findings to score each software program. Students then created a Qualtrics survey targeting University of Oregon students who had experience with GIS software then scored the software again based off the survey results. Students then scored these software again based off the survey results. The survey results were expected among students and City staff and reaffirmed the City’s initial software choice. Although the survey could not provide a fully accurate comparison, due to its sample size and timeframe, it did provide valuable insight on student experiences with other GIS software. Although not applicable to the City of Oakridge, the survey also highlighted potential disconnects if used in an academic setting. The second component of this project created a buildable lands survey, which could provide City staff insight on development-feasibility and assist with densification efforts in the future. This report includes data on housing insecurity, which students researched before conducting their mapping analysis. Students then established a series of criteria based on their research, information provided by the City of Oakridge, and data that was manually created in Arc-GIS pro. Students applied these criteria as separate layers, which eventually yielded a final map showcasing parcels that could be suitable for various levels of densification. The total acreage of suitable parcels was very encouraging as it exceeded Oakridge staff’s initial request to establish at lease 60 acres of parcels that would be suitable for densification.