ABSTRACT THE LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK AND ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING IN PLANNING by Frank William Brutt The purpose of this thesis is to define a land invent- ory data bank, describe the items of data and how they were collected, their source and value for planning functions. In conjunction with an analysis of the data bank, the use and value of processing data bank information by electronic data processing techniques is described. The land inventory data bank which has been analyzed is a function of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission of Pulaski County, Arkansas, more commonly known as Metroplan. This data bank is made up of 26 items of information on more than 102,000 parcels of land. During the researching of the data bank and electronic data processing for this thesis the author was Senior Planner on Metroplan's staff and was present during the acquisition, processing and use of the data. Practical applications of the data processing were made under the direction and partial supervision of the author. Thus this evaluation is by personal contact with the subject matter. A through analysis has been made of the data bank items and how these items were collected and processed for Frank William Brutt transferring to data punch cards. An analysis of the cost of collecting and preparing data items for punching into punch cards is included as an important part of this study. The source document, data punch card and analysis sheets are illustrated and described regarding format, design and use. The method of transferring data from the source docu- ment and the functions of the data processing machines while processing Metroplan's data were analyzed. During this phase of the research a comparison was made of the cost and time required for the hand manipulation of the data vs. electronic data processing of data. The data file maintenance and up- dating procedure were analyzed along with a cost analysis of this continuing function. A description of how data bank information may be used with electronic data processing for mapping, analysis of land use, zoning and other studies has been made. In addition to these descriptions two practical applications of the data bank have been analyzed. The first relates to a land use- zoning study for a 96 block area. This analysis deals in depth of a method using the data bank to compare area of land used for a function to areas zoned for the same purpose. For the second application an analysis was made of an urban renewal project area, using the data bank information. The study of the renewal area illustrated the value of the data in preparation of structure condition maps, and determining the value of land and structures according to structure cbndition classification. Frank William Brutt A data bank as extensive and complex as Metroplan's with an inventory of more than 2,500,000 items of information is a very valuable tool for planning. By the use of field surveys it was determined that a very high percentage of the acquired items of data were found to be accurate. The data bank has been found useful for land use, zoning and building condition analysis and similar data analysis functions. The major disadvantage of the data bank used withtelect- ronic data processing is the high cost involved. It has been estimated by Metroplan staff that approximately $150,000 has been spent for the acquisition and preparation of the data items, transferring the data to punch cards and the prepara- tion of an audit, land use and zoning listings of the 102,000 parcels of land.1 The cost of updating and maintaining the data bank will require an estimated $6,000 for annual salaries. Thus, although a data bank is useful for planning studies and its information is valuable, and rapidly ret- reived, its acquisition is a costly and time consuming pro- ~ position. Prior to a communities undertaking the development of a data bank as extensive as Metroplan's it should first investigate the total cost and have concrete ideas on how the data will used. 1Interview with John S. Harrington, Asst. Director of Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas February 3, 1964. THE LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK AND ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING IN PLANNING By Frank William Brutt A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF URBAN PLANNING Department of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture 1964 , . . III. ‘ ‘ c . . .r.‘ ‘ TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES 0.0.0....00......OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0.0.0.0.... INTRODUCTION .0...0....COOCOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOO.00. Chapter I. II. III. LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK ................. Explanation of a Land Inventory Data Bank Parts of the Metroplan Land Inventory Data Bank Procedures Used in Processing Land Invent- ory Data Information Parcel Identification System The Source of the Information Obtained on Each Parcel of Land Value of Information Obtained for Planning Purposes Additional Information Which Will be of Value to the Land Inventory Data Bank Method of Maintaining and Updating the Land Inventory Data Bank ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING .............. A Definition of Electronic Data Processing Electronic Data Processing Machines and their Function in Processing Metroplan's Data PLANNING STUDIES AND MAPPING WHICH MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED EASIER OR FASTER USING THE LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK AND ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING ......................... Mapping of Data Analysis of Existing Land Use Analysis of Existing Zoning Analysis of Existing Land Use to Existing Zoning~ Analysis of Commercial Uses and Needs Determined by a Ratio of Population to Commercial Area Analysis of Recreation Facilities and Other Community Facilities as Related to Existing and Future Population ii Page iv 46 54 Chapter Page Method of Using Information from the Land Inventory Data Bank for Studies Such as Listed Above With- out Electronic Data Processing IV. AN EXAMPLE OF A PRACTICAL APPLICATION USING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN A LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK PROCESSED BY ELECT-. RONIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PLANNING ................. 63 V. AN EXAMPLE OF THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING OF INFOR- MATION CONTAINED IN A LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK FOR URBAN RENEWAL STUDIES .......... 75 VI. SIJNWRY AND mNCLUSIONSOOCOOOOOO0.0.0.... 86 Analysis of Information Used From the Land Inventory Data Bank, its Reliability and Usefulness Advantages of a Land Inventory Data Bank Disadvantages of a Land Inventory Data Bank Cost of Acquiring and Transferring Data for the Land Inventory Data Bank Comparison of the Cost of Manual Computa- tion vs. Electronic Data Computation of Statistical Information Recommendations for Other Communities Pro- posing to use Electronic Data Processing and a Land Inventory Data Bank for Planning Purposes APPENDIX 0......OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOO...0.0...0.. 101 BIBLICXSRAPHY 0....O...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0.0 105 iii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Existing Land Use, Census Tract Six .............. 66 2. Comparison of Existing Land Use and Zoning, Census Tract Six ...................... 67 3. Existing Land Use Renewal Study Area ............. 78 4. Comparison of Existing Land Use and Zoning, Renewal Study Area ..................... 80 5. Value of Land Per Acre According to Use ......... 81 6. Number of Buildings, Population and Value of Structure According to Condition Grouping .0.00......0.0.0....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 83 7. Cost of Acquiring and Transferring Data for The Land Inventory Data Bank ................... 93 8. Time Required and Cost of Electronically Processing Data of 400 Parcels of Land ......... 97 iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Basic Data Tabulation Sheet ............. ...... . 5 2. Tax Assessor's Card, Front .................... 6 . Tax Assessor's Card, Back .................... 7 3 4. Data pL’nCh card .00...OOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOO0.00... 9 5. Audit Listing Analysis Sheet .................. 10 6 . Flow Diagram of Metroplan's Land Inventory Data Tabulation Process ............ l3 7. Parcel Identification System for Metroplan's Land Inventory Data Bank ......... l7 8. Flow Diagram of Metroplan's Data File Maintenance and Updating Process ............ 40 9. Letter of Cooperation Between Metroplan and the Little Rock Community Develop- ment Department 00......OOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 44 10. Letter of Cooperation Between Metroplan and North Little Rock Planning Commission......... 45 11. Future Land use 0.0.0.0...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 73 12. proposed zoning 0.0.0.0...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 74 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to analyze the basic in- gredients of a land inventory data bank, how the ingredients are collected, recorded, processed by electronic data methods and their use in determining the solution of planning prob- lems. City and regional planning functions are being over- whelmed by the amount of statistical data necessary to prop- erly perform the planning process. This data must be read- ily available, it must be accurate, complete and up to date. Without a land inventory data bank containing thousands of items of information on the existing development pattern and knowledge of the development potential of raw land many of the problems of urban development could not be evaluated. However, the vast number of necessary items of data are of practical value to a planning function if these items can be retrieved, manipulated and the desired results extracted in a useable form. These requirements have necessitated the use of electronic data processing methods to provide an economical and practical method of processing the data bank information. The land inventory data bank under consideration in- cludes the items of information concerning each parcel of land and the three articles in and on which the data items 1 are contained. The land inventory data bank analyzed in this study is a function of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission of Pulaski County, Arkansas. The data collection and transferring of data to elect- ronic data pUnch cards had been underway for many months prior to the research on this topic. Thus this thesis is limited in part to a discussion of how the previously chosen items of information may be used for planning, rather than an explanation of why they were chosen. CHAPTER I LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK Explanation of a Land Inventory Data Bank A land inventory data bank is a collection and tabu- lation of information pertinent to the realm of planning. The primary factor upon which all emphasis of urban planning is based is an item called land. The development, use, and conservation of this irreplaceable item is the basis upon which the discipline of urban planning has devel- oped. In order to prepare a plan for the existing and fu- ture uses of this critical item, an inventory of existing land should be taken and analyzed. It is an essential ele- ment of planning to know the condition, capabilities, and functions of land and the controls which may have been placed on the deveIOpment of this land prior to the analysis and preparation of future land plans. Since the basic commodity which planners deal with is land, one of the first items of information which must be obtained on this land is its location, area,existing cond- ition, use, and future development potential. A study of this type would be considered the primary analysis of land in its raw state. After an analySis of raw land, its assests and the limitations it poses for development, plans for 3 future development and/pr holding in a conservation state may be determined. A land inventory must also take into consideration the condition and use of developed area of land. Guide lines for future development and/pr redevelop- ment and the potential use of the land must be also taken in- to consideration. In the second stage of an analysis of land, such items as the development patterns, development trend, type and condition of development should be taken into account. De- tailed information concerning this developed land must be collected and processed. Block statistics, housing, land use, traffic and population data are all necessary in a planning operation. These individual items are part of the information collected for a land inventory data bank. Parts of the Metroplan Land Inventory Data Bank The data bank of the Metropolitan Area Planning Comm- ission of Pulaski County, Arkansas, more commonly known as Metroplan, has been divided into 3 parts. Basic data tabulation sheet The basic data tabulation sheet, Figure I, is the source document on which is listed the information obtained on each parcel of land. This information includes such items as the parcel location, size, appraised value, zoning, and use. 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Since detailed census in- formation is tabulated with reference to census tracts and census blocks, Metroplan decided to use the Census Bureau's tract and block system as the means of establishing parcel location for the land inventory data bank. Each parcel of land in a census block was given a parcel number. This number was recorded on the basic data tabulation sheet and the parcel map. Parcel maps, drawn at a scale of 1 inch to 200 feet, designate the census tracts, blocks, parcel numbers and boundaries. The basic data tabulation sheet Figure I,and the punch cards, Figure 4, provide 2 columns for recording the census tract number, 2 columns for the section number, 3 columns for the census block number and 2 for the parcel number. In the urban area, where the census tracts are com- paratively small, the allocation of 3 punch card columns was sufficient to record up to 999 blocks which could occur with- in a census tract. However, since some of the census tracts in the rural area are of such size that urban development could result in the formation of more than 999 blocks, the large census tracts were divided using legal townships as the means of division. A township consists of 36 legal sections, each section approximately a mile square. A code number was assigned to each of the legal town- 16 ships beyond the urban area where the township number re- placed the census tracts, Figure 7. The township number, when used, is punched in the punch card in the 2 columns designated for the census tract. The legal section number, which is used in conjunction with the township number, is punched in the 2 columns assigned for the section number. If a parcel of land is located in the urban area the actual census tract number is used. The legal section number is not required in the urban area, thus, 00 is pUnched in the section columns. The 1960 Census of the Population divided Pulaski County into 43 census tracts, numbered 1 through 43} To avoid confusion between the township numbers and census tract numbers, the townships were numbered beginning with number 61. The legal sections, numbered 1 through 36, were divided to aid in the location of blocks and parcels. Block numbers 1 through 99 were reserved for the northeast quarter settion or 160 acres. Numbers 100 through 199 were reserved for possible blocks in the northwest quarter section. Numbers 200 through 299 were reserved for the southwest l U. 8., Bureau of the Census, Census~Tracts, Littlg_ Bgckzflorth Little Rock, Ark. Standarg_Metropolitan Area,_ Eighteenth Census of the United States: 1960. l7 .xcmn mumo >Hopcm>cw UCmH m.cmdqo»pw2 How Empm>m cowumofiwwucmcfi amonmg un.b musmwm $0.1 3:3 flL GI (D ms ..xmq . 3:226 6. Nb .0 I) p. ____} 33 3:8 d 8 I 3 3 r..__ cw 8.5.03 8'8» ’NIOON No a _ .a «a 8 m , Jflflql - 146m //MMWHV 323 53 >¢opzm>ficozj wig: Zwkm>m 203.253. away—(a V 18 quarter and numbers 300 through 399 were reserved for the southeast quarter. There is little or no chance of all 99 blocks being formed in a 160 acre tract, however, the third digit aids in the block number location. Generally a block of land in an urban area is that land which is surrounded by streets or other physical fea- tures. However, since rural area are often not divided by streets the definition of a block must be more fexable. A block of land may be a piece of land under 1 own- ership or numerous ownerships. If a large tract of land owned by 1 person was located in the southwest quarter of section of 22, township 76 it would be coded by a block num- ber between 200 and 299. This piece of land being under sin- gle ownership would be numbered parcel number 1. It's code location would be: township 76, section 22 block 200, parcel 1. If numerous parcels were located in the northeast quarter of a section, the person plotting the land would group approximately 40 acres of parcels into a block. This block would be numbered according to the block numbering system for blocks in the northeast quarter, a number between 1 and 99. The parcels within this block would be numbered as consecutively as possible. The individual plotting the blocks would attempt to include all of the parcels from the same quarter section and legal section in this block. However, as this is not l9 always possible a block and the parcels within a block may cross township, section or quarter section lines. The person assigning block and parcel numbers cannot divide a tract of land under 1 ownership into 2 parcels even if the parcel is cut by a street or railroad. This is be- cause the parcel is the lowest division of land. If parcels under various ownership are bound by streets or railroads these 2 physical features serve as block boundaries. If a subdivision is created from a large area which was previously 1 block, that block number is maintained for the unsubdivided land. The new blocks created by the subdivi- sion's streets are given respective block numbers depending upon the quarter section in which they are located. Each lot is giVen a parcel number after the lot has been recorded as part of the subdivision by the county recorder. If a block of land consisting of but 1 parcel takes up more than a section, or lies between 2 sections, the lowest number reserved for the block in which most of the area is located would be designated to the block. In the same manner if a block lies in 2 quarter sections the block number will be designated using the number reserved for the quarter section in which the largest area of the block lies. After the aSsignment of block and parcel numbers, these numbers are transferred to the basic data tabulation sheet and labeled on the parcel maps. To illustrate how the numbering system works a hypo- thetical parcel location will be described. Census tract 2O 13, section 00, block 99, parcel 5. Since the number under the census tract heading is less than 61 this parcel of land is in the urban area where the census tract numbers are used. The section number 00 also indicates that the parcel of land is in the urban area. Block 99 is the census block 99 and parcel 5 is the number assigned to the fifth parcel in block 99. For example of how the system functions in the rural areas another illustration will be made. Census tract 94, section 24, block 10, parcel 18. The number 94 under the census tract heading indicates that the parcel is outside the urban area and would be located on the township number- ing system map, Figure 7. Section 24 is legal section 24 of township 94, block 10 would indicate the block is in the northeast quarter of the section. Parcel 18 would be the number assigned to the eighteenth parcel in block 10. 21 The Source of the Information Obtained on Each Parcel of Land Residential Parcels The following items of information on more than 96,000 parcels of residential land in Pulaski County have been ac- quired from the Pulaski County Tax Assessor. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. the assessors card number the legal block number legal lot description legal section, range, and township number subdivision name house number if one is used street name front width of parcel average depth of parcel appraised value of land appraised value of the improvements utilities available description of the land use number of main buildings number of accessory buildings number of stories number of dwelling units 1 Items 1 through 5 are recorded on the basic tabulation sheet for reference purposes only and are not transferred to the punch card. 22 18. number of establishments l9. amount of building coverage of the lot 20. total floor area 21. year of building construction 22. condition of the building Since the tax assessor does not visit the parcel each year there are bound to be some discrepancies in the accur- acy of the available information. However, the data bank information is not construed to be of such accuracy as to be used for an individual parcel of land, especially for building appraisals, but with numerous parcels of land pooled together in a study. In other words, over appraisal in one block will more than likely cancel out under appraisals in another block. Most of the information acquired from the tax assessor's cards can be considered valid. However, one of the discrepancies noted by field checks of certain areas is the building condition. It is suggested that there should be more than 3 catagories for building condition and that the individuals who make the building inspections should be more throughly trained in building condition analysis. Items of information acquired from the local planning commission or designated by the members of Metroplan's staff are: 1. Location of the parcel as it relates to: a) Census tract or coded township number b) Section number 23 c) Census block d) Parcel number 2. Standard industrial classification code of the parcel 3. Zoning category of the parcel 4. Number of off-street parking spaces on the parcel In most cases, the information which is forwarded to Metroplan from the Little Rock and North Little Rock Planning Commissions, such as zoning districts, is up to date or if not up to date the staff members of the local planning comm- issions indicate which areas need reviewing. Current land use information, if not available from the assessor's card, is obtained by Metroplan staff members conducting windshield surveys. This method has been used on some of the older areas of the City of Little Rock where the assessor's information was not considered up to date. However, since windshield surveys are expensive both in time and money, they are only used in special cases. Other sources of data for land use information are; aerial photographs, Sanborn Atlases, Polk City Directories, and the familiarity of the local area by staff members. Commercial Parcels The commercial parcels of land are recorded on Commer- cial tax assessment cards by the assessor. Information on approximately 6,000 commercial parcels was transferred from the commercial tax cards to the basic data tabulation sheets. 24 Data obtained from the commercial tax cards is similar to the data obtained for the residential parcels. Additional data relating to the use of a commercial structure and the area and use of each establishment within the structure has also been obtained. Location maps of the commercial parcels were made from plat maps and land use maps supplied by the Planning Comm- issions of Little Rock and North Little Rock. The legal description of the commercial parcels obtained from the tax assessor's cards were used to plot the parcels on Metroplan's maps. Sanborn structure maps were used to make tracings of all commercial buildings and each floor of the buildings. To determine the actual use of each commercial structure and each floor within the structure, field survey teams in- terviewed the building managers or tennants. The desired area and use information was scaled directly on the trac- ings and then transferred to the basic data tabulation sheets. Information on each separate establishment within a structure, its area, and standard industrial classification code were recorded on a separate line on the basic data tabulation sheet and required a separate punch card. Industrial Parcels Industrial parcel assessment information is recorded on industrial assessment forms. The information desired by Metroplan on the approximately 500 industrial parcels was 25 copied directly from the tax assessor's cards or the detailed industrial tax books. The industrial parcels were plotted on the same maps used for the commercial parcels and in the same manner. Using tracings made from the building sketch on the tax assessor's cards the field teams interviewed the man- agement of each industrial establishment and the area and use of each separate establishment was recorded. This information was transferred to the basic data tabulation sheets and then punched into cards. The location of the parcel, its zoning,standard in- dustrial classification code and number of parking spaces was designated by Metroplan's staff and listed on the tab- ulation sheets. As of January, l964,information on slightly more than 102,000 residential, commercial and industrial parcels of land had been listed on the basic data tabulation sheets and transferred to punch cards. The audit land use, zoning and industrial classification listings have also been pre- pared from the punch cards. It is estimated that the cost of the acquisition of the data, punching the cards and producing the audit, land use and zoning listings, has cost $150,000. Interview with John S. Harrington, Assistant Director, Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas Feb. 3, 1964. 26 Value of Information Obtained for Planning Purposes Location The location of a parcel of land is a most important feature of the land inventory data bank. Without a means of relating the parcel of land to the street on which it is lo- cated, to the neighborhood of which it is a part, and to the city in which it is located, there is little value of com- piling information about a parcel of land. Discussions were held by Metroplan's staff of the feasibility and usefulness of identifying the parcels using a grid system. It was, how- ever finally decided that the information would be more us- able and valuable to other public and quasi-public agencies if the parcel information was identified by street address number. The census tract, section number, block and parcel are included in the location system as a means of rapidly locat- ing and extracting the required data by large areas. Under the city and school headings are coded the locat- ion of the parcel of land as it relates to the respective city and school district. Since school districts and city boundaries are not similar this information aids in deter- mining the location and number of dwelling units in each school district.- Land area Under this heading are listed the front width, average 27 depth, and parcel area in 100's of square feet. The front width aids in determining the amount of commercial front- age on a particular parcel or street. Although the average depth is not of major importance, it is necessary for the computation of the parcel area. Without a means of computing the land area by parcel, land use, and zoning categories, an analysis of existing land uses as related to a study area or the entire community would not be possible. Appraised value The appraised value of the parcel of land and improve- ments on the land in 100's of dollars are indicated beneath this heading. This information may be useful to such agencies as the highway department, planning commisssion or urban renewal authority. For example, if a park is to be located within a certain area, this information would aid in determining the cost of the site or alternate sites. Similarly this data will aid the highway department in determining the approximate right-of-way acquisition costs. Also a deter- mination of the ratio of the value of land improvements to buying power of an area may be made using this data. Utility code The utility code designates the availability of gas, electricity, water and/or sanitary sewer system to the parcel of land. 28 The knowledge of available utilities, can be of major importance in determining the development potential of land areas. This information in conjunction with other data is helpful in determining which areas are prime for develop- ment and may aid in the preparation of plans for future community facilities. Land use code The land use code was developed by Metroplan to facil- itate categorizing the land use of a parcel of land;1 It is possible with the 4 number code to identify 76 land use classifications including residential uses and divisions within residential uses, i.e., 1 family, 2 family or multi- family; commercial and divisions within the commercial group- ing; public and industrial uses. The land use code may also be used to indicate mixed land uses such as a grocery store and residence on the same parcel. Information regarding the land use of parcels and totals by land use codes aides the planning function by determining the type and amounts of development by land use category. This information can aid in planning for required utilities and services to serve the area under study. Land use code information is also valuable in determining the areas of development, the types of development, growth trends, future needs, and future problems as they may occur in cer- tain places. For instance, comparative analysis of land 1J. R. Stephens and Ed Hromanik, Basic Data Tabulation Study (Little Rock, Arkansas: Metroplan, 1960) pp. 22-40. 29 uses within an area taken on a 3 or 5 year basis can be helpful in indicating changing development patterns and aid in the planning of schools and parks. Standard industrial classification code This code has been developed by the United States Bureau of the Budget and is used as a means of identification of specific residential, industrial, wholesale, retail and manufacturing types. Whereas the Metroplan land use code which pertains to the land use of the parcel is general, so that its broad categories may be used for map presentations and general analysis, the standard industrial classification code is specific. The land use code, as used in Metroplan's data bank relates to the parcel use. The standard industrial class- ification code relates to the actual use of the establish- ment. For example, a parcel of land with 3 single-family units on it would be coded multi-family by the land use code, but as 3 single—family units by the standard indust- rial classification system. A parcel of land from which are ice dealer sells ice would be coded 1000 by the land use code and 5984 by the standard industrial classifications system.l Similary the land use code for a hardware store is 1000, and 5251 by the standing industrial classification code.2 gIbid., p. 23. Bureau of the Budget, Standard Industrial Classificat- ion Manual, p. 155. 30 The value of the standard industrial classification code becomes apparant when a study of a specific type of commercial use is required. If the planner or other in- terested person desires to know the number of furniture stores in the Metropolitan area or the number of square feet devoted to furniture sales, this information may be acquired using the standard industrial classification code. This code will also aid zoning administrators in de- termining the amount of land in each use and whether or not there is a need for additional lands zoned for a particular use. Zoning code The zoning code may be used to determine the lo- cation and amount of land zoned for a particular use. This information in conjunction with land use information may be used to make a comparison of the land zoned as to the amount of land used for a specific purpose. Off-street_parking This item of information is important in determining the parking capability of a location and the potential num- ber of vehicular arrivals and departures. The number of available off-street parking spaces may be a factor used 1Roger L. Creighton, "Utilization of Data Processing In Transportation Research," Automatic Data ProcessingL Its Application to Urban Planning, (Michigan State University, East Lansing:l96ll p.50 31 by zoning administrators in permitting the expansion of an existing commercial or industrial function. The number of off-street parking spaces may also be used to illustrate the deficiences of employers or apartment owners in provid- ing adequate parking for employees, customers or residents. Main buildings Knowing the number of main buildings on a parcel aids in determining the use of the structures and parcel use. For example, a parcel of land with 2 single-family struct- ures on it would have a land use code of 200, if 2 main structures were listed under this heading it could be accer- tained that the parcel had two residents on it and not a 2 family house. This column will also aid in determining the number of residential structures in an area. Number of stories Knowledge of the number of stories in a building can be useful in determining which strucutres are capable of conversion from single to multi-family uses. Knowing the sections of the city with structures capable of conversion to multi-family units may be useful in determining possible future population densities. This information may also be used in zoning studies to determine the floor-area-ratio of multi-storied structures, and for an analysis of the struct- ures within a flight path of a runway. 32 Number of dwelling units This information may be used to estimate the population of an area and the resulting requirements of the population for schools and parks. The number of vehicular trips gen- erated by a parcel may also be determined from this infor- mation. Number of establishmegts The number of establishments listed for a parcel of land indicates the number of structure uses on the parcel. A commercial parcel might have 25 separate functions cond- ucted within it. The lead or primary punch card for the par- cel would indicate the total number of establishments, total floor area and type of mixed land use. For each sep- arate commercial function a follow up punch card would in- dicate the type of establishment by the standard industrial classification code, the floor area and number of dwelling units, if present. This information is valuable in determining mixed usage‘ in a structure or a parcel. Also this information may be used to determine whether or not the mixed land usage on a parcel is within the main structure or if a second structure is used for the second land use. For example, the main building might be residential structure and the second establishment might be a car repair shop. By knowing the number of establishments it is possible to make an intelli- gent guess that the mixed land use is not in the same build- ing but in 2 buildings. 33 Buildinggcoverage This information indicates the area of buildings on a parcel. This figure may be used in a comparison of ex- isting coverage to the building coverage permitted by the zoning ordinance. The information may also be used to de- termine if sufficient land area is available on a lot to permit construction of an additional structure and still conform to the zoning requirements. The total building coverage of an area may be used to determine the amount of rainfall which will run off build- ings and must be carried through sewers or storm drainage ditches. Total floor area The total floor area of buildings on a parcel may be of value for zoning, residential, commercial or industrial studies. For residential studies, it is an excellent method of determining the amount of floor area per dwelling unit. In commercial and industrial studies, it provides the planner with data on the amount of area within a building or if the building has only one use the floor area for this use may be determined. Using the land use code, the standard industrial class- ification code or the zoning code as the classifying factor, it is possible to determine the total amount of floor area for categories of these three codes. It is possible using the total floor area figure to determine if an area has 34 sufficient retail floor space to serve the individuals liv- ing within the service area. Construction year The construction year is used to determine the age of a structure or neighborhood and may provide an indication of potential slum areas. It is a safe assumption that older structures are given less maintenance and are inclined to be- come blighted. Building condition The building condition is determined by the tax assessor during his assessing procedure and periodic surveys. Although the assessor only codes the condition as (1) good, (2) fair, (3) poor, if the building is graded as poor by the assessor it is generally in the advanced stages of blight. The building condition may be used to determined the location of the areas of blight or dilapidation. The infor- mation may also be used to determine the location of struct- ures which could be cheaply acquired for such facilities as parks, public parking lots or other public uses. Control The control column is used by the punch card processor to indicate whether or not a certain function has taken place. For instance, information from the first card is used in the reproduction of the same information in a second card. A hole punched in the control column will serve as an indication 35 that the second card for the parcel has been prepared. Other uses may be made of this column as required by the punch card processor. Number of second cards A second or follow up card is used to describe infor- mation about the secondary uses of a parcel of land. For example, the first card may have a land code of 9310, which indicates a mixed commercial land use for the parcel of land. The first card would indicate the total amount of building area, the floor area and value of the structure and structures. By the use of an asterisk (*) under the column heading, "number of second cards", the audit listing would indicate that this particular card is the primary card for the parcel. The follow up cards are numbered consecutively and are listed beneath the primary card on the listing sheet. The follow up cards indicate the floor area of the secondary parcel uses as separated from the primary land use by the standard industrial classification code. Since there might be as many as 25 follow up cards for a large commercial building it was decided to number the cards as a means of determining that all the cards has been included in the listing. 36 Additional Information Which Will be of Value to the Land Inventory Data Bank In addition to the previously described items of in- formation obtained for each parcel of land, other data must be acquired. Such studies as a comprehensive plan, trans- portation study and school plan will require the following items of information. As the first punch card for each parcel required the use of all 80 columns, a second card has been designed. The second parcel punch card is related to the first card using the census tract, section, block and parcel number. Items to be recorded on the second card are: 1. Planning analysis area 2. Neighborhood code 3. Future land use code 4. Parcels which are now or have been in an urban re- newal-public housing project 5. Orgin-destination zone 6. Year parcel of land was subdivided 7. The month and year the residential building permit was granted for the parcel 8. The date the water meter connection was made to the parcel Description of Additional Data Items The planning analysis area is a statistical area gen- erally comprised of one or more census tracts. The neighbor- 37 hood is a sub unit within a planning analysis area which as closely as possible relates to the elementary school within the local area. The future land use code, is the designation by Metroplan indicating the proposed land use of an undeve- loped parcel. This designation will be the basis upon which the comprehensive plan and school plan will be developed. By coding the future land use for each undeveloped parcel of land according to the comprehensive plan, it will be possible to determine and locate the total amount of pro- posed residential, commercial, industrial or public land. This information will be valuable in determining the future needs for each of the previous land use categories, such as schools and parks for residential areas or additional traffic ways and off-street parking for commercial areas. The shopping center designation will be given to parcels within the existing shopping centers and also to those par- cels of land which are designated for shopping center use. The next item of information, urban renewal-public housing, will identify those parcels of land which are or have been part of an urban renewal or public housing project. This information may be used for an analysis of the effectiveness of these two programs. Origin-destination information will be used in a major transportation study in Pulaski County. In order to locate parcels in an origin-destination zone and facilitate using the other data Metroplan has on every parcel of land, the origin-destination zone will be punched into the second code. 38 A proposed school plan will make use of information pertaining to the development of raw land into subdivisions. The first item of information for a school study will be the year the parcel was subdivided. This information which will be provided monthly by the City Planning Commissions of Little Rock and North Little Rock, will be used to update the data bank regarding the changing of raw land to developed land. The date the residential building permit is given for a par? cel will be recorded by month and year. This data will be supplied by the city engineers' offices. The last item of information obtained for this second punch card is the month and year of the water meter connection. This information is extremely useful as it indicates the date of occupancy of the dwelling unit and may be used to determine the total pop- ulation of an area. These 3 items of information, the date of subdivison, date the building was constructed and the date of occupancy will be valuable in delineating those areas in which resi- dential growth is taking place and will indicate the areas in which school needs will soon be occurring. 39 Method of Maintainiquand Updating the Land Inventory Data Bank A data bank is only as valuable as the accuracy of the information contained within it. It is understandable that the data regarding parcels of land will change in a dynamic community. Therefore, the influences which will effect the existing information have been separated, and a system deve- loped to implement the updating of the data bank. There are 4 types of changes which may effect the data bank, Figure 8. The first type of changes to the data bank are those made by Metroplan, such as changes to the planning analysis (boundary, neighborhood boundary or orgin-destination zone. Since these changes are initiated by Metroplan they are the easiest to note on the basic tabulation sheet. The punch cards of the affected parcels are removed from the card file and new cards punched to indicate the appropriate changes. The second type of changes are those resulting from the action of the city councils or planning commissions on such matters as zoning changes or subdivision approvals. In- formation regarding these changes is sent to Metroplan on a monthly basis. When a subdivision plat has received final approval from the planning commission a copy is sent to Metroplan. Approval of a new subdivision requires the correction of the existing maps and the basic data tabulation sheet designation of block and parcel numbers for the subdivisions blocks and 4O .mmmoOHQ mafipmpqa ucm wocmcwpc.me a... mpmo w.cm~Q0pme wo Empmmwp 30am-.m mpzwflm we. we. .5: L cute... 2. 5.. oza 5.6.... 2. 5.. 02¢ 58.... z. 5.. 9.2 mg... 3.82:... mo¢§o._z_..u¢ 2.8 8245. m2: 840 g: mm; mafia mm: s 01.0 .h.n&m PO.— Fwy“ _ 2.3.02.2 3936 h 59.» as. 295 So 20.84 293.23.... 295.. 2.38:»! 3352. 358 $28 .85.... 3.224.... ..o .6238 o» 38:45 we... 33...... 3352. or 80:58 E... 3352.8 8624.6 does. 2.! .8 2.3. 9.53.... 8 5w... 9: 993 new 92 9mg Bo 33...... 9: 33 So $333.. .2: 32 = 2385!. 2 325.... 8E8 .828 324.8 628. o-o m4 5...... ...“: zSaoxpuzo» 5w... 324.6 9.23 5 206.289... . muozéo 8 3... 2 am: .6 E81538 33¢}... 293:3“. E... 8 ”....«m. £3 52 m2... zatofiu: muozazo 2.48 .698 3.224.... co .658 to 20.5.. 52.3 oz... JBZQHV>tO 2<§hu2 03(00 159.8 500.500 02.225& cuts oz<4 >0 org—.2. 20.9 4423.10 swoon... 03.50.... 2 gm?! “...... (.50 Fang! ...0 83.03 ’04... 41 lots. Next the parcel card, which previously contained in- formation of a large area of land will be removed from the data bank and new punch cards made for each lot in the record- ed subdivision. In the case of zoning changes, the basic data tabulation sheet will be changed to indicate the zoning change. The respective punch cards of the parcels affected by the zoning change will be pulled from the card deck and repunched to conform with the new zoning of the parcel. The third type of change are those instituted by agencies such as the school board or the water works. In the case where a change in the school district boundary is made by the school board, Metroplan will be sent a copy of the change. The basic data tabulation sheets will be cor- rected and the respective punch cards will be repunched to indicate the change. An improvement by the water works, such as the install- ation of a new distribution main, may necessitate changes in the parcel utility code. Therefore, the water works has been requested to send Metroplan a copy of areas served by the new mains. The parcels affected by this improvement would have their respective punch cards and tabulation sheet records changed to indicate the availability of water. The fourth type of change which will require updating of the data bank is a change or improvement made by the owner of a parcel. The construction of a building on the parcel would require changes to the basic data tabulation sheet and 42 the parcel punch card. Construction information within the city limits is recorded by a building permit, and a copy of each permit is sent to Metroplan for the updating of the data bank. Information on construction beyond the city limits is noted by the tax assessor during his periodic surveys. A system has been devised whereby the tax assessor will pro- vide Metroplan a list of parcels on which improvements or changes have been made. The updating staff will use these lists to review the tax assessors cards and obtain the desir- ed information. The basic data tabulation sheets are changed to indicate the changes and new punch cards are punched to record the new data. To update the commercial parcel information, relating to the establishments within a structure, annual surveys are planned. Considering that there are more than 6,000 commer- cial parcels the difficulties of updating a data bank of this magnitude become obvious. To some degree the Polk City Dir- ectory and Criss-Cross Directories are helpful but only through field work can the commercial information be kept accurate and up to date. The cooperative effort of the various agencies from whom Metroplan acquires information is the crux of the up- dating system. In all cases the individual agencies have been very cooperative in submitting the desired data. Following are copies of letters of cooperation between 43 Metroplan and the Planning Commissions of Little Rock and North Little Rock, Figure 9 and Figure 10. 44 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LITTLE ROCK. ARKANSAS 304 Qty Hall Planning Permits (1 Inspectnons Traffic HENRY M de NOBLE Durector October 29, 1963 Ir. Stuart Burman, Director IetrOpolitan Area Planning Commie-ion Room 216, Pulaeki County Courthouee Little Rock, Arkaneae Dear Ir. Burman: Your letter received October 28, 1963, requeeting the Department of Community Deve10pment of the City of Little Rock to provide certain iteme of information pertaining to zoning changee and eubdivieion approvale hae been received by thie commieeion. It ie underetood that theee iteme of information will be of value to you in compiling and up- dating your land inventory data bank. The Commieeion hae agreed to provide thie important information to you according to your deeired echedule of zoning changee on a monthly baeie and a copy of the eubdiviaion plat after the final approval of the plat. If any other iteme of information are deeired by Ietroplan in the updating and approving of your land inventory data bank, our etaff will be moet happy to comply eith your requeet for thie neceeeary information. Reepectfully youre, fléf ”47/4 Com unity Development Department Figure 9.-- Letter of cooperation between Metro- plan and the Little Rock Community Department. August 23, 1963 Mr. Stuart Eurman, Director Metropolitan Area Planninn Commission Room 216 - Pulaski County Courthouse Little Rock, Arkansas Dear Mr. Eurman: Your request of the North Little Rock Planning Commission to provide Metroplan with certain items of information has been discussed by our Commission and our Commission has requested that I inform you that our staff will comply with your request. We understand that the zoning chances and sub- division plattino data are important items of infor- mation reouired by Metroplan tq maintain and update the land inventory data bank. A zonino request form similar to those we will be sending you is enclosed for your records. It is understood that you desire such zonino change information on a monthly basis along with a copy of subdivision plats which have been given final approval. If we may be of service to you in any other manner, please do not hesitate to call. l;;;;s v , truLlL’ / 34’) L. W. Winoe , Director North Little Rock Planning Commission LWW8ph Encl. Figure 10.-- Letter of cooperation between Metroplan and the North Little. Rock Planning Commission. CHAPTER II ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING A Definition of Electronic Data Processing In its broadest sense "electronic data processing" is (l) the manipulation in any manner of (2) any form of data by (3) electronic means.1 1. “Manipulation in any manner" could include any of the following: a) preforming arithmetic operations b) preforming logical operations c) recognizing input (source) information d) storing information e) recording output (result) information f) rearranging (editing) information 2. "Any form of data" -—- basically data can be con- sidered as either of the following: a) Analogue information -—— a continuous flow of information of some physical measurement b) Digital information ——— discrete units of alpha- betic or numeric characters 3. "Electronic means" -—- Various electronic systems 1Cecil Gillespie, Accounting Systems, (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1961), p.532. 46 47 can be mentioned. a) b) C) d) e) Teletype transmission Radio or Television transmission Paper handling systems (check sorters in large banks) Scheduling systems (airlines reservations sys- tems) Computers or "gaint brains" An analysis of how the previous definition and des- cription interrelates to Metroplan's land inventory data bank is as follows: a. preforming arithmetic operations -—- computing the area of the parcel from width and depth figures. preforming logical operations -—— accumulation of desired totals by the accounting machine as it prints the land use listing. recognizing input (source) information -—- the sorting machine preforms this operation as it recognizes the groups of information or partic- ular land use code. storing information -—- the storing of totals by groups within the accounting machine. recording output (result) information ——- this operation is preformed by the accounting machine as it prints the information from the punch card to the analysis sheet. 48 f. rearranging (editing) information —-— the account- ing machines rearranges the information from the punch card and prints it where desired on the analysis sheet. The accounting machine also edits the card information and selects only those items which are desired. In Metroplan's particular case digital information is used, the numerical units 1-9 and O; and alphabetic char- acters. The "electronic means", as used for the processing of data bank information pertains to the use of computers. 49 Electronic Data Processing_Machines and their Function in Processing Metroplan's Data KeyApunch The data punch card, is the vehicle that carries the recorded information throughout the data processing system. The card is made a part of the system by inserting informa- tion from the tabulation sheet, (source document) in the card by the key punch machine. The key punch machine has a key board similar to that of a typewriter. The depression of a key causes the punch- ing of a hole in a card column corresponding to the letter or digit on the tabulation sheet. Data may also be printed on the top of a card by the use of a interperting punch machine. An interperting key punch has been used for Metroplan's cards, and prints the letter or number directly above the column in which it is punched. Each line of information on the tabulation sheet re- lates to a parcel of land and each parcel requires an indi- vidual punch card. Verifier When the key punch operator has completed transferring the information from the data tabulation sheets to the punch cards, she passes the cards and basic data tabulation sheets to the verifying machine operator. The verifier operator receives the cards in the same order as they were punched by the key punch operator. As the cards pass through the veri- 50 fier, the operator hits the keys on the verifying machine to duplicate the key punch operators function. If the informat- ion being tapped on the keyboard of the verifier is the same as that which is in the card, no impression is made on the card, however if there is a variation in a column the veri- fying machine cuts a notch in the punch card directly above the column in which a variation has occured.1 If the key punch operator has made an error in a card she reetypes the card and it is again verified. Interperter The term interperting as used in the International Business Machine System of electronic data processing is the translation of holes into printed information on the punch card. Whereas the interperting key punch machine prints the letter or number directly above the respective column, the interperter prints the letter or number in any desired locat- ion. The Metroplan punch card was designed and printed to have the interperter print the data in various boxes, Figure 4. However, it has been found that printing the numbers and let- ters directly above the respective columns by the interperting punch is a more satisfactory system. 1International Business Machines Corporation, Machine Eunctions, (White Plains, New York: 1957), p. 7. 51 Calculator Calculating is the computing of a result by multipli- cation, division, addition or subtraction. Any combination of these calculations may be preformed, often in one pass through the machine. Factors to be calculated may be extract- ed from each card or a series of cards, emitted by a device within the machine or be developed by the accumulation of a series of calculations. One or several results may be punch- ed in each card in a trailing card which follows a group of cards carrying the factors. For Metroplan's operation, the calculator calculates the parcel area by multiplying the depth times the front width and punching the result in 100's of square feet in the appropriate field. Although this operation is rather simple and could be preformed by Metroplan staff, the machine has the ability to compute this information at the rate of 2400 cards per hour} Sorter Sorting is the grouping of cards in numerical or alpha- betical sequence according to any classification punched into them. In Metroplan's particular case, this machine is used to sort the cards by census tracts, land use codes, zoning codes, standard industrial classification code or any other 1Interview with Harry Pickens, President of Computer Service Company, Little Rock, Arkansas, July 1, 1963. 52 classification. This machine has the ability to sort cards at the rate of 1,000 per minute. Collatg; A collator is a machine which has the ability to merge 2 decks of punch cards into 1 deck in a pre-determined order. Cards which have been extracted from their normal position in a card deck may be merged back into proper order as the 2 groups of cards pass through the collator. This operation may be accomplished at speeds of 240 cards per minute. Reproducing_gunch A reproducing punch, reproduces data from 1 punch card to another. Desired information from a lead card is automatically punched into another card asthe 2 cards are fed through the machine. This machine will be used in the punching of certain information from the first card to the second punch card for each parcel. Such items as the census tract, section, census block, parcel number, land use and standard industrial class- ification code will be punched into the second card. This machine, which is capable of punching 100 cards a minute, will elimate the need to key punch the desired data for the second card. Accounting machines The accounting machine has 2 functions; to print 53 alphabetic and numerical data from punch cards, and to total data by selected classifications. To preform Metroplan's requirements the machine prints a list of all the data contained in the punch cards as the cards pass through the machine, each card requiring a sep- arate line. This process is known as listing. During the listing process, the machine is capable of adding, subtract- ing, cross subtracting, editing and printing. The machine may also be used to add certain items of information from all the cards as they pass through the machine and print totals. A listing of the information and any combination of desired totals may be preformed at the rate of 100 cards per minute. CHAPTER III PLANNING STUDIES AND MAPPING WHICH MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED EASIER OR FASTER USING THE LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK AND ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING Mgpping of Data Land use map The audit listing and parcel location maps may be used to prepare a land use map. Since the audit listing pf parcels is printed in numerical order, by block and parcel number, a land use map may be produced by transferring land use infor- mation from the audit sheet to the respective parcel using a color code system. In an analysis of a 96 block area, the parcel land use was transferred from the audit listing to the parcel map. Aerial photographs and city directories were then used to determine the accuracy of the information obtained from the tax assessor's records. After the land use maps were made staff members went to the area and compared the land use from the audit listing to that which actually existed in the area. Within this 96 block area of mixed land uses there was less than a 5 percent variation between the map prepared using the audit listing and the check made by windshield survey. This 5 percent variation may be large to some persons but is was 54 55 concluded that a windshield survey of an area of this size and diversity would have inherent errors of about the same percentage. The major advantage of producing a land use map using the data bank, is a reduction of employee's time and elimination of costly driving up and down streets. 2.93.199. A zoning map may be produced in the same manner as a land use map from audit sheets. In most cases the only meth- od of obtaining zoning information is to extract the zoned area from an official zoning map. This procedure is time consuming and in most cases, since special studies are al- ways needed immediately, the percentage of errors will be greatly increased by a rush job. However, since the zoning information is already listed on the audit sheet, the trans- ferral of this information is a mechanical process with a reduction in error and time required. In order to update zoning information within a study area, a Metroplan staff member reviews the zoning changes and variances granted since the date of the last revision and makes the necessary changes. Building condition mag The building condition information may also be trans- ferred directly from the audit sheet to the parcel map. This information is recorded by the tax assessor during his review of the property. The tax assessor uses only 3 categories in the description of building condition. It has been found that although this 3 way breakdown is adequate for some 56 studies, detailed studies for urban renewal require more com- plete information and for this reason the building condition must be checked in the field. Age of structure map Mapping the age of structures may be accomplished direct- ly from the audit sheet. In most cases, this information is accurate, especially within the Cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock. Copies of building permits are sent to the tax assessor by the city engineers' offices, and this information is used to create tax cards. Annual surveys are made by the tax assessor for new construction beyond the city limits. New structures are added to the assessors cards and the date of construction copied from the cards to the basic data tabulation sheet. In most cases, the recorded age and structures have been found to be accurate and therefore field surveys are usually not made to check the age of the structure. Appraised value map The appraised value of buildings and land may be obtain- ed from the audit sheet and transferred to the parcel maps. Although in some cases structures may have been built since the last survey, it is estimated that the changes in apprais- ed value will be minor in relation to an entire study area. 57 Analysis of Existing Land Use As a pre-requisite of a land use planning study, basic information concerning the area under question must be gath- ered and analyzed. If required, the parcel land uses must be separated, categorized and totals for desired information ob- tained. To do this, the desired items of information must he decided upon and those contained within the punch cards ex- tracted. For a land use study, the operator of the punch card sorting machine separates the desired punch cards according to the land use categories. For example the 100 land use code is single family residential, 1000 commercial, 3100 in- dustrial, 5100 wholesaling. After the punch cards have been separated by land use categories and put into proper block and parcel order, they run through the accounting machine, which if required, prints a numerical listing by block and parcel. Totals by census block may be printed on the sheet, if desired, and the total of the entire land use grouping may also be printed on the analysis sheet. Thus, by sep- arating land uses within the study area into_categories and processing these cards through the accounting machines a printed listing by land use groupings is obtained. Totals by land use grouping which may be acquired from the accounting machine include: 1. The number of parcels of the land use group 2. Total of front lot width of all parcels in same 58 use group 3. The area in square feet of the land use group 4. The appraised land value 5. The appraised value of the improvements 6. The number of off-street parking spaces 7. The number of main buildings 8. The number of accessory buildings 9. The number of dwelling units 10. The number of establishments 11. Coverage in square feet of the building on the parcels 12. The floor area of all buildings In the Census Tract Six study CHAPTER IV, in which more than 1,000 parcels were studied, the machine operator required less than 26 hours to sort all of the parcels into respective land use groupings and print the analysis sheet. This sheet listed the desired information by land use code with totals by block and the entire study area. Analysis of Existing Zoning To analyze the existing zoning within an area the punch cards of the desired parcels must be extracted from the card deck. The desired cards would be retreived according to the study area location and then sorted by zoning categories. After separation by zoning category in numerical block and parcel order, the cards would be processed by the account- 59 ing machine which would print the information contained in the cards on an analysis sheet. The information would be printed in numerical order by block and parcel. Block totals and area totals for the area by zoning category, or value by zoning category or any of the 12 items of information as previously described may be printed if desired. For example, to determine the amount of commercial frontage on a street by zoning category, an additional sort must be made. The parcel punch cards which have been sorted according to zoning category must be fed into the sorting machine for separation according to the desired location. After this additional sort is made the total commercial front- age on a street may be totaled and printed on the analysis sheet. Analysis of Existing Land Use to Existing Zggigg This study is basically a combination of the 2 pre- vious studies to determine a comparison between the existing land use and zoning. Area comparisons may be made of the amount of land zoned for a particular use as it relates to the actual use of the land. Through an analysis of the data bank information, it is possible to determine whether there is an excess or deficiency of land zoned for a particular require- ment. Analysis of Commercial Uses and Needs Determined by a Ratio of ngulation to Commercial Area By electronic data processing all the commercial parcel 60 punch cards in the Little Rock Metropolitan area, the total commercial area was determined. A ratio of suburban populat- ion, as determined by census block data, to suburban retail space was found to be 13 square feet per person.1 This ratio of 13 square feet of retail sales area per person may be used to determine future retail space needs. To determine the future retail sales area 3 steps are re- quired. First, total the existing retail sales area using the data bank commercial cards and electronic data processing. Second, determine the population of the commercial service area from census data or by multiplying the number of dwelling units, as determined from the data bank, by 3.2. A comparison of the existing population to commercial area will indicate the existing ratio and illustrate the present retail require- ments. To determine future commercial needs the future popu- lation potential must be ascertained. A resonable estimate of the future population of an area may be found by determining the vacant acres of land in the study area, less 30 percent for the streets, parks, etc., times 10 for the average number of persons per acre. The resultant estimated future population used with the ratio of required square feet of retail space will provide a projected retail space requirement. lStephans and Hromanik, p. 59. 61 Analy§;s of Beggeation Facilities and Other Community_ -—-. ...—...... .. acilities as Related to Existing and Future Population To analyze the adequacy of a community facility, a comparison of accepted standards regarding the size of the facility to the population which is expected or required to use it must be made. The population of the community facili- ty service area may be determined by multiplying the existing dwelling units as determined by the data bank by 3.2. The potential dwelling units which may be built on the vacant land may be determined as previously described. These pop- ulation figures when compared to the recreation facility under question will permit an analysis of the adequacy of the facili- ty to serve the existing or future population. Method of Using Information From the Land Inventory Data Bank for Studies Such as Listed Aboyg Without Electronic Data Processing Information which has been recorded on the basic data tabulation sheets may be used for planning purposes without the use of electronic data processing. The major reason for recording information on the basic data tabulation sheet is for a record and source document for transferring this infor- mation to the punch card for electronic data processing. However, in some cases, the cost of electronic data processing small volumns of information will be in excess of the cost and time saved by copying the data from the basic data tabu- lation sheets and hand tabulating the desired information. An example of this situation would be the preparation of a zoning map for a 2 block area surrounding the parcel in question. In a small study such as this, it would be easier, faster, and more economical to select the tabulation sheets for the blocks surrounding the parcel under consider- ation and tabulate the desired information by hand. Other examples of direct retreival from the basic data tabulation sheet would be the case of a right-of-way acquisition for a small number of parcels of land or other studies dealing with a small land area. CHAPTER IV AN EXAMPLE OF A PRACTICAL APPLICATION USING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN A LAND INVENTORY DATA BANK PROCESSED BY ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PLANNING This particular practical application was undertaken at the request of the Little Rock Planning Commission by Metroplan for an analysis of the existing land use and zon- ing in Census Tract Six. Study area The study area in this particular undertaking was all of a census tract south and adjacent to the central buSiness district of Little Rock, Arkansas. The area is composed of some 96 blocks in which there were 1,108 parcels of land. The area has been in a state of transition from single-family residential to commercial and multi-family for a number of years. Interstate Highway 30, the interstate highway route from North Little Rock through Little Rock southwest to Texas is adjacent to the study area. Also within the area are 2 traffic arteries and shopping facilities for the population of the census tract and the residential areas to the east, south and west. 63 64 Method of Analysis Metroplan had recorded information on every parcel of land in this census tract and this information had been trans- ferred to punch cards prior to the request for this study. In addition to information from the land inventory bank, field surveys and the characteristics of the census tract were obtained from the 1960 United States Census of Popula- tion and Housing. In this study, the 3 analysis listings as previ- ously described were used. The audit listing, was used in the preparation of an existing land use map. The draftsman transferred the existing land use from the audit analysis sheet to the individual parcel of land using appropriate color codes. After preparing the land use map, field crews were sent to the area to check and record changes which had taken place since the last survey by the tax assessor. Those parcels on which changes had taken place were noted and the appropriate changes were made on the existing land use map. It is interesting to note that although the area has been in transition for the past number of years, the per- cent of variation in a comparison of the assessor's information to the present situation was less than 3 percent of the total parcels of the area. In other words, of the 1,108 parcels within this area, the information taken from the tax assessor‘s cards were correct except for 30 parcels which had conversions from single-family to multi-family units. 65 These conversions may not have been obvious to the assessor in his survey of the property. The next step was the analysis of the land use listing. Table 1, which is a table from the report produced by Metro- plan lists the land use categories and areas in square feet, the area in acres and the percent of the total area.1 As indicated by Table 1, residential uses were separated into single, two-family and multi-family uses. The commerical uses were separated into retail, professional services and 5 other groupings. Industrial uses were manufacturing and wholesaling. The public and semi-public uses were divided into their respective groups. A category for mixed resident- ial and other uses was listed, plus the amount of vacant land, amount of land used for streets, and total area. All this information, except the area in streets, was obtained directly from the analysis sheet by members of Metroplan's staff. The area of street right-of-way was determined from the master street plan map. The next phase of the study was the analysis of the zoning listing. Such information as the amount of land zoned for residential, commercial, and industrial uses was obtained from the zoning analysis listing. The amount of land not zoned was determined by subtracting the amount of land zoned from the total study area. Table 2, illustrates comparison between the existing land use and existing zoning IFuture Land Use and Zoning Plan for Census Tract Six (Little Rock, Arkansas: Metroplan, 1963), p. 10. 66 Table l. -- Existing land use, Census Tract Six Land use category Area Area Percent of (sq. ft.) (acres) total area Residential Single-family 3,448,200 2 family 2,086,600 Multi-family 2.023.700 Total 7,558,700 173.5 55.2 % Commercial Retail 326,800 Personal services 64,600 Automotive services 84,200 Eating 8 drinking 49,000 Office 8 real estate 36,500 Professional service 22,100 Business services 292,100 Total 785,100 18.0 5.6 % Industrial Wholesale 32,200 Manufacturing 27,600 Total . 59,800 1.4 0.4 % Public 8 semi-public Churches 251,400 Public schools 180,000 Private schools 41,300 Public hospital 22,700 Private nurse 8 san. 61,500 Fraternal 70,300 Total 627,200 14.4 4.6 % Mixed Residential 8 other 306,600 7.0 2.2 % Vacant 576,000 13.2 4.2 % Total land exc. streets 9,913,400 227.6 72.1 % Streets 3.8L31050 87.7 27.9 % Total area 13,732,450 315.2 100.0 % Table 2.-- Comparison of existing land use and 67 zoning, Census Tract Six Amount Land use category Amount land used _ land zoned sq.ft. acres sq.ft. acres Residential Single-family 3,448,200 79.2 166,200 3.8 2 family 2,086,600 47.9 5,674,300 130.3 Multi-family 2,023,700 46.4 2,681,300 61.5 Total 7,558,500 173.5 8,521,800 195.6 Commercial Office 260,700 6.0 60,000 1.4 All other commer- cial 524,600 12.0 410,700 9.4 Total 785,300 18.0 470,700 10.8 Industrial Manufacturing 27,600 0.6 275,800 6.4 Wholesale 32,200 0.8 167,500 3.8 Total 59,800 1.4 443,300 10.2 Public 8 semi-public 627,200 14.4 Mixed 306,600 7.0 Vacant 576,600 13.2 Not zoned 477,600 11,0 Total 9,913,400 227.6 9,913,400 227.6 68 within this study area. Time reguired for data_processigg The preparation of the audit, land use and zoning list- ings from the parcel punch cards, by the Computer Service Com- pany required 2 days. Included in the processing of Metroplan's work order was the wiring of the control panel which provides instructions to the accounting machine, A similar punch card processing request was later made by Metroplan, of the data processor, on another census tract which had 135 blocks in it and a total of 1,609 parcels. In this particular case the computer company started on Metro- plan's study immediately and returned an audit, land use, and zoning listing in less than 8 hours. Thus it is obvious that the amount of time taken in the processing of the information is negligible. It should be emphasized however, that the amount of time and money spent gathering the information from the tax assessor's cards and other sources is considerable. Of major value to a planner is the availability of in- formation in concise, complete form which can be rapidly ob- tained to aid in determining an analysis and solution which the planner desires. Although some of the land use and zon- ing information had to be field checked, the data bank and electronic data processing were a major time saver for this project. The reason for the City of Little Rock asking Metroplan to do this study is that over the years the Little Rock Plan- 69 ning Commission has been plagued with variance requests to the existing zoning ordinance. The existing zoning ordin- ance for the City of Little Rock was produced in 1937 and since that time it has had many amendments. The city offi- cials acknowledged that the zoning ordinance is outdated and intend to have a new ordinance drawn up in the near future. Since this new ordinance is a few years away, the Little Rock Planning Commission requested Metroplan to make an analysis of the existing land use, zoning and conditions which will effect this area and prepare a future land use and zoning plan. An analysis of Table 2,"Comparison of Existing Land Use and Zoning", indicates the amount of land zoned for commercial use as to the amount of land used for that purpose. It should be stated that the industrial zon- ing classification in Census Tract Six would, in most ordin- ances, be considered commercial and not industrial. Calcul- ations indicated that there are some 900,000 square feet of land zoned for industrial and commercial uses; and slightly more thanr840,000 square feet used for these purposes. After an analysis had been made of the types of commer- cial uses in the census tract and the population which sup- ported their operation, it was determined that the amount of commercial area zoned was adequate for the existing commer- cial needs. An.analysis of commercial areas as compared to populat- ion in this area indicated that 13 square feet of retail commercial space is the present ratio of retail area to pop- ulation.l 70 The future land use and zoning plan for this area provides approximately 19 square feet of retail area per per- 5011. Although it is not the purpose of this thesis to in- dicate how the future land use and zoning plan were produced it is felt that information used in the preparation for the future plans acquired from the data bank should be stated. Major conclusions of the information from the data bank processed by electronic data processing are: l. The study area is predominantly residential in character. There is some scattering of commerical uses, part- icularly on Main Street. There are no commercial uses on Broadway between 15th Street and 24th Street. Existing major commercial areas are on Main Street between 14th and 19th Street, at a shopping center on Broadway and Roosevelt and an older Shopping area at the intersection of Arch and 23rd Street. Residential uses in the study area are generally a mixture of single-familytmm-family and multi- family uses. 1Stephens and Hromanik, p. 59. 6. 71 There is an obvious deficiency of parks and rec- reation areas. Commercial lands comprise 5.6 percent of the total and are predominantly of retail and business ser- vice nature. Industrial uses comprise only .4 percent of the total land, although 5 percent of the area is zoned for industry, a very disproportionate amount. Information about the existing zoning which was ob- tained from the punch cards and electronic data processing: 1. An excessive amount of land is zoned for industrial uses. Existing industrial uses in the study area are negligible and the few uses in this category should be classified as heavy commercial. The amount of land zoned for industrial and com- mercial uses, only slightly exceeds the amount of land used by these combined uses. There is a need for more land zoned for multi- family use and a corresponding need for the amount of land zoned for two-family use. Summary and C nclusions ... Electronic data processing was not used to a great ex- tent in the development of the future land use and zoning plan. However, the amount and form of the information dee livered to the planner in a short period of time is conclusive 72 evidence that this type of study is greatly aided by a land inventory data bank and electronic data processing. The amount of time required to obtain information from the tax assessors cards, zoning maps and other sources is substantial and must be taken into consideration when analyzing the value of electronic data processing. However, except for updating, the acquisition of data for the data bank is a one time function. If this study had required a windshield survey for the land use and computing the land use areas with a scale and a calculator, the time required to do both of these processes would be greater than the time required to transfer the information to the tabulation sheet, punch parcel cards and print listings. It should also be stated that the Computer Service Company, who processed the parcel cards had to wire the con- trol panel which instructs the accounting machine. Now that this study has been accomplished and a control panel has been wired and filed for Metroplan's work, future studies will be faster and cheaper. Figures 11 and 12 indicate the proposed, "Future Land Use" and "Proposed Zoning", for the Census Tract Six study area. Meetings were held with the Little Rock Planning Commission and Board of Directors, and except for minor changes this plan was adopted as developed. 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" e- ‘ o - - ‘ I e- . m . m D uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ..................... um: oz<4 mehDu .................................... 0 ._.oo mpcoso>ono coauwpcoo >6 ufimwmmmao cowpw cofipfiocoo mafioafisn mmcacawsn mmcwoawsn us“ 6cm ocma mo mucoEo>0HQEfi wo nocoo >2 cama mo comm ca mcw>wa mo mo ozam> nomamnaa< osam> pomfimnoq< osam> vowwmnoo< mcomnoa mo HooEDZ HonEDZ coapwccoo mcwooonm c0fipwocoo ow mafinnooom monoposnpm mo osam> pcm cowumasaoo .mmcwoawoo mo HonEDZ :1 .o manmh 84 sition of blighted structures, the total number of blighted structures in the study area, and the number of persons who must be relocated prior to removal of the blighted structures. The maps which were developed from the land inventory data aided in determining the location of the blighted structure, the comparison of existing zoning to existing land use and the actual land use. Conclusion This study served 2 purposes, the first, providing the Little Rock Housing Authority with the data which it required and secondly, testing the feasibility of using this informate ion for an urban renewal study. For Metroplan's information a cost-time analysis was incorporated in the overall study. The urban renewal area contained 66 blocks with approximately 10 parcels per block or 660 parcels within the study area. The cost of processing the punch cards which were in numer- ical order, by census tract through the sorting machine and printing the desired listings as described was $28.00. The time required to extract the punch cards of the renewal area parcels from the data bank and time spent sep- arating the cards for the audit, land use, zoning and build- ing condition listings was approximately 45 minutes. The results of this study indicated that a study in which information is desired from 400 or more parcels, elect- ronic data processing is extremely helpful and a great asset to the planner in rapidly obtaining information to aid in solving the research problems for urban renewal studies. 85 Recommendations In all studies of this type, there are bound to be short comings or problems which soon become evident. One of these is the grading system used by the county tax asses- sor. The “good", "fair", and "poor" structure condition ana- lysis made by the staff of the tax assessor's department is not satisfactory for the detailed information which must be obtained for renewal studies. Therefore, when information of a very current and detailed nature is desired, it is ad- visable to supplement the tax assessor's building condition information with a windshield survey. CHAPTER VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Analysis of Information Used From the Land Inventory Data Bank, its Reliability and Usefulness In the short time that the land inventory data bank and electronic data processing have been used by Metroplan, the results have been very encouraging. In most cases the infor- mation has been found to be reliable and extremely helpful to the planner in the solution of planning problems. The only question of reliability of the information acquired from the tax assessor‘s cards is the building condition. As previously stated, the information satisfies the requirements of the tax assessor; however, the use of only 3 categories for building condition is not sufficient for planning purposes. In numerous studies and in particular for urban renewal studies, the information is not recent enough and also does not pro- vide sufficient detail about the structure condition. In a few cases it has been established that the tax assessor has not resurveyed property for a period of 5 years. Although these situations are not commonplace, they still must be taken into consideration in the analysis of a land inventory data bank. All of the information has been found to be useful to 86 87 the planner and since most planning studies are done on a rush basis, it has been determined that the expense and staff time required to develop the land inventory data bank has been extremely worth while. Undoubtedly as a more refined data collection system is developed and the additional information required for other planning studies put on the second punch card, studies of a more technical and refined nature will be possible. At the present time, Metroplan does not have access to or require a graphic map making machine which is used to con- vert information from cards or tape directly to graphic aids and maps. However, it is quite possible as this community continues to grow to 500,000 or 750,000 persons that more refined equipment will be acquired and located in this area. This added service will be most helpful to the planner for rapid mapping of data. 88 ..--—.-..—.-. _. - In Metroplan's data bank there are data on 26 items of information in the first punch card, and 14 additional items will be punched on a second card by April 1964. Considering that Metroplan has information on more than 100,000 parcels there are 2,600,000 items of information in the first deck and 1,400,000 items will soon be added to the second, a total of 4,000,000 items. Ease_of retrieval of information All items of information are available from 3 sources: a. basic data tabulation sheet b. punch card c. audit listing The availability of information and speed at which it may be acquired from these 3 sources aids the planner in the preparation of analysis for planning problems. If data are desired regarding a few parcels of land this information may be read from the basic tabulation sheets. Each sheet contains information on the parcels of only 1 block. These sheets are maintained in Metroplan's office. If larger amounts of data are desired, these data may be obtained from the audit listing of all parcels in numerical order for each census tract. 89 If a large volume of information is required and the information is the result of electronic data processing, then the punch cards of the respective parcels would be processed. Since the sorting and other electronic data processing func- tions are extremely rapid, the time required would be minor. 88.20.108.82 ceasing of data One of the most important advantages of having data on punch cards is that the information is in a form as to be machine processed with great speed and accuracy. The num- erous electronic data processing functions; sorting, extract- ing, multiplication, division etc., and speed at which these functions may be accomplished helps justify the high initial cost of setting up a data bank. Eggmat of the_figal_product of electronic gatamgrocessing The end product of a retrieval procedure is such that it may be either the totals of the required information and/or a listing of all parcels which were processed for the result. The availability of a printed listing provides the planner with the visual picture of all the parcels of the study This listing is very helpful as a means of illustrating the ability of electronic data processing to interested persons and as a future reference. 90 Data in usable form for other agencies By using the street address as a means of location for each parcel, in addition to census tract, block and parcel, other businesses may use the information contained in the data bank. Inquiries have been received from utility com- panies, urban renewal agencies, private planning consultants, and real estate firms regarding the data bank. Had the parcel data been recorded using a grid system for location of parcels the value and ease of utilization of the parcel information by other agencies would have been re- duced. Ease of updating and maintaining the data bank The updating of the data bank is a relatively simple process after updating information is received. Changes to the basic tabulation sheet are made by red lining the old parcel information and writing the new information on the back of the sheet, changes are made to the audit listing in a similar manner. Changes to the punch card are made by punching a new card with the new information. The old card is kept as a part of a historical file. Preparation of maps An important part of the data bank are the parcel maps. As the continuous updating of parcel information is accom- plished parcel maps are also changed to indicate land owner- 91 ship changes and subdivision platting. As a result of plot- ting parcel locations for the data bank, accurate maps at 1 inch to 200 feet are drawn and are available for repro- duction. Disadvantages of a Land Inventornyata Bank 'Cost of acguiring data It has been reasonably estimated that Metroplan has an investment of approximately $150,000, in its land inventory data bank. The largest single item of this cost is labor. Other costs include the use of vehicles, drafting, supplies, equip- ment, duplication of forms, punching of the 102,000 punch cards and production of the analysis listings. Qgst of data bank maintenance Two Metroplan staff members have been assigned the full time task of data bank maintenance and updating. It has been estimated that there will be 2,000 changes to the data bank each month. These 2,000 changes will require revisions to the basic data tabulation sheets, punching new punch cards and correcting the audit listings. The monthly salary of these two persons is $570.00 or an annual cost of $6,840. Office space, equipment and util- ities, are in addition to this figure. 92 Limited reguests for the data bgnk information Since the data banks inception it has been used for 3 major studies of the Pulaski County Metropolitan Area. They are; "Office and Commercial Study", " Industrial Growth Plan", and a "Residential Land Use Plan". For these 3 studies the data bank supplied the desired information and electronic data processing was used to sort and add the avail- able data. Three minor studies of greater depth and analysis have been made, 2 of which have been described in this thesis. These 6 studies are the only use the data bank has received since its operation. Other studies using the data bank will be forthcoming but the depth and detail of these studies is not known. Cost of Acquiring and Transferring Data for the Land Inventory Data Bank For the cost analysis a 5,000 residential parcel sample was used. The first data bank items are obtained from the tax assessor's cards and transferred to the basic data tab— ulation sheet. The itemsof information were obtained from the tax assessor's cards at an average rate of 25 cards (parcels) per hour at an hourly salary rate of $1.52 per person per hour. The second step, that of parceling, or locating and assigning the individual parcels on maps, averages 24 parcels per hour by an individual who is paid $1.73 per hour. The next step 93 is the association of detailed information such as the zoning category for the individual parcel of land. This data was placed on the basic tabulation sheets as the rate of 600 par- cels per hour by an individual paid $1.73 per hour. Finally, after all items of information were listed on the basic tabu- lation sheet, the sheets were edited. Editing was accomplish- ed at the rate of 50 parcels per hour by a person earning an hourly rate of $1.73 per hour. The total cost for acquiring data on 5,000 residential parcels, assigning the parcel to the proper location on a map, adding such additional data as zoning and editing all the data is illustrated by Table 7. Table 7. -- Cost of acquiring and transferring data for the land inventory data bank Item Number Total number Rate Total of cards of hours for per cost per hour 5,000 cards hour Acquiring data from assessor's cards 20 250 $1.52 $380.00 Parcelling 20 250 1.73 432.50 Assigning zoning cate- ory land use and indust- ial classification code 60 83 1.73 143.59 Editing 25 200 1.73 346.00 Total hours 125 783 1,302.09 94 Comparison of the Cost of Manual Computation vs. Electronic Data Compgtatiog_of Statistical Information This section illustrates a comparison of the cost of acquiring information from the basic data tabulation sheets and summarizing the 12 articles of information desired using office machines as compared to the cost of taking the same information from basic data tabulation sheets, transferring this information to punch cards, and processing these punch cards for the desired totals. This cost comparison is made on the basis that in both cases all of the information has been gathered, itemized, edited and placed on basic data tabulation sheets. For the comparison of the cost of acquiring totals, from the basic data tabulation sheets, a sample of 15 blocks containing 400 parcels was used. Within this 15 block area was a mixture of residential, commercial, public and indust- rial uses. The totals desired of all the parcels of land by land use codes are as follows: 1. Total number of parcels in the study area by each land use code 2. Total of front lot widths of all parcels in same land use category 3. Area of all parcels in same land use category 4. Appraised value of all land in same land use category 5. Appraised value of all improvements in same land 95 use category 6. Number of main buildings in the same land use category 7. Number of accessory buildings in the same land use category 8. Number of dwelling units in the same land use category 9. Building coverage in square feet of all buildings in same land use category 10. Floor area coverage in square feet of all buildings in same land use category 11. Number of establishments 12. Number of parking spaces The process used to acquire these totals for each land use category of the parcels of land within this study area was as follows. First, data on the parcels of land coded sin- gle-family residential, code 0100, were copied from the basic data tabulation sheet and listed on a multi-column accounting sheet. After all of the information on the 0100 category uses had been copied from the basic data tabulation sheets and listed, each column was added on an adding machine and totals obtained. Next, all parcels having the 0200, two- family residential category, were listed on the multi-column accounting sheet and the operator used an adding machine and added the totals for each of the 12 items as desired. The same steps were carried through for the remainder of the residential, commercial, industrial, public buildings, and vacant categories. land copying information on 400 parcels by land use category from the basic data tabulation sheet to the account- ing analysis sheet and adding the columnstook approximately 6 hours. The office girl was paid at an hourly rate of $1.75, thus the cost of this study on 400 parcels of land was $10.50. A comparison of the cost using electronic data process- ing equipment included the following steps. First, punch cards were punched and verified for the 400 parcels of land ata rate of 250 cards per hour. Then the punch cards were separated by the card sorter at a rate of 1,000 per minute, by land use category in numerical order. After sorting all of the cards by land use category the cards were placed in the accounting machine. The accounting machine added the desired totals from the columns of information punched into the punch card and printed all of the information within the punch card on an audit listing. For the 400 parcels used in this study, it took the accounting machine 4 minutes to print the information from the 400 cards and give printed totals for the 12 items of information desired by land use code. Total cost and time to transfer and verify all items of information from the basic data tabulation sheet to punch cards, sort the cards by land use code, and total volumes of desired information and print results for the 400 card test was as follows: 97 Table 8. -- Time required and cost of electronically processing data of 400 parcels of land Procedure Time required Cost (minutes) Key punch and verify 100 $18.00 Sort 4 .72 Total and print 4 1.50 Total time 108 $20.00 The cost indicated above illustrates that using elect- ronic data processing was faster but slightly more expensive than hand methods for a 400 parcel study. However, the corresponding step of verification in the manual test would require a second series of additions for the adding machine. The cost of this second addition would bring the cost of manual computation to about the same as electronic data processing. Although an analysis of the cost comparison for hand vs. electronic data processing methods, indicate that elect- ronic data processing was just slightly more expensive than. manual methods, it should be realized that 2 additional features may be performed during the electronic data process- ing. One of these features is the calculation of the area for each parcel if not given on the basic data tabulation sheet: the absence of which would require another step which must be done by either the girl operating the adding machine or another individual in the basic data collection function. 98 A second advantage of using the electronic data pro- cessing was the fact that at the same time the accounting machine is totaling the desired information a printed list- ing may be made thus providing a permanent record of the operation. Another factor which should be stated is that after a punch card was punched for each parcel of land the card becomes a permanent vehicle of information and may be used for other studies. Therefore, a conclusion may be drawn that in all cases where a study contains 400 parcels or more, and totals of 12 items are desired, it is more efficient in both time and money to use electronic data processing. Recommendation§_fgr,gthgr‘§gmmunities Prgpgsing to Use Electronic Data Processing and a Land Inventory_Data Bank For Planning Purposes It is suggested that before a community undertakes the complexities of establishing a data bank, thorough investi- gation be made of all known planning data banks. This one step will save many hours of decision making. It is doubt- ful that any 2 communities would desire the same type of in- formation or have similar sources of information, however, another communities data bank may aid decision making. A thorough study should be Made of the desired infor- mation; how it will be acquired, its accuracy and how it will be used. Data collection for the sake of having data is very time consuming, expensive and reduces the value of the data bank. Discussion should be held to describe and educate other public agencies of the proposed data bank, its value and use. Meetings of this natUre are helpful in gaining support of other agencies and determining if additional items may be added to the data bank to increase its usefulness and value. Information collection methods and the updating system should be well established and tested prior to starting the actual collection function. It is advisable that a manual be written providing a step by step explanation of all pro- cesses, problems and their solutions. Establishing a data bank is very involved, complex procedure and hundreds of decisions will be required. If possible each new major pro- blem should be identified and its solUtion included in the procedure manual. During the parceling, or location of a parcel on a map, it is suggested that the land use of the parcel be written on the map in the parcel area. This one step will provide a complete land use map of every parcel in the communities study area. Format of doucments The format of the information sheet or source document, the punch card and the printed report sheets should all be similar. Also the data punched into the punch card should be printed on the top of the card to aid in card identifica-‘ tion. The location of data in a similar position on the 3 100 above mentioned items speeds the collection, staff familiar- ization, and the processing of desired data. Processing of data During the establishment of the data bank it would be advisable to investigate the cost of card punching and obtain- ing bids for this and other data processing functions. Consultation during the initial stages of setting up the data bank with the organization hired to preform the elect- ronic data processing will be beneficial to both parties. Public relations A well organized program of public relations and ed- ucation will be helpful in the collection of the desired data. As most of the data must be collected from or with the aid of other agencies a good working relationship is desirable. Also if space use information is desired for each commercial and industrial establishment, announcements that survey teams are acquiring this data will aid the sur- vey teams. APPENDIX Glossary Card Column One of the 80 vertical divisions of a data punch card, normally accommodating 1 letter, digit, or special character. Each column contains 12 punching positions. Coding Assignments of letters, digits or both to identify or classify data. Collating Interfilling of 2 sets of cards in sequence. Comparing Examination of fields (usually in 2 cards) for equal- ity of data punched. Control Panel The removable device which contains external wiring to cause data to be processed in the desired fashion. Data Punch Card A punch card measures 7 8 inches by 3 M inches is 0.007 inches thick. The card is divided into 80 vertical columns, each column having 12 punching positions. Each card column can accommodate a digit, letter or special characters. The punch card becomes a permanent record of the information punched into it. 101 102 Detail Printing The printing of 1 line of data from each card passing through the accounting machine. Dgplication The automatic punching of data from 1 card into the next, normally performed on a card punch machine. 5.1.9.12 A column or columns reserved for the punching of data of a specific nature. Gang_punchigg Duplicating data from the first card in a group to the cards behind, usually preformed in a reproducer. Grouping The arrangement together of data of the same classifi- cation. Group Printing Machine summarizing of a group or groUps of cards with 1 line printed for each group's total and identifying data. Interpreting Printing on a card data which is punched in it. Listing Same as detailed printing. 103 Mere L921 Interfilling in sequence 2 sets of cards. Punching Position On of the 12 divisions of a card column into which a hole may be punched. Punching Station On a card punch, place where holes are punched into a card. Reading Station On a card punch, the place where the holes punched into the card may be read. Reproducing Punching data from 1 set of cards into another set of cards. Selecting Data Extraction of a desired item or items of data from a large group of data. Sorters and collectors are used in selecting data. E292 9.....c i 891 Arranging data into a predetermined order. Source Document The original paper on which are recorded the data to be punched (basic data tabulation sheet). 104 Summarngunching The automatic process of punching 1 card from data summarized from a group of cards. Tabulating The group printing. Verification Checking for accuracy what is punched in a card with data of the source document. BIBLIOGRAPHY A. THEORY AND PRINCIPLES Chapin, F. Stuart, Jr. Urban Land Use Planning ( New York: Harper and Brothers, 1957).P. 213. Creighton, R. L. , Carrol, J. D., and Finney, Graham S. "Data Processing for City Planning", Journal of the American Institute of Planners, May, 1959, Volume XXV, NOe 2. ppe 96-103e Creighton, R. L. "Utilization of Data Processing in Trans- sportation Research", Automatic Data Processing, Its Application to Urban Planning, (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1961). p.50. Duke, Richard D.,Automatic Data Processing- Its Application to Urban Planning, (East Lansing: lichigan State University, 1961). Roberts, John E., "Data Processing", Planning 1959,(Chicago: American Society of Planning Officals, 1959). pp. 181-184. B. PLANNING STUDIES AND PROGRAMS Metroplan, Basic Data Tabulation Study for the Metropolitan Area of Pulaski County, (Little Rock, Arkansas : 1960). Metroplan, Future Land Use and Zoning Plans for Census Tract Sig, (Little Rock, Arkansas: 1963). Metroplan, Metrqplan's Electronic Data Processing Program, 1962-1963, (Little Rock, Arkansas: 1962). Metroplan, Suggested Land Use Plan for Capital View Urban 105 106 Renewal Prgject, (Little Rock, Arkansas: 1963) Metroplan, Tabulation Procedures for the Residential, Public, Semi-Public Land Use Inventory- A Supplement to the Basic Data Tabulation Study, (Little Rock, Ark: 1962). Metroplan, Little Rock, Arkansas, Personal interview with John S. Harrington, Assistant Director, Feb., 1964. Opner, Stanford L. and Associates, Report on the Feasibility of Electronic Data Processing in City Planning to the “Department of Citnylanning, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 1961. Stephans, J. R., and Hromanik, Ed, Tabulation Study (Little Rock, Arkansas: Metroplan, 1960). pp. 22-40. University of Oklahoma, Institute of Community Development. A Program for Automatic Tabulation of Basic Data For the Tulsa Metrnpolitan Area , (Norman, Oklahoma: 1958). Wichita-Sedgewich County Metropolitan Area Planning Depart- ment, Methods and Procedures for Conducting Multi- Eurpose Planning Surveys Using Electronic Data Process- ing Systems, Wichita, Kansas, 1959. C. DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT Computor Service Company, Little Rock, Arkansas, Personal Interview with Harry Pickens, President, July 1963. Gillespie, Cecil, Accounting Systems, (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1961). pp. 532-534. International Business Machines Corporation, An Introduction to IBM Punched Card Data Processing, White Plains, New 107 York: 1961). International Business Machines Corporation, Machine Functions, (White Plains, New York: 1957),_ International Business Machines Corporation, Modern Coding Methods, (White Plains, New York: 1961). D. GENERAL INFORMATION Bureau of the Budget, Standard Industrial Classification Manual, (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1957). Guttenburg, Albert Z. " A Multiple Land Use Classification System," Journal of the American Institute of Planners Vol. XXV, No. 3, August, 1959. U. S. Bureau of the Census, Census Tracts,_Little RockeNorth Little Rock, Arkansas, Standard Metrgpolitan Area, Eighteenth Census of the United States: 1960. MICIH GAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIE ...1...