Geospatial mapping already plays an important role within transport planning
Transport planning decisions regarding route options, access points, locations for bus stops, train stations and other facilities are inherently spatial, so geospatial tools can be invaluable throughout the process.
Now, it is increasingly common for geospatial mapping tools to be used to engage the public in transport’s spatial planning process.
What is geospatial data?
Geospatial data is any information that describes the relationship between the location of an object and the Earth. In other words, it’s the geographic data that is used to build maps.
Geospatial data analysis can be used to do a great deal more than tell you how to get from point A to point B, however. It can represent a wide range of information, including traffic density, flood zones, population demographics and more.
In the UK, access to high-quality geospatial data has improved significantly since the creation of the Geospatial Commission and the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA) in 2020. Delivered by Ordnance Survey, the PSGA provides public sector organisations with free, reliable geospatial data to support public services. This has had particularly significant benefits for transport planning.
In 2025, spatial data analysis underpins many essential services like emergency response, infrastructure planning and environmental management. It is also increasingly common for geospatial data to be used when engaging citizens, for instance by enabling information to be represented visually as part of community mapping activities.
Common uses for geospatial data in transport planning
Geospatial data currently plays an important role in how transport projects are designed, analysed and ultimately delivered. Whether that’s planning a new bus route, improving existing cycling infrastructure, or managing congestion. Geospatial data use is now ubiquitous across planning as a whole, but in transport it is typically used even more frequently. Some specific use-cases include:
Mapping proposed routes and and transport infrastructure
Among the most common uses of geospatial tools in transport planning is mapping proposed infrastructure. Transport plans can be tremendously complex, mapping multiple modes of travel. Trying to explain with words or images alone how roads, cycle paths, bus routes and railway lines intersect and overlap is very difficult. Geospatial tools allow these plans to be easily represented visually and interactively using location data to help understand spatial relationships.
Using geospatial technology, planning officials can:
- Overlay proposed changes over existing infrastructure, demonstrating how this will change existing networks.
- Identify connectivity gaps between routes with spatial analysis.
- Highlight potential issues with accessibility, such as areas where a road is particularly steep or without footpaths.
- Analyse existing data (such as around land use and population density) in order to estimate expected use of a particular service.
Often, a single proposed transport infrastructure change will use all of the above as part of urban planning. Geospatial data’s strength is its versatility.
Understanding current demand and anticipating future behaviour
Geospatial data analysis is excellent at revealing patterns. It can be used to show how a community is using an existing transport system. Combining these insights over an entire area can help transport planners and local authorities to see where demand is highest and where services are lacking.
Other potential insights include:
- Traffic volume, in order to identify congestion.
- Number of cyclists using cycle lanes.
- Population density and demographics.
The ability to view contextualised data is particularly helpful in areas with complex transport needs. For example, areas with high student populations may have a level of reliance on public transport that is variable throughout the year and impact a local transport plan.
Balancing transport needs with climate priorities
Planning for transport increasingly means balancing the transport needs of a given population with other considerations, such as accessibility and sustainability. Spatial data can be used to integrate environmental information such as air quality, protected habitats, flood zones and other environmental risks.
For example, before approving an expansion to an existing tram network, planning officials would need to run an analysis on the impact this will have on local wildlife. While public transport generally improves pollution levels, it can have a very immediate impact on biodiversity. This all needs to be accounted for in the planning process.
Improving public engagement
One of the most important roles geospatial data has in transport planning is engaging the public. Citizen engagement can be challenging, and transport proposals quite technical. Geospatial data is used to help bridge this gap by presenting information in an accessible, visual manner.
Some ways that geospatial mapping tools can improve accessibility include:
- The ability to zoom into affected areas and see specific impacts.
- Overlay different types of geospatial data.
- Leave feedback directly tied to locations.
- Compare current and proposed layouts side by side.
Community mapping is a useful engagement activity when planning transport. The local community can often flag issues that data alone wouldn’t pick up, and planning projects with the local community is likely to be more successful than projects planned without them.
Other benefits of geospatial mapping in transport planning
Beyond specific applications, using geospatial analysis has a range of benefits that make transport network planning more efficient, transparent and inclusive. Just some examples include:
- Improving decision-making: Using multiple data sources within a single platform allows decision-makers to see a fuller picture and therefore make informed, evidence-based choices.
- Greater efficiency: picking up on potential conflicts early, such as environmental risks or infrastructure clashes, reduces the likelihood of expensive revisions later.
- The ability to model solutions: Using geospatial data, planners can simulate different transport strategies, such as adding new bus routes or cycle lanes, and instantly visualise their impacts on the network. They can also present these options to the public or experts for further scrutiny.
How public input and geospatial data can improve transport consultations
Consultations are an essential part of public life. Allowing citizens to have their say on the issues that affect them most is key to maintaining a healthy democracy, and there are few areas that affect citizens more on a daily basis than transport.
Whether a given proposal involves creating new cycle lanes, changes to traffic regulation orders (or TROs), creating new bus routes or discontinuing existing ones, community feedback is key. By gaining meaningful insight from those who do and will use existing transport, policy-makers can ensure that plans are both effective and supported by the public.
However, traditional consultation methods often struggle when it comes to transport. Relying on lengthy documents, static maps, written feedback forms with complex, written descriptions of routes can make it difficult for residents to interpret. When a consultation process is needlessly complex, it is less likely that citizens will participate.
Geospatial tools are therefore critical to the success of a transport consultation. By making the consultation processes clearer, more accessible and more collaborative, these govtech tools can ensure a far wider level of participation. By presenting proposals visually and interactively, they allow people to explore proposed changes in a way that is contextualised in the local area they’re familiar with.
For those running the consultation who may be unfamiliar with GIS (geographic information system), accessible and purpose built geospatial tools provide a more straightforward way to gather place-based data without having to have a technical background to conduct it.
“Public engagement on the transport strategy and development of schemes will result in improved scheme designs that better respond to public opinion and needs.”
– Reading Borough Council
So what are the specific ways geospatial mapping tools can be used to improve transport consultations?
Some ways geospatial data can be used within custom-built mapping tools for transport consultations include:
- Creating interactive maps. This allows participants to zoom in on affected areas, click on proposed changes and immediately understand the impact this will have for them in their area.
- Using pin-drop surveys. These surveys allow participants to leave feedback directly onto a map by placing pins at specific locations. This could be used to flag unsafe crossings, busy roads, where there should be drop curbs, etc.
- The ability to easily overlay multiple layers of data. Using Citizen Space Geospatial, facilitators can choose a basemap of their choice and then overlay different informational layers as appropriate to the consultation scope.
- Including before and after layers, that show participants exactly what to expect.
- Collecting targeted data based on specific locations. When certain issues are flagged repeatedly in the same areas, this signals to facilitators that this data is important.
Case Study: Dublin City Council
Using Citizen Space Geospatial, Dublin City Council transformed the way they engage the public in transport planning. They used the platform’s interactive mapping features to consult the public on everything from cycle routes to Traffic Regulation Orders. By embedding interactive maps directly into the consultation platform, they made it far easier for participants to visualise and feedback on proposals.
Alongside other digital consultation innovations, such as routed surveys and embedded images, this use of geospatial data was much more engaging for residents. By presenting complex proposals in a clear, visual format, Dublin has created a more collaborative consultation process that benefits both the public and facilitators, setting a strong example for how geospatial tools can enhance transport planning.
“Citizen Space has greatly improved the quality and quantity of consultations that we run. The fact that we can have unlimited site admins means that lots of different departments are on board, and having a standardised method of consultation has made the process easier for us and our citizens.” – Dublin City Council
Citizen Space is the go-to platform for connecting governments, developers, and citizens. If you’d like to learn more about how our software can be used in transportation planning, book a free demo and we’ll walk you through it.