Colombia’s capital Bogota launched an “online portal” on Tuesday, offering an interactive map with directions, addresses and information on the entire city.
The Special Administration Unit of District Land Registry and France’s Embassy in Colombia carried out a joint geographic survey of the city, reports El Tiempo. The portal will allow users to locate roads, neighborhoods, schools, museums, hospitals, towns, and cultural icons, and will provide the authorities with a tool for town planning.
Users type in the name or address and the information is displayed on the city map. If they need directions, the portal can suggest routes for them.
As well as assisting ordinary citizens, entrepreneurs and the local administration will benefit from being able to assess the costs and permits necessary to develop a piece of land, whilst minimizing red tape.
Gustavo Adolfo Morales Marulanda, head of the Land Registry, said it would be useful for locating new schools or hospitals, and calculating how many people will benefit from street improvements and how best to organize transportation routes through the city.
It is hoped that by the year’s end socio-economic information will also be accessible via the portal.
The design and implementation of the portal was supported by the French consulting firm Memoris using funds from the French government.