• CASE
STUDY
LANDSCAPING IN CANTERBURY WITH Arc ArcGIS GIS Eagle Technology A Christchurch landscape architecture firm has launched an interactive native plant guide for Cantabrians using ArcGIS.
T
he development of the digitised
different ecosystems of Canterbury
Ōtautahi Christchurch indige-
and providing lists of native plants be-
nous plant guide and ecosys-
longing there. Now the accumulated
tems app represents what has been
Christchurch data has been captured
a 26-year labour of love for Christ-
in a web mapping application via
church-based landscape architect Di
ArcGIS. In March 2021, this interactive
Lucas, of Lucas Associates. Starting
ecosystem map went live on Christ-
with South Canterbury in 1981, Di
church City Council’s website.
has been involved in identifying the
How it all began From the mid-1990s, Lucas Associates had provided maps, booklets and sets of 21 different plant lists through council offices. Much of this hard-copy information disappeared after the city’s earthquakes. Di Lucas ONZM, who is well known as a passionate advocate for New
Di Lucas has privately funded the development of an interactive ArcGIS app containing all of this information and has gifted it to the Christchurch City Council. From March 2021, this precious resource became freely available for public access.
SURVEYING+SPATIAL
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Issue 105 June 2021 25
