Resilience Scanner

Untitled Solution

record_id: recPCtq5Ux2mA7L0D city: Manchester solution_title: Mapping Greater Manchester: Open Data Platform for Regional Planning quote: "Open data maps enable new ways of sharing of risk information with different stakeholders and the public." context: "Understanding and addressing the emerging challenges and opportunities of new technologies Open data maps enable new ways of sharing of risk information with different stakeholders and the public. Mapping Greater Manchester provides a series of open data maps to support an open and inclusive approach to sustainable and resilient development in Greater Manchester." ai_intensity_score: 25 models_used:

  • anthropic.claude-4.5-sonnet iterations: 13 searches: 11 validated_claims: 21 documents_scraped: 12 wall_time: 13m 18s repository: resilience-scanner-deepresearcher-2 commit: 7112fa66 uncommitted_changes: true branch: main script: researcher.py generated: 2025-11-02T09:09:32.661793

Solution Overview

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority developed Mapping Greater Manchester, a series of open data maps designed to support an open and inclusive approach to sustainable and resilient development across the city-region.[1] This digital mapping tool integrates infrastructure and growth data from multiple organizations to enable new ways of sharing risk information with different stakeholders and the public.[4][5] The platform brings together data on housing, planning, infrastructure, socio-economic, and demographic landscape to provide valuable insights for residents, businesses, academics, third sector organizations, and public sector professionals.[1]

Technical Components

The implementation utilizes ESRI's ArcGIS Online solution to create interactive maps, a transition completed in 2025 that brought the build and updating of the website back into the GMCA.[2] The platform uses Ordnance Survey's MasterMap as the base map, with partners' asset data overlaid as a series of different layers.[3] A project team led by Atkins and Ordnance Survey developed a secure, cloud-based platform to host the integrated data.[3] The system provides a simple, intuitive interface that allows users to view and query the integrated data, with users able to switch different asset layers on and off, and click on an asset to get more information about it.[3] Most of the datasets used are freely available for download, reflecting dedication to openness and community engagement.[2]

Implementation Details

The initiative was originally developed in 2014/15 to create a map of social and physical infrastructure across Greater Manchester, launching in 2015 with funding from the Cabinet Office.[2][4] The GMCA currently hosts three maps: ExploreGM, Integrated Pipeline, and Places for Everyone.[2] The platform now contains over 60 datasets from 29 organizations.[4] A pilot project brought together data from the ten GM local authorities, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), utility companies, Ordnance Survey, and Atkins to create a single, shared, secure digital map of underground assets.[3] The pilot area covered parts of Salford, Manchester, and Trafford, including the city centres and the Oxford Road Corridor.[3] Utility company partners included Electricity North West, Cadent Gas, United Utilities, Virgin Media, and BT Openreach.[3] The pilot project has been running since 2017.[3] The platform is secure, with access restricted to authorized users from the partner organizations, and a robust governance framework has been developed to ensure that data is managed and used appropriately.[3]

Benefits and Impacts

The map is used to identify land for development, assess planning applications, and engage the public in consultations on initiatives like the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.[4] The project team estimated that the use of MappingGM on the Salford Central scheme could have generated savings of between £2 million and £4 million, through reduced utility diversion costs and better coordination of works.[3]

Climate Adaptation Relevance

This approach enables new ways of sharing risk information with different stakeholders and the public through open data maps.[5] The platform's integration of infrastructure, socio-economic, and demographic data provides valuable insights for assessing climate vulnerabilities and planning resilient development across Greater Manchester.[1]

Sources