Create a plan

Plans are long-term, large-scale zoning and land-use urban occurrences. You can create plans in the overview or copy existing plans in the plan editor. Only licensed users with editing permissions can add plans. You can restrict who is allowed to create plan copies if you are the owner.

By default, a plan is private (only you can see it) and populated with two scenarios:

  • Existing—The current situation, composed of parcels, zoning (zoning plans) or land use (land-use plans), and existing metric values. You cannot develop the existing situation with buildings and surfaces.
  • Scenario 1—The default scenario, which can be modified and developed with proposed buildings and surfaces.

Once a plan has been created, you can edit and analyze it.

Note:

When you create a plan, a copy of the Urban database content intersecting the plan's study area is generated. When you edit data in the Urban database through the data manager, existing plans are not affected, and editing data in a plan does not affect the data in the Urban database.

Create from a parcel

To create a plan from a parcel, complete the following steps:

  1. Start ArcGIS Urban and sign in.
  2. Zoom in to the plan location until the parcel boundaries appear.
  3. Select the parcel or parcels.

    Tip:

    • Press Shift while selecting to select multiple parcels.
    • To deselect a parcel from a group selection, press the Alt key while clicking it in the scene view.

  4. Click Create here and select Plan from the drop-down list.
  5. Optionally, adjust the plan boundaries.

    This tool supports snapping. To disable snapping temporarily, press the Ctrl key while drawing.

  6. Fill in the name field.
  7. Choose the plan type.
    • Zoning plan—Zoning plans allow for scenario-based planning of future zoning regulations and developments with space use within a study area. This future space use can be used to calculate metrics.
    • Land use plan—Land use plans allow for scenario-based planning of future land use with target space use distribution. These can be used to calculate maximum potentials of capacity metrics.
  8. Click Create plan.

Create from an address

To create a plan from an address, complete the following steps:

  1. Start ArcGIS Urban and sign in.
  2. Type an address in the search field, press the Enter key, and click the search result.

    The address's parcel is selected.

  3. Click Create here and select Plan from the drop-down list.
  4. Optionally, adjust the plan boundaries.

    This tool supports snapping. To disable snapping temporarily, press the Ctrl key while drawing.

  5. Fill in the name field.
  6. Choose the plan type.
    • Zoning plan—Zoning plans allow for scenario-based planning of future zoning regulations and developments with space use within a study area. This future space use can be used to calculate metrics.
    • Land use plan—Land use plans allow for scenario-based planning of future land use with target space use distribution. These can be used to calculate maximum potentials of capacity metrics.
  7. Click Create plan.
Note:

You must include a street number in the address search for the underlying parcel to be selected.

Create by drawing the study area

To create a plan by drawing its study area, complete the following steps:

  1. Start ArcGIS Urban and sign in.
  2. In the overview, click the add button Add button to the upper right of the header.
  3. Select Plan from the drop-down list.
  4. Draw the plan boundary.

    This tool supports snapping. To disable snapping temporarily, press the Ctrl key while drawing.

  5. Fill in the name and the address fields in the side panel.
  6. Choose the plan type.
    • Zoning plan—Zoning plans allow for scenario-based planning of future zoning regulations and developments with space use within a study area. This future space use can be used to calculate metrics.
    • Land use plan—Land use plans allow for scenario-based planning of future land use with target space use distribution. These can be used to calculate maximum potentials of capacity metrics.
  7. Click Create plan.

Create by importing a study area geometry

To create a plan by importing its study area from a feature layer, complete the following steps:

  1. Start ArcGIS Urban and sign in.
  2. In the overview, click the add button Add button at the upper right of the header.
  3. Choose Plan from the drop-down list.
  4. Click Import study area on the blue banner to open the Import study area dialog box.
    1. In the Item step, search for the ArcGIS Online layer that contains the study area geometry, click the layer, and click Next to continue.
    2. In the Sublayer step, select a sublayer, and click Next to continue.
    3. In the Validation step, review invalid features in the Errors table if errors are detected. Correct the errors in the source data and click Refresh. If all features are valid, click Next to close the Import study area dialog box.

    The geometries of the selected layer are displayed in the view.

  5. Select one of the geometries by clicking it.
  6. Optionally, adjust the plan boundary.

    This tool supports snapping. To disable snapping temporarily, press the Ctrl key while drawing.

  7. Fill in the name and the address fields in the side panel.
  8. Choose the plan type.
    • Zoning plan—Zoning plans allow for scenario-based planning of future zoning regulations and developments with space use within a study area. This future space use can be used to calculate metrics.
    • Land use plan—Land use plans allow for scenario-based planning of future land use with target space use distribution. These can be used to calculate maximum potentials of capacity metrics.
  9. Click Create plan.

Copy an existing plan

You can create a copy from an existing plan if you have access to the existing plan and the owner of the plan allows creating copies. See Share a plan that you own to learn how to enable copying plans for nonowners.

The copy of a plan is associated with the current urban model by default. You can also save the copy of a plan to another urban model.

Note:

Copying a plan creates a plan in a separate feature layer with you as the owner.

Copy in the current urban model

To create a plan from an existing plan in the current urban model, complete the following steps:

  1. Start ArcGIS Urban and sign in.
  2. Select a plan by searching for it in the left side panel or by clicking its pin on the map.

    The plan editor appears.

  3. Click the plan name at the upper left of the screen.
  4. From the drop-down menu, choose Save plan as duplicate.

    If the Save plan as duplicate option is disabled, the plan owner doesn't allow copying the plan. See Share a plan that you own to learn more.

  5. On the dialog box, provide a name for the new plan and click OK.

Copy to another urban model

To create a plan from an existing plan and save it to another urban model, complete the following steps:

  1. Start ArcGIS Urban and sign in.
  2. Select a plan by searching for it in the left side panel or by clicking its pin on the map.

    The plan editor appears.

  3. Click the plan name at the upper left of the screen.
  4. From the drop-down menu, choose Save plan as duplicate.

    If the Save plan as duplicate option is disabled, the plan owner doesn't allow copying the plan. See Share a plan that you own to learn more.

  5. On the dialog box, provide a name for the new plan.
  6. Check the Save plan to another Urban Model check box.
  7. Use the Urban Model input field to search for the target urban model.

    You can search by name or by item ID.

  8. Select the target urban model by clicking it in the list of search results.
  9. Click OK.
Note:

The plan will be converted to the coordinate system of the urban model you copy the plan to. You can view the coordinate system of an urban model in the data manager or in the plan configuration. See Manage general settings to learn more.