Before the platform, each department had its own version of the city. Part of the data lived in spreadsheets, part in old CAD files, part in each department's databases. When two areas looked at the same plot of land, they did not always see the same thing.
With Solo Topografia, we built a platform that brings this information into a single source and places it on a map that any city team can use.
The problem: isolated data and late decisions
Scattered information caused two problems.
The first was conflict. Planning worked with one figure, Finance with another, and nobody knew for sure which one was right.
The second was delay. Without knowing which version was the latest, many decisions ended up being made on outdated information.
In this scenario, the map was good for showing and not much good for working. It was a static drawing, a snapshot of a moment that aged as soon as it was printed.
What we built
The Solo Topografia platform creates a digital twin of the city. The territory appears on the map with each area's layers of information, and those layers can be queried, cross-referenced, edited and processed in real time.
It has three parts that work together:
- The interface, built with Mapstore, React and Redux.
- GeoServer, which stores and serves all of the city's geospatial information.
- The standard map services WMS, WFS and WPS, which give the map its viewing, editing and analysis functions.
How it works
An interface for the people who decide
The project's first decision was about who would use the tool. Geoprocessing tends to be limited to a few trained people. Here, teams from several areas needed to get information out of the map, from urban planners to works inspectors, without a degree in the field.
That is why the interface was built with Mapstore, React and Redux, with a focus on straightforward use. The technology plays a clear role: it removes the technical barrier and puts the analysis in the hands of the people who decide.
GeoServer as the single source
GeoServer sits at the center of the platform. It gathers all of the city's geospatial information and becomes the reference for every department. From Planning to Finance, everyone consults the same base.
This ensures data integrity and consistency. The server also controls access at a granular level, so each profile sees and changes only what concerns it.
WMS: layers stacked on the same map
WMS (Web Map Service) makes it possible to stack several layers of information on the same map. Visual analysis then brings together data from different areas on a single screen, and the team sees how they relate without opening separate systems.
WFS: the map as a two-way street
With WFS (Web Feature Service), the map stops being read-only. The team edits and updates data directly in the interface.
An example shows the effect. An inspector needs to correct a property's record for the property tax calculation. They change the lot's area on the map. In the background, the system can recalculate the tax and update the tax system. The information goes from the field action to the administrative update in the same flow, with no friction between departments.
WPS: complex analysis on demand
WPS (Web Processing Service) is the analytical part of the platform. It automates complex geospatial analyses that used to take days and required a specialist.
With a few clicks, a Civil Defense manager can run a model that simulates the impact of a flood. The result shows the affected properties, the critical infrastructure and the vulnerable population in the area. With that answer in hand, Civil Defense plans before the problem happens, and raw data turns into foresight and strategy.
What changed for city management
Urban Planning, Finance, Civil Defense and Environment now work on the same base. In practice, the change shows up in three places.
- One version of the city. Departments stop arguing over which figure counts and work on the same information.
- More people using the data. Teams without geoprocessing training query, cross-reference and edit information on the map.
- Planning ahead. With analyses that used to take days now a few clicks away, management stops only reacting to problems and plans urban growth, infrastructure and public safety based on evidence.
The map became a working tool. With the unified base, the accessible interface and the analysis engine, the platform took a central place in the city's governance, supporting more efficient and more transparent decisions for the people who live there.
