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Technical

GIS (Geographic Information System)

Software systems that collect, store, analyse and visualize geo-referenced data. Municipal zoning, parcel and infrastructure data are managed in GIS.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) — Turkish CBS (Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemleri) — integrates the processes of collecting, storing, analysing and visualising geographically-referenced data through software and methods. Every data point is associated with a spatial coordinate (lat-lon or x-y) and can be spatially analysed.

GIS core components: hardware (servers, GPS/drone devices), software (ArcGIS, QGIS, PostGIS, GeoServer), data (vector: point/line/polygon; raster: ortophoto, elevation model), methods (spatial join, buffer, overlay, interpolation), people (surveyor, geographer, data scientist).

GIS sits at the centre of real estate and zoning: TKGM's MEGSİS (Spatial Real Estate System) holds all parcels in a GIS base; municipal city map services run on GIS; platforms like Drozero use spatial databases like PostGIS.

Example spatial queries: "How many schools are within 500 m of this parcel?" — buffer analysis + point-in count. "Which zoning district does this parcel fall in?" — point-in-polygon analysis. "How do these two parcels intersect?" — geometry intersection. These queries are impossible to solve manually across thousands of records.

Türkiye's regulatory framework for GIS is Decree-Law 644 and the National Geographic Information System (TUCBS) strategy. The aim is EU INSPIRE directive-compatible data infrastructure.

Examples

  • 1.İBB City Map (sehirharitasi.ibb.gov.tr) is GIS-based; users can toggle neighborhood, park, transit layers on and off.
  • 2.An investor uses GIS to spatial-query 'all plots over 500 m² within 500 m of a metro station with TAKS above 0.30' in İstanbul.
  • 3.Drozero backend uses PostGIS; parcel polygons have zoning rules applied via overlay, instantly displaying KAKS/TAKS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between GIS and Google Maps?expand_more
Google Maps is a **web map viewer**; GIS is a data storage + analysis + visualisation platform. In GIS you can upload your own data and perform analyses like spatial joins, buffers, overlays; Google Maps does not offer this level (except Google Earth Engine). ArcGIS and QGIS are real GIS tools.
How do I learn GIS?expand_more
Free: **QGIS** open-source GIS software, official training materials and YouTube tutorials; Coursera/edX GIS courses (ESRI, Penn State). Formal: university Surveying Engineering and Geography departments; in-service training at TKGM and the Mapping Directorate.
Where can I find GIS data?expand_more
**For Türkiye**: TKGM MEGSİS, TUCBS National Data Portal (geoportal.csb.gov.tr), municipal open data portals. **Global**: OpenStreetMap (OSM) is free and open; Natural Earth; Copernicus Land Monitoring. Commercial: HERE Maps, TomTom, local satellite imagery providers.
Are GIS tools paid?expand_more
Both. **QGIS** is completely open-source and professional-grade. **ArcGIS** (ESRI) is commercial and expensive, but the industry standard. On the web side, **Leaflet** and **OpenLayers** are open-source; **Mapbox** is freemium paid. **PostGIS** is open-source spatial database — the backbone of platforms like Drozero.

Related Terms

Coordinate SystemPolygonOrthophotoPafta (Cadastral Sheet)

Sources

  • • Decree-Law 644 on the Organization and Duties of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization
  • • Türkiye National Geographic Information System (TUCBS) Strategy Document
  • • INSPIRE Directive (EC 2007/2/EC) — EU Geographic Data Infrastructure

Try the FAR/GCR calculator

Calculate total floor area, storey count and estimated unit count in seconds from parcel m² and zoning values.

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Last updated: 2026-04-24