Planning Resources & Guides

Practical guides for public notice mailings, GIS data, and planning workflows

• How to Get Parcel GeoJSON Data from Your County GIS

  Step-by-step guide to finding and downloading parcel polygon data from county GIS portals, state clearinghouses, and commercial providers.

  How-To 8 min read

• Avery 5160 Printing Tips & Alignment Guide

  Troubleshoot label alignment issues, learn the correct printer settings, and get perfect mailing labels every time.

  How-To 6 min read

• Public Notice Radius Requirements: What Varies by Jurisdiction

  Understand why notification distances vary from 200 to 1000+ feet and how to verify requirements for your specific project and location.

  Explainer 10 min read

• Deduplicating Mailing Lists: LLCs, Trusts & Same-Owner Parcels

  Learn how to properly deduplicate public notice mailing lists when the same owner appears multiple times with different names or entities.

  How-To 7 min read

• What is GeoJSON? A Planner's Introduction

  A beginner-friendly guide to understanding GeoJSON files, geometry types, coordinates, and how to use them for planning work.

  Explainer 8 min read

• How to Find an ArcGIS Parcel Layer URL (FeatureServer & MapServer Guide)

  Step-by-step guide to locating ArcGIS REST service endpoints for county parcel data, including FeatureServer vs MapServer comparison and field identification.

  How-To 10 min read

• What is an APN (Assessor's Parcel Number)? A Quick Guide

  Understand what APNs are, how formats vary across counties, and how to find the parcel number for any property.

  Explainer 6 min read

• Understanding Parcel Data Fields: Owner, Situs, APN & More

  Learn what common parcel data fields mean—situs vs mailing address, owner names, use codes—and how to work with them for planning projects.

  Explainer 8 min read

• Why Avery 5160 Labels Print Out of Alignment — And How to Fix It

  Diagnose and fix Avery 5160 alignment problems: scaling issues, wrong paper size, tray orientation, and printer-specific fixes for HP, Brother, Canon, and Epson.

  How-To 9 min read

• GeoJSON vs Shapefile: Which Format Should Planners Use?

  Side-by-side comparison of GeoJSON and Shapefile formats: file structure, size limits, browser support, coordinate systems, and when to use each.

  Comparison 8 min read