Community Planning & GIS

GCR provides comprehensive services in urban planning, economic development, housing analysis, GIS, disaster recovery and community and market outreach to both public and private entities. Our expert staff includes program managers, urban and transportation planners, demographers, marketing professionals, real estate specialists, GIS experts, system analysts and computer software developers. Our ability to synthesize multiple professional disciplines into the pursuit of a common solution is what makes GCR stand out to our clients.

Planning Solutions

• Community and Market Outreach - GCR designs marketing materials and facilitates public meetings for a variety of clients. GCR collects and synthesizes citizen and business input to develop livable and implementable plans that synthesize the diverse goals and strategies of each community.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - GCR is an ESRI© Gold Partner with a vast experience in developing customizable GIS solutions. GCR’s GIS solutions include data portals for a variety of clients that allow them to view data sets within a spatial reference to assist in making informed policy and business decisions.
• Demographic Analysis and Forecasting – GCR’s expert demographers make sense of complex communities in the absence of readily available primary data. Our planners have extensive experience collecting, analyzing, and presenting the intricate figures that our clients need in order to inform their business decisions.
• Economic Development and Market Analysis – GCR has the capacity to estimate the feasibility of retail, multi-family and commercial developments through an in-depth analysis of demographics, incomes and purchasing power. With rigorous research and economic modeling, GCR helps our clients anticipate and plan for shifts in the economy.
• Housing Policy and Finance – GCR works with lenders, developers, and housing agencies to identify and devise innovative market solutions for housing deficiencies. GCR has the proven ability to carry a project through all stages of development, from financial analysis and market studies through site acquisition, permitting and zoning approvals. Our extensive knowledge of tax credit programs, combined with our expertise in financial analysis, enables our public and private clients to identify the most feasible sites and projects to develop.
• Emergency Preparedness and Hazard Mitigation Planning – As a continuation of GCR’s extensive urban and regional planning expertise, the firm has been involved with numerous recovery-related planning projects. These projects utilize the same analytical and demographic assessment skills required of our planning assignments. GCR works with municipalities and local officials to create hazard mitigation plans under FEMA regulations, which are required to receive public assistance in the event of a disaster.
• Disaster Assessments and Demographic Analysis – GCR’s planning and analytical capabilities have extended significantly into the disaster recovery arena. In order to properly understand the impacts of the disaster and properly plan a recovery, a detailed analysis must first be accomplished. GCR has significant capabilities in this area. Following Hurricane Katrina, GCR became a leading source of population and housing data and developed recovery indicators used throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area. Our figures were regularly cited by local and national media reports as well as by public officials and institutional leaders.
• Recovery Data and Management Programs – Because of GCR’s extensive technical and developmental capabilities, many agencies involved in recovery have turned to GCR for solutions. Whether the need is for a custom developed system, an industry solution, or a large information database, GCR can provide the service.