Development of a Web-Based Geographic Information System for Mass Land Valuation: A Case Study of Westlands Constituency, Nairobi County

Abstract

The development of a web-based Geographic Information System for mass property valuation was the main focus of this research. The developed web GIS allows effective dissemination, extraction and analysis of mass land valuation information over the Internet. It also allows for automation of the mass property valuation process by compiling a centralized mass valuation roll database. The Westlands Constituency, one of the administrative regions of the Nairobi City County was used as a case study. The research focused on automation of the mass property valuation roll by creating a centralized database that is accessible by all users on the web-based GIS portal. This was done by customizing and integrating a web-based GIS system based on open source QuantumGIS, GeoServer and PostgreSQL/PostGIS as a relational database. Leaflets APIs were used for the development of an interactive and friendly geographic user interface. The developed system enables users to view and interact with the spatial data. This improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the decision making process and data sharing for mass property valuation and optimal property taxation purposes.