Land Lines October 2017
Virtual Valuation
One of the few countries without a property tax, China has developed what many consider the world's most advanced valuation system. Marrying computer-assisted mass appraisal with GIS tools, the Shenzhen Assessment Center can calculate the market value of a property's view, natural light, and other transient features from a desktop computer.
The Drone Revolution
From Latin America to China, drones are creating high-resolution photographs and 3-D models that help update territorial cadastres, document informal development, recover from natural disasters, inform GIS-assisted mass appraisal of property, and address other land use challenges. Policy can barely keep pace as UAVs revolutionize and democratize data collection.
Sponge Cities and Panda Habitat
The Nature Conservancy China is partnering with the PKU-Lincoln Center on two major land-based green initiatives: Shenzhen's sponge city project will mitigate floods by absorbing rainfall with bioswales, rain gardens, and other green infrastructure. And the Laohegou Reserve in Sichuan province will be China's first land trust, preserving 27,000 acres of giant panda habitat.
This issue celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Peking University–Lincoln Institute Center for Urban Development and Land Policy, with articles on GIS-assisted mass appraisal in Shenzhen, sponge cities, drones and land policy, conserving panda habitat, and WeChat Pay.