I’ve found that animated GIF files can be a great way to convey different types of planning information. In particular, changes over time, a variety of analysis over the same geographic area, and correlated data can all be easy to digest via animation.
This animation shows how GIFs can be used to convey changes in the built environment over time. Overlaid figure-ground maps simulate the development timeline along 63rd Street.This animation illustrates the variety of building styles found on a single corridor without the viewer having to reference multiple maps or parse a variety of icons.Complex data that shows a correlation can also be more clear with the use of GIFs. Here, a strong correlation between incidents of vacancy and illegal dumping is obvious.
