How BIDs are using mapping

By January 15th 2016

Business Improvement Districts are using custom mapping to highlight areas to focus on.

A BID (Business Improvement District) is a defined geographical area within which the local businesses pay an annual levy for services such as street cleaning, security and promotional marketing of the area. Established in England, Scotland and Wales for over 10 years, the number of BIDs stood at 179 at a recent count.

They can be a powerful tool for directly involving local businesses in common activities and allow the business community and local authorities to work together to improve the local trading environment.

Members are likely to be made up of people from the local community, each with a vested interest in a local retail outlet or commercial business. These may be retail outlet owners, business people or local council members.

As the operational area of a BID tends to be defined by the business locations or collection of streets, rather than the usual Local Authority boundaries, a custom mapping exercise will often be undertaken to help communicate the geographic extent.

Such a map may be developed to help users focus on features such as:

• Parking spaces and restrictions
• Zones of use such as retail areas, eating and drinking etc.
• Points of interest and tourist attractions
• Transport hubs
• Future development sites

Victoria BID, established in 2010, developed custom mapping as part of their marketing strategy to promote the local businesses and amenities within the wider setting of London.

The BID area is clearly highlighted to draw in the user, with emphasis being placed on major tourist landmarks and transport links. A series of detailed locality maps are also used to highlight tourist sites, places to eat, shopping locations etc. with such information referenced in a key.

Streatham BID, established in 2013, sought a mapping solution to highlight the parking options for visiting shoppers to their 2.6 mile High Road and surrounding area.   A detailed street map of the BID area was produced to which specific information was added – car parks, parking restrictions, number of bays for loading, disabled use etc. In this case an experienced ground researcher was deployed to collect and verify latest information.

BID mapping is nice way of promoting an area to prospective local businesses and to members of the public. Particularly through the creation of custom mapping, BIDs are finding that the key themes and features of their locality can be brought to people’s attention.

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