About This Project

I built this interactive tool to help residents and learners in Wake Forest, NC understand how zoning works and how it shapes the neighborhoods we live in.

Why I Built This

Zoning often feels like a mystery, especially to people outside of urban planning. I wanted to break that down and give everyday people a clear way to explore, learn, and engage with how land use is decided in their town.

How I Prepared the Data

I used zoning shapefiles provided by the town and analyzed the attribute table in R. I cleaned out unnecessary rows, explored the column data, and familiarized myself with the classifications. There were 52 unique zoning categories, so I color-coded each one for visual clarity using Tailwind CSS and Next.js.

How You Can Use It

Explore the map, learn what each zoning class means, and use that insight to advocate for your neighborhood or deepen your understanding of local planning. This tool is for residents, students, and organizers—anyone who cares about how space is used.