This website is organized to provide a quick online reference to land-use classifications. It has been optimized for:

• Listing classification schemes,
• Finding appropriate categories for land uses, and
• Finding colors for land uses.

List Classification Schemes

View Classifications on the left menu gives the easiest access to the classification schemes. Each LBCS dimension has a classification scheme and each scheme is available for viewing in a list, tree, or table formats.

Finding appropriate categories for land uses

Find a land use menu option on the left gives the most comprehensive keyword search to locate a land-use term in LBCS. For instance, when you open the page, it show all matching land uses with the keyword "parking". Enter any keyword to search. At the bottom of the results page, look for other relevant links also.

Find color for a land use

• First locate the land-use in the classification hierarchy using one of the two options above.
• Click on the LBCS Code link for a given category to see details for that category including color codes.

For example, if the use is "Social, institutional, or infrastructure-related activities", then the LBCS Code, Activity 4000 appears next to it. Click on it to see the details, including color codes. For a list of all color codes, select "Color Coding Standards" menu item on the left.

OTHER WAYS TO SEARCH LBCS

Other search features page shows an overview.

To locate a land-use in the hierarchy, use the "Keyword" field under "View Classifications". This will locate where in the hierarchy of land-use characteristics the term frequently appears. Links on the page that returns results can be used to traverse the LBCS hierarchy. This is most useful when you are trying to see what's in adjacent categories.

More specific search mechanisms on the website include:

• Search LBCS Categories: In the "Keyword" field under the "View Classifications" menu that appears on the left, enter any search term. Keep the Dimension and Levels to ALL (default) to search the entire LBCS tables. The format has to be list view to see the selected records.
• Search Business Types: Click on the "Search Business Types menu on the left. In the keyword field enter the search term. Note that this search will only search NAICS and SIC business types (see quick answers below for more details).
• Search LBCS Documents: enter search term in the search field on the top right of the web page. Note that this will search all documents, including drafts and working documents that may not be the same as the final standard.
• Search Pictures Database: Click on "Pictures of Land Uses" menu item on the left. In the search field enter any term to locate a picture. Not all land uses have pictures and not all pictures are classified in all dimensions.

WHERE IS THE DOWNLOAD?

This website does not have a single link for downloading the entire LBCS. Instead, we have several linked databases that provide several options for downloading certain portions at a time. Though some common tables are available for download, we do not expect anyone to download all the files, which would number over 3,000 printed pages. Because of the complexity of the ways in which planners view land uses, it may not be possible to present all land uses and their categories in any single printed format anyway. That is why we have a flexible interface under "View Classifications" as described on the very top of this page.

For the technically concerned users, all the web pages use XML, so you can either copy and paste or directly link using the URLs to import the classification tables into any standard spreadsheet, database, or GIS program. For instance, using Excel's HTML import, one can import the tables from either of the two links below:

• List of all categories for all dimensions
• List of all categories for all dimensions with descriptions

We also have suggestions for speeding searches and incorporating LBCS land-use descriptions into your applications.

Some draft versions of the tables have been provided in PDF files for review and comment. These tables are okay for review and discussions before adoption. But use the live database, accessible from "View Classifications" on the menu that appears on all LBCS pages on the left side, to download the latest standards when you are ready for implementing LBCS.

We strongly recommend using the LBCS website real-time, as you work on implementing standards or doing land-use surveys. Download the tables when your data is ready for conversion or you are ready to begin a land-use survey. That means, even if you had down loaded before, get the latest version as the classification descriptions undergo updates regularly. Though the main categories and the hierarchy do not change as often as the descriptions, we expect LBCS to evolve and not remain static as SLUCM did for decades.

WHAT'S NEXT?

• Try Quick Implementation