Microzone Delineation Workflow

How-to guide

Requirements

• ArcGIS Pro
• GitHub

What is a Microzone?

Microzones, or Micro Analysis Zones (MAZ), are smaller than Transportation Analysis Zones (TAZ) and are used for finer-scale analyses.

Characteristics:

• Typically the size of a census block
• Comprised of similar land use characteristics:
  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Education
  • Parks & Open Space
  • Greenspace
  • Developed
• Wasatch Choice Centers
• All buildings within a microzone may have similar points of egress

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General Steps

1. Store all relevant project files in a GitHub repository.
2. Clone the repository into the projects folder on ModelQueen.
3. Perform all microzone work within the ArcGIS Pro project inside the local repo.
4. Save edits frequently and periodically restart ArcGIS Pro to prevent software issues.
5. When finished:
   • Save edits
   • Save & close the ArcGIS Pro project (so others can open it)
6. Push the local repository at the end of each workday where changes were made.

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How to Delineate Microzones

Supporting Data Layers

The project includes several data layers:

• Nearmap 2024 Aerial Imagery – Accessed via ArcGIS Online (flown last summer).
• TAZ Tracker – Current TAZ boundary with tracking fields.
• Microzones Draft – Pre-delineated zones based on TAZ, Wasatch Choice Centers, and road network.
• Land Use Dissolved – 2019 REMM input buildings, dissolved by building type.
• Wasatch Choice Centers – Walkable areas with mixed-use destinations, jobs, and housing.
• Road Centerlines – Maintained by UGRC.

Editing Guidelines

• Microzones are pre-delineated, but boundaries need adjustments.
• Initial splits were made using:
  • TAZ boundaries
  • Wasatch Choice Centers
  • Utah Road Network
• However, most splits are not meaningful and require refinement.
• Work on one TAZ at a time.
• The TAZ Tracker dataset contains a column named REVIEW for tracking progress.

Key Questions for Splitting Microzones

• What types of land use exist in the TAZ?
• How will traffic within the zone access the road network?

ArcGIS Pro Editing Tools

Use the following tools to adjust zones:

• Split – Divides an existing zone along a user-drawn line.
• Merge – Combines two or more zones into a single zone.
• Replace Polygon – Allows complete redrawing of a polygon while maintaining TAZ outer boundaries.

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Additional Considerations

• Do not alter the outer TAZ boundaries. Microzones must remain within their TAZ.
• Keep shapes simple – avoid:
  • Donut holes
  • Unnecessary extrusions
• Merging predefined zones may be an option for creating desired zone shapes.

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Tracking Progress

Once a TAZ has been reviewed, update the REVIEW column with one of the following values:

Value	Meaning
1	Complete
2	Needs further review