Using Geo-IT to advance the municipal heat transition; [Mit Geo-IT die kommunale Wärmewende voranbringen]

Abstract

This article examines how Geo-IT can support municipalities in planning and implementing the heat transition. Local authorities face the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining reliable and affordable energy supply. Spatial information is important because heat demand, buildings, infrastructure, energy sources and local conditions vary from one area to another. Geo-IT provides tools for collecting, organizing, analyzing and presenting these location-based data in a common environment. The article highlights how geographic information systems can help municipalities identify areas with high heat demand, understand existing infrastructure and compare possible solutions. Maps and spatial analyses can make complex relationships easier to communicate to planners, decision-makers and other stakeholders. Geo-IT can also support the integration of different datasets, including building information, energy consumption, networks and environmental conditions. Such integration creates a stronger basis for developing local heat strategies and evaluating measures over time. The municipal heat transition requires cooperation between administration, utilities, planners and local communities, and shared spatial information can improve this cooperation. The article therefore presents Geo-IT not simply as a mapping technology, but as a practical component of a wider planning process. It shows how location-based information can connect technical analysis with municipal decision-making and help translate climate and energy objectives into concrete local actions. Reliable data, regular updates and clear visualization remain essential for making these tools useful in everyday municipal work. An important aspect is that municipal planning increasingly depends on combining technical information with clear communication, so spatial tools can also help explain proposed measures to stakeholders and support coordinated implementation.