Each Shovels Decision record contains structured data extracted from city council and planning department meetings. This reference covers all available fields.
| Field | Description |
|---|
title | Descriptive name of the decision |
when | Date the decision was made |
city | Municipality where the decision applies |
state | State (full name or abbreviation) |
category | Decision type (Spot Rezoning, Area Rezoning, etc.) |
subcategory | More specific categorization |
link | URL to the official source document |
Location Data
| Field | Description |
|---|
address_1 | Primary property address |
address_2 | Secondary address (for multi-parcel decisions) |
address_3 | Additional address |
latitude | GPS latitude coordinate |
longitude | GPS longitude coordinate |
geo_ids | Object containing address_id, city_id, county_id, jurisdiction_id |
Geographic coordinates enable mapping and spatial analysis. The geo_ids field allows you to join decision data with other Shovels datasets.
Zoning Details
| Field | Description |
|---|
zoning_previous | Original zoning classification code |
zoning_previous_description | Detailed description of previous zoning |
zoning_new | New/amended zoning classification code |
zoning_new_description | Detailed description of new zoning |
zoning_previous: “R-1” (Single-Family Residential)zoning_new: “MF-2” (Multifamily Medium Density)
| Field | Description |
|---|
size_ac | Property size in acres |
size_sf | Property size in square feet |
asset_class | Property type (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Multifamily, etc.) |
property_type | More specific type (Retail, Office, Warehouse, etc.) |
Regulatory Parameters
These fields capture the development rules associated with the decision:
| Field | Description |
|---|
allowed_uses | Permitted land uses under the new zoning |
density | Development density restrictions (units per acre, FAR, etc.) |
minimum_lot_size | Minimum parcel size requirements |
maximum_building_height | Height restrictions |
setbacks | Required distances from property lines |
lot_coverage | Maximum percentage of lot that can be built upon |
parking_requirements | Required parking specifications |
Involved Parties
Decisions often identify the people and organizations involved:
Applicant
The person or entity requesting the zoning action.
| Field | Description |
|---|
applicant | Company or organization name |
applicant_person | Individual applicant name |
applicant_email | Contact email |
applicant_linkedin | LinkedIn profile URL |
applicant_website | Business website |
Property Owner
| Field | Description |
|---|
owner | Property owner name |
owner_email | Contact email |
Development Team
| Field | Description |
|---|
developer | Development company |
engineer | Project engineer |
architect | Design architect |
representative | City council representative or district |
_email, _linkedin, and _website fields when available.
Descriptive Content
| Field | Description |
|---|
description | Detailed explanation of the decision and its context |
summary | Brief summary of the decision |
why_it_matters | Analysis of the decision’s significance and impact |
| Field | Description |
|---|
newsworthiness | Confidence score (0-1) indicating relevance |
last_modified_date | When the record was last updated |
Not all fields are populated for every decision. Field availability depends on what information was included in the source documents.
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