Summit County, Colo., has turned to GIS and data to create long-term policy solutions to issues around short-term rental (STR) properties. The county, home to popular vacation destination Breckenridge, knew as early as 2018 that big changes were afoot in terms of homeownership and residency patterns. Complaints started to come from locals concerning land use, noise, and garbage in certain residential areas with a high concentration of STRs. County commissioners aimed not to eliminate STRs but rather to regulate them in a way that didn’t tip the quality of life in a neighborhood. "Data is the key to everything we do," said Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence. "Without this data it would be really difficult to show people what is happening, and to be able to overlay other services such as bus stops and environmental concerns gives us a much more complete foundation for our decision-making.”
Government Technology (04/03/23) Stephen Goldsmith