Table of contents

1. Guide to Street Naming & Property Numbering

with Blockwise – FSN Concept

2. Form – ‘C’

3. Property Tax Information System Circulars

 DIRECTORA TE OF MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION

A GUIDE TO STREET
N A M I N G & P RO P E RT Y
NUMBERING WITH
BLOCKWISE-FSN CONCEPT
PREPARED FOR:

KMRP TOWNS

BY:

D I R E CTOR AT E OF MU NI C I PA L AD MI NI S TR AT I O N
9TH & 10TH FLOOR
V. V. T OW E R ( M A I N )
DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI
BANGALORE – 560 001

AND

EG OVER NME NT S FOU NDA TI ON

303 ASHO K TERRACE, 2ND FLOOR
I NDIR ANAGAR 100 FT ROAD
BANGALORE – 560 038

URBAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

G OVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA
 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INT RODUCT ION…… ………… ………… ………… ..………… …………………… …. 3

Why Street Naming and Property Numbering is Important..………………………………….. 3

Goals of This Guide …………………………………………………………………………… 3

CIT Y MAPS … ………… ………… ……………….…… …….…….… ………… …………4

Identifying Blocks …………………………………………………………………………… 5

Assigning Numbers and ID …………………………………………………..……………… 6
Numbering of Blocks ……………….………………………………………..……………… 7

ST REET NAMING GUIDELINES … …………………… ……………….…… ……. 8

Rules of Retaining Existing Street Names ……………………………………………………… 9

Street Segmenting …………………………………………………………………………….... 11
Practical Considerations for Street Naming ………………………………………………….… 12

FIELD SURVEY NUMBER ……… ………… ………… ………… ………… ………… . 13

Field Survey Number……………… ...………………………………………………………. 13

Missed Property Numbering...………………………………………………………………... 14
Apartments Numbering…………...………………………………………………………..….. 15

PROPERT Y NUMBERING GUIDELINES ………… ………… ………… ………. 16

Sequential or “Classic” Numbering ...…………………………………………………………. 18

Apartments and Duplexes ...…………………………………………………………………... 27
“Metric” or “Linear” Numbering...……………………………………………………………. 28

MAPS & DAT AB ASES……… ………… …………………… …………………… ……… 30

GIS Map preparation & Property polygon insertion...…………………………………………... 30

Creating a Block List within a City………………………………..……………………………. 30
Creating a Street List within a Block....………………………………………………………… 31
Public Awareness Campaign...……………………………………………………………….... 31

SIGNPOST ING……….… ………… ………… ………… ………… ………… …………. 32

Signboard Standards...………………………………………………………………………… 33

ST EP-BY-ST EP WORK FLOW FOR STREET NAMING & PROPERTY

NUM BERING………… ………… ………… ………… ………… ………… ………… …. 35

STEP BY STEP WORK FLOW FOR GIS BASED PROPERTY TAX

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROJECT EX ECUT ION …… ………… ………… …. 37

REFERENCES…..………… ………… ………… ………… ………… ………… ………. 38

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

Street Smart & Address Savvy

WH Y STR E ET NA MI N G AN D P RO PE RT Y N UM BE R ING IS IM PO RTAN T

The property address is a fundamental component of any government service delivery system;
therefore it must be assigned through a logical and consistent procedure. The importance of proper
addressing cannot be overstated; additionally, addressing helps define administrative and political
districts, and affects the quality of services available to citizens. A logical and consistent addressing
system, therefore, can tangibly improve the quality of life in a community.

Unfortunately, the importance of the addressing task is frequently overlooked, resulting in addressing
schemes that are often unorganized or incomprehensible and that lead to
inefficient and ineffective governmental and commercial service delivery.
But easily understood addressing systems are not simple to design and
maintain. Local governments have found that managing a coherent
addressing system can be difficult even under the best circumstances.
During periods of steep growth, existing flaws in addressing systems --
duplicate street names, unnecessary name changes, non-sequential
numbering, etc. – can cause small inconsistencies to propagate through
the system, creating even larger problems. The standards and guidelines
in this document are designed to make the process easier and to help make addressing more
consistent.

Citizens usually bear the cost of poorly designed addressing systems through inefficient government
services and through lost business when potential customers are unable to locate an establishment.
Governments also stand to lose since they cannot implement a uniform system of property taxation
without good street naming and property numbering. Poorly designed addressing systems result in
postage increases, delivery delays, and lost parcels. Education and public involvement are essential
elements in developing a comprehensive solution. Citizens must know why it is necessary to
readdress, and they must be provided an opportunity to participate in the process.

Today there are various tools to help implement a new addressing system or revamp an existing one.
Although Geographic Information System (GIS) tools will not make the political process any easier,
they certainly make technical implementation much simpler, faster, and more consistent. This
document was written with GIS implementation in mind; most, if not all, of the applications
described in this document will be applicable to the non-digital world, but the standards herein were
developed primarily for electronic implementation.

G OAL S O F T H I S G U ID E

The primary goal of this report is to provide local government agencies with a complete set of
addressing guidelines for street naming, property numbering, and sign posting. This will create a
consistent addressing system and improve efficiency and management of government services, such
as emergency response. Other important goals include:
1. To improve the quality of life for residents through improved delivery of mail and services;
2. To help local governments set up systems for Property Tax Management, Ward Works and
other urban services that are dependent on consistent naming and numbering;
3. To make address location simpler for residents and businesses;
4. To promote the use of GIS for creation and maintenance of a roads database.

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

City Maps
City and ward/block maps are an important tool for street naming and property numbering. Maps
are visual representations of the city or town layout. Maps are useful for identifying city, ward, and
block boundaries, which are constructed for administrative purposes. When conducting the street-
naming scheme, maps can be used to identify existing roads in the city and to cross-reference data
collected by surveyors on the field.

A city map can be created using a number of methods, as listed below in order of accuracy:
 Simple city sketches with ground verification;
 Survey of India (SoI) Topo Sheets at a 1:25,000 – 50,000 scale;
 Base map extracted from satellite imagery;
 Base map extracted from aerial photography;
 Ground survey using ‘Total Station’ and other equipment.

When accurate maps are not available, it is recommended that the city sketches are overlaid on top of
Survey of India Topo Sheets to create useable maps for street naming and property number
purposes. These city maps can be scanned to create a CAD digital map, which can be used to
produce multiple copies.

Administrative boundaries of the city need to be unambiguously defined.

These boundaries should be used by all departments of the ULB as well
as by the other stakeholders of the city such as the development
authority. The larger cities such as the metros break up the city into
zones. Each zone is subdivided into Wards. Most Indian cities are divided
into Wards but one major problem is that these ward boundaries are not
used consistently between stake holder agencies. Another problem
associated with wards is that the number of wards or ward boundaries
could change in some years (mostly after census or in some cases when
city boundary is changed). Yet ward has a very important public purpose
that of elections and elected representatives’ responsibility to his
constituents. Therefore, the first version of the numbering scheme
published in 2003 used wards also in numbering scheme. Thus having
Ward-Block-Street-Door as the components of the property ID. But when
in 2006 Wards and Ward boundaries were changed, there were problems
and then it was decided to consider old wards as numbering areas. Based
on the experience of Nirmala Nagara towns, it is now proposed to
abandon the concept of wards in the property ID and, thus, retain only
Block, Street & Door in property ID.

This is not to say that Ward concept is being discarded. Ward can
always be attached later to PID to show which ward a property belongs.
Changed to ward can be represented as and when change happens in
wards, without necessitating change in PID.

1. Identify and mark City Boundaries.

2. Identify and mark Major Roads – major thorough fares of the city that are arterial roads
carrying large amounts of traffic.

3. Create a Baseline and Meridian. The baseline is the line running east-west through the
city, that separates the north section of the city from the south. The line running north-south

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

is termed the meridian. The baselines and meridians may be a complicated succession of
streets, rivers, highways, railways, etc., chosen as the dividing line (Marr, 1969). See Figure 1.

4. Find the City Center. Often, but not always, the Baseline intersects the Meridian at a
physically locatable origin – city center. For example, the city center in Bangalore is the
Vidhana Soudha. Although desirable it does not need to be the physical center. For
example, in Mysore the city center is the southeast intersection of the Mysore Palace. The
city center is the starting point for a numbering system.
Figure 1: Baseline and Meridian

5. Quadrants Q4 Q1 N
The baseline and meridian create 4 quadrants:
Q3 Q2
6. Create Blocks – see Section ‘Identifying Blocks’ below.

7. Assign Number and IDs for Blocks – see Section ‘Assigning Numbers and IDs’ below.

IDENTIFYING BLOCKS

From practical experience, it is seen that the naming of streets and the numbering of properties is
regular and citizen centric only when undertaken within a block boundary. It cannot be uniformly
applied in large areas such as an entire city or for entire ward because geometrically uniform street
alignments are found only in small areas – this is called a block. Blocks develop historically due to
time & development factors. They would be a colony or even a small area. The only identifying
feature is consistency in street alignment & street patterns.

Ward boundaries are changing during ward delimitation process. It will disturb our entire numbering
system. To overcome this problem and to retain our numbering scheme permanently, we should
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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

create some fixed boundaries for numbering purpose. These boundaries will be permanent for ever
and are named as Blocks. These Blocks are not administrative boundaries, and are created
permanently for numbering purpose and we may refer them as Numbering Blocks.

Entire city will be divided into Blocks according to street patterns, housing patterns, historical
colonies, street alignment preferably matching existing small localities or colonies, which are
recognized by the citizens. Every block must be assigned a unique number, starting with one.

Figure 2: Creating Blocks

N
Block 4 Block 3

Block 2

Block 1

W
In the above diagram, there are apparent patterns based on uniformly aligned areas that can be
identified as blocks. For instance, the triangular shape at the top left has a street alignment, which
follows a triangular pattern; hence it is identified as a block. The protrusion on the top right can also
be identified as a separate block (Block 2) due to its distinct street alignment.

After all blocks are identified in the city, they are given names such as Block 1, Block 2, Block 3 etc, –
following the Bulls-Eye rule, which requires block numbers to start closest to the city center and
increase as they move away. Blocks can also be give proper noun names, such as ‘Narsipura Block’,
in addition to its number Block 2, Ambedkar colony in addition to its number Block 4 etc.
Note: Block numbering will be administered at the city level.

Block Creation Rules:

1) Try to create block boundaries, which align with major roads, rivers, or boundaries of larges plots
of land, such as parks and open space.
2) Do not create blocks within blocks.
3) Large area of properties, such as universities, institutions, large open spaces and parks, can be
considered a block itself. There is no minimum or maximum size a block can be.
4) Historical colonies, layouts, quarters can be considered as a block itself.

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ASSIGNING NUMBERS AND ID

Assigning IDs
What are IDs and why are they needed?
While we might have names to denote a Block or Street in a computer based system it is important to
give a number or an ID that represents Block/Street/Property. Once they are all ID’d then their
names can change and still they can be uniquely identified.
The engineering team of the ULB must assign Block IDs, Street IDs, and Property IDs. All property
IDs are unique within the city and are used for the Property ID (PID) in the eGov Property Tax
application.
Block ID = Block Number. Block Numbering is administered at the City Level. Start
numbering with 1.
Street ID = Start IDs for major roads running through the city first, then boundary roads,
then remaining streets. Unique within the Block
1. Major Roads – reserve numbers 1-100
2. Block Boundary Roads – reserve numbers 101-500
3. Remaining streets within Blocks – start at 501 for EACH Block.

Property ID = Block ID + Street ID + Door Number

ie. PID = B3 – S34 – D104

ALL NUMBERING SHOULD START CLOSEST TO THE CITY CENTER AND MOVE
TO THE PERIPHERY.

Numbering of Blocks

Entire city will be divided into Blocks and these Blocks should be numbered at city level
itself. Blocks which have smaller numbers should be nearer to city centre. Blocks number should
increase spirally in clockwise direction starting from the North-East quadrant.
A typical City Map is divided into Blocks and numbered as shown below.
Figure 3: City-Block Boundary Map

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Street Naming Guidelines

1) Naming Convention: A street name consists of 2 parts, a name and a type.
For example, “Mahatma Gandhi Main Road” consists of:
Mahatma Gandhi – Road Name Main Road – Road Type

2) Road Name:
A. Proper Nouns Names should be used for naming major roads. Proper nouns are
names not numbers, such as Bannerghatta Road or Mahatma Gandhi Road.
B. Numbers, such as 1st Cross, 2nd Main, can be used as names for internal roads.

PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STREET NAMES THAT ARE

PROPER NOUNS AND THOSE THAT ARE NUMBERS.

3) The Road Type:

 Main Road - A thoroughfare running principally in a north-south direction.

 Cross Road - A thoroughfare running principally in an east-west direction

For instance in Bangalore and other Karnataka cities you will come across
roads called Mains and Crosses. Mains are usually perpendicular to
crosses, but the word main also denotes a larger or more important road
over a Cross road, but this is not always true. 17th Cross is Malleshwaram,
Bangalore is larger than most main roads. So between the choice of
directionality (mains and crosses are perpendicular) and size we have
retained directionality – Main Road – north-south thoroughfare, and Cross
– east-west thoroughfare. So a Cross can be wider than a Main road.
Exception: If already a good street naming exists in terms of mains and
are crosses, but mains are North-South and crosses are East-West, do
not unnecessarily venture to rename as citizens will already be
accustomed to the existing street names.

 Lane – A roadway narrower than a street

 Marg
 Circle/Circus - Is a roundabout where there exists a physical circular road at the
intersection of multiple roads. In many cases intersections are incorrectly named as
Circles. For example, Anil Kumble Circle in Bangalore is simply the intersection cross
of Mahatma Gandhi Road and St. Marks Road. In many cases a circle existed in the
past, but due to increased traffic the circle was changed to intersection cross to handle
traffic flow. These names can be updated to street.
 Square – An intersection with a square in the middle

4) Name Every Street & give Street ID: All streets must be named without exception as per the
convention above. They will also be assigned a Street ID number which will be unique within a
Block.

5) No Duplicates: No two streets within a block can have the same name or number used as a
name. If there are two streets have the name say “5th Cross” in the same block, one of them should
be renamed to “5th A Cross”.

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6) Citizen Centric: A street with a single name can run over multiple wards/blocks. The name need
not change because it crosses ward/block boundaries. Since ward boundaries are administrative
boundaries they are unlikely to be recognized by citizens.

7) Beginning & End: Streets must have an assigned ‘beginning’ and an ‘end’ based on which side is
closer to the city center. In the cases where the street are equidistant from city center (running
tangentially to an imaginary circle from the city center) then the ‘beginning’ is the extremity nearest to
the horizontal axis. The ‘beginning’ and ‘end’ are usually at the intersections of street centerlines.

8) Create a Baseline and Meridian: The baseline is the line running east-west through the city,
which separates the north section of the city from the south. The line running north-south is termed
the meridian. The baseline and meridians are not imaginary lines; they may be a complicated
succession of streets, rivers, highways, railways, etc., chosen as the dividing line. See Figure 1.

9) City Center: Numbering should start closest to the city center and increases as it moves to the
periphery. This principle is called bulls-eye numbering since it eventually creates a bulls-eye target
like numbering pattern.

RU LE S FOR R ETAI N I N G EX I ST I N G ST R EE T NAM E S

When the existing layout, colony etc. already has a good street naming pattern then it will be retained
without disturbing the names as the citizens are already accustomed to it. In such cases, many times
existing street names will be retained and only those without names will be named. This is a much
more easy exercise than renaming all streets once again. Following are the rules for retaining existing
street names.

1. If major streets are already named, it will not be

renamed.
2. If an unnamed street comes between two named
streets, then an “A” will be added after the
number, to keep the sequential ordering system.
See below for an example.
3. If a layout is large in size and has duplicate street names within the same block, then one street
must be renamed. Remember that each block will have unique street names.

MAJOR ROADS & BLOCK BOUNDARY ROADS

Retain Existing Street Names. Please retain existing Street Names that are popularly recognized
by the citizens. Street Naming Guide should be applied to blocks with streets without names or with
streets that are irregularly named.

Name streets in the following order:

1. Major Roads must have Proper Noun Names. Major roads running through the city
should have proper noun names since they cross through multiple blocks. Major Roads
cannot be numbers, such as 1st Main or 2nd Cross.
a. Retain existing proper noun street names, such as M.G. Road (not numbers).
b. If no existing name, give it a temporary name and approach the city council.
c. If major roads cross through the city center, assign a North and South or East and
West to the road name.

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

2. Block Boundary Roads must have Names. For street naming purposes, Block Boundary
Roads will be given a special name to avoid duplication. Block Boundary Roads cannot be
numbers, such as 1st Main or 2nd Cross.
a Retain existing proper noun names (not numbers) for block boundary roads.
b If the road does not have an existing proper noun name, then please name it Block 1
East Main, Block 2 South Cross, etc, based on the block name and the direction
where the road falls relative to the block.

For example:
Block 3 North Cross

Block 3 West Main

Block 3 Block 3 East Main
Block 3 South Cross

Please NOTE: Both Street Naming & Street ID administered at the block level.

3. Remaining Roads
Retain existing street names if the streets within a block have been uniformly and
clearly named. If streets must be renamed, then Street Naming is administered at the
block level. Start naming streets closest to the city center and move towards the periphery.
Streets running north/south will be called ‘Main’ and those running East/West will be called
‘Cross’.

FIGURE 4: STREET NAMING FOR BLOCK BOUNDARY ROADS WHICH HAVE NO NAMES

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

Small Streets within 1st Main, 2nd Main, 3rd Main

Rather than naming all roads running North/ South direction 1st Main, 2nd Main, 3rd Main, name
smaller, shorter, internal streets as 1st A Main, 1st B Main if it falls between 1st and 2nd Main or 2nd
A Main, 2nd B Main if it falls under 2nd and 3rd Main. See diagram below.

FIGURE 5: STREET NAMING FOR SMALL INTERIOR STREETS

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

STREET SEGMENTING

It is not sufficient for all streets to be numbered. Some streets may need to be broken up into
segments, especially for property value assessment. For property taxation, the Capital Value System
(CVS) assigns the value of a square foot of land or building based on different parameters, including
which street it resides on. For many long streets this may not be sufficient, since there may be
considerable difference in the value of a property from one end of the street to the other.

To segment streets there are a couple of concepts that are necessary. The street segments are uniquely
identified by the ‘Street Block’ that lies on either side of the street segment. A ‘Street Block’ is a block
of properties that is bounded by its nearest streets. For instance, in the example below, Mahatma
Gandhi Main Road consists of four street segments: 101, 102, 103 and 104. Consider street segment
101. The ‘Street Block’ B05 is to its left, the Left First Address is 1 and the Left Last Address is 3.
The Street Block B06 is to its right with Right 1st Address being 2 and Right Last Address being 4.

Figure 6: Street Segments

Courtesy of APOC, France.

Following table depicts the database representation of the street segments of ‘M.G. Main
Road’ above.
Street Street Street ID Left 1 st Left Last Right 1st Right Last
Segment Address Address Address Address
101 Mahatma 125 1 3 2 4
Gandhi Road
102 Mahatma 125 5 5 6 6
Gandhi Road
103 Mahatma 125 7 7 8 8
Gandhi Road
104 Mahatma 125 9 9 10 12
Gandhi Road

Street segmentation is a backend process used in property valuation; survey teams need not gather any new information
on the field in order to segment the streets. The GIS database will be processed to extract segments. The Capital
Value System (CVS) tables of property values can then be populated at the street segment level.

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PRACTICAL CONSIDERAT IONS FOR STREET NAMING

Street Name over Multiple Blocks: The same street can change names as it passes through
different blocks. However, one does not need to change the street name simply because it passes
through a different block.

Slums: Street naming in a slum area may be a difficult task, since not all hutments are adjacent to a
road. Typically slum dwellings are found in a cluster. Rather than identifying each street, it is treated
as one block. In such cases, instead of using a valid street ID, a street ID will be set to 0. The
property ID for each dwelling unit will take the form: Block ID – Street ID - Municipal Number.

Figure-7: Numbering in Slum/Hutment Blocks

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Field Survey Number (FSN)

Before knowing property numbering guidelines, it is better to know about Field Survey Number
(FSN) which is assigned to the property at the time of field survey. We need to spend too much time
to get final PID for a property. And we will get final PID only after surveying entire Block along with
boundary line properties which belongs to other Blocks. Hence we cannot start data entry of form-C
without approved PID. The time gap between field survey and data entry of form-C is huge and this
may lead to errors in property tracking and its details.

We will be able to do data entry of form-C as and when survey is completed without waiting for
final PID. And we will also be able to use MIS data for CAL, Demand and Notice generation etc.
This will facilitate for going live for property tax management system with MIS database, at the
earliest. For doing this without actual PID we need a number to identify each property, and the
number shall be given at the time of surveying the property. Hence this number is called as “Field
Survey Number (FSN)”.

Field Survey Number (FSN) is a simple continuous number which is given at the time of
field survey starting from number 1, 2, 3, … so on, until the last property is surveyed in a block and it
is unique in a block. If any of the properties is missed during the block survey and found after
completion of all property survey then those property/properties will be given next continues FSN
number(s) after the property which was surveyed last in that block.

ULB shall keep 2 copies of Block map, one rough copy is for field survey engineer to insert daily
surveyed properties and another one Block map is for transferring the property polygons from rough
map to neat map by both ULB engineer and field survey engineer for all the properties surveyed
during the week on Saturday. The polygons inserted in the maps should be numbered by FSN which
was entered on form-C for the corresponding property. The FSN must not be repeated within a
block and therefore it is better to give continuous number as and when survey is completed.

Advantages of FSN:
1. We can directly start DE as & when survey & verification is complete.
2. Time gap between Survey & DE is at most 15 days; therefore error in data will be reduced.
3. Writing back of approved PID into form-C is not required.
4. Check-bandhi of the property will not change.
5. During the approval of the PID & GIS map, there is no need to prepare & keep so many
versions of maps to track approved PID.
6. There will be 100% match between MIS & GIS, therefore Step-C verification may not be
required.
7. MIS can go live for Property tax without waiting for approved PID.
8. Totally we will save lot of time.

A typical Block numbered as per survey is shown in figure-8A. The number shown in the
polygon is the corresponding Field Survey Number (FSN) of the property.

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

Figure 8A: A typical Block numbered using FSN concept

The Field Survey Id for the property will be in the form of:

Block No. – Street No. – Field Survey No.

For ex: Field Survey ID for the property which has FSN 6 which lies in Street-501 and Block-2 is
bdepicted as below.
B2-S501-FN6.

The Door Number will be assigned later, and PID for the property will be in the form of:

Block No. – Street No. – Door No.

For ex: PID for the property which has Door No. 12 which lies in Street-505 and Block-2 is depicted
as shown below:
B2-S505-D12.

Missed Property Numbering:

Figure 8B: Missed Property Numbering using FSN concept

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

If any property is missed out during survey of a block and found later, those
property/properties should be numbered in series after the last property surveyed in that block. And
the polygon corresponding to that property should be inserted in right place on the map.

Apartments Numbering:

Figure 8C: Apartments numbering using FSN concept

In case of Apartments and Multistory buildings, separate FSN for individual flats should be
given and it should be continuous. And insert a single polygon in GIS map to represent an
Apartment/Multistory building and label it with first and last FSN as shown in the figure-8C.

Prepare a note sheet for each apartment, and attach this sheet to the relevant GIS map to
give details of all individual flat numbers given by the respective Apartment’s builder/owner. And the
same number should be written on top of the respective Form – C.

The note sheet should be in the format shown below:

Apartment Name:
Number of flats in the Apartment:
Starting FSN:
Ending FSN:

FSN Flat No.

21 Block A – Floor No 1 – Door No 1
22 Block A – Floor No 1 – Door No 2
. …
. …
40 Block C – Floor No 4 – Door No 8

Both FSN and Flat No. should be written on top of the Form-C of the corresponding flat during
field survey.

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

P ROPE RTY NUM BE RI NG

GUIDELINES
Property numbering is a system to assign each property a unique number. Property can be vacant
land or land with building, and can be categorized residential, commercial, government, industrial or
institutional. A property without a number cannot be tracked or addressed.

1) Completeness: Every property on every street in a city or town must be assigned a property
number. Even empty plots, government and institutional properties (including monuments,
parks, and lakes) need to be assigned a number.

2) Numbering System: Properties will be numbered using the ‘sequential’ or ‘metric’ numbering
system, which are explained in the next section.
Note: In Karnataka, the UDD has chosen to use the sequential numbering scheme for ease of
administration.

3) Block Level: Property numbering is administered at the block level. However, all major roads
and block boundary roads must be numbered first. Then remaining properties within a block are
numbered. Start numbering the properties from 1 and continue until all properties are exhausted
within the block. In the next block, numbering can start from 1 again.

4) City Center: Numbers should start closest to the city center (reference point) and increase as
you move away from the center point and toward the city boundary, see Figure-9 below.

Figure 9: Property Numbering with Parity and Direction

31 32 63 64 95 96 127 128 159 160 191 192

29 30 61 62 93 94 125 126 157 158 189 190

27 28 59 60 91 92 123 124 155 156 187 188

N 3rd Cross

25 26 57 58 89 90 121 122 153 154 185 186

23 24 55 56 87 88 119 120 151 152 183 184

21 22 53 54 85 86 117 118 149 150 181 182

19 20 51 52 83 84 115 116 147 148 179 180

3rd Main Road
National Highway 7

17 18 49 50 81 82 113 o ad 114 145 146 177 178

R
da
2 nd Cross ow
G
pe
15 16 47 48 79 80 e m 111 112 143 144 175 176
K

13 14 45 46 77 78 109 110 141 142 173 174

11 12 43 44 75 76 107 108 139 140 171 172

9 10 41 42 73 74 105 106 137 138 169 170

3rd3rdMain

4th4th

5th5Main

6th6th

7 8 39 40 71 72 103 104 135 136 167 168

2 nd Main Road
1st Main Road

Main

Main
th

Main
Main
Main

1st Cross
Main
Road

Road

Road
Road

Road

102 133 134 165 166

Road
Road

5 6 37 38 69 70 101
Road

3 4 35 36 67 68 99 100 131 132 163 164

1 2 33 34 65 66 97 98 129 130 161 162

Mahatma Gandhi Road

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Figure-8 shows a block with the ‘Sequential Numbering’ scheme and odd/even parity. This block
appears in the north-east quadrant of the city given the direction in which the numbers are increasing
(northwards and eastwards). The Main Roads are increasing as you move away from the city center,
in this case from west to east and the Cross Roads are increasing from south to north.

5) Numbering Parity: Odd numbers should be assigned to the left side of streets and even
numbers to the right side as you travel from the street ‘beginning’ to ‘end’, see Figure-10 below.

PLEASE NOTE THAT A STREET MUST BE COMPLETELY NUMBERED FROM

THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STREET BEFORE NUMBERING
PROPERTIES ON A NEW STREET.

Figure 10 - Numbering Parity

6) Corner Lots: Assign only one door number based on the larger road with more significance due
to the importance of a property address when determining real estate value of a property. Dual
addresses should not be used.
Figure 11 – Numbering Corner Lots

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

_____________________________________________________
SEQU ENTIAL OR “CLASSIC” NUMBE RING

The ‘sequential numbering’ scheme is simple to administer and does not require sophisticated
measurements and techniques, as used in the ‘metric numbering’ scheme. The sequential numbering
system numbers existing properties in a sequential order so the numbering is continuous (2, 4, 6, etc.
on the right ride; 1, 3, 5, etc. on the left). See figure-12A below.

Beginning / End. When identifying beginning and ends of streets, please choose the beginning that
is closest to the city center (reference point), by measuring the distance to the city center on the map.
Start numbering properties from beginning to end. Please remember numbering is smallest closest to
city center and increases as it moves away from city center to periphery.

A. BIRFURCATIONS & SUBDIVISIONS

There is generally no limit to the number of plots of land that may be subdivided in the future. In
this case in order to continue the sequentially numbered systems, bar- NUMBERS – ‘/1’, ‘/2’, ‘/3’ –
have to be added whenever an existing property, either vacant or built, is bifurcated or further
subdivided. When a divided property is further divided again, then the property number will add
another bar-number, for example ‘6/2/1 and 6/2/2’. See right side of Figure-12A.

Figure 12A - Sequential Numbering for Bifurcations

Sequential Numbering Sequential Numbering
Before Bifurcation After Bifurcation

10 9/2
10
9
N 9/1

8/2

8 7/3

7 7/2 8/1

7/1

6/2/2

6
6/2/1
5 5

6/1

3/2
4
3 4

3/1

1 2 1 2

Odd Numbers Even Numbers Odd Numbers Even Numbers

C. UNEVEN DENSIFICATION

One of the practical considerations of sequential numbering is that of uneven densification – larger
plots on one side of the street and narrower ones on the other. For example, in Figure-12B the
properties on the right are denser compared to the ones on the left. When this happens, the odd
numbers (1, 3, 5…) increase slower than the even numbers (2,4,6…). In the diagram below, 1st Main
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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Road ends with property number 11 on the left side and 26 on the right side – for a citizen looking
for property number 15, this may be confusing since number 15 is not located on this street.

Another problem occurs when the property number range is displayed on the street sign. If the street
sign has the range of properties that exist on that road, for example 13-56 then the properties that
would actually be missing on the ground would be 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 26 &
27. See Figure-12B, on the left.

Figure 12B - Higher Densification on the Right

Regular Sequential Sequencing Sequential Sequencing -

Dealing with Uneven Densification
26 56 12C 24C

23 54 23 24B
11 24 11 12B
52
24A

50
22 22D
12A
48
22C
9
20 21 9
46 21
10 22B

44 22A
18
7 8B
7

16 19 42
8A 19 20

14 40
6D 18C

12 38
6C 18B
5 17
5 17

10 36
6B 18A

8 34
6A 16C

6 32
15 4B 16B
15
3
4 30 3
4A 16 A

1 2 13 28
1 2 13 14

Solution: A possible solution to the uneven densification problem is shown in right-side figure of
Figure-12B. The figure on the right has dealt with this problem by adding LETTERS (16A, 16B, 16C
etc); therefore, both the odd and even numbers will increase more evenly. Letting will always start
with the first property and increase alphabetically, as shown in the diagram above.

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

Figure 12C - Higher Densification on the Left

Regular Sequential Sequencing Sequential Sequencing -

Dealing with Uneven Densification
29 55 1 1C 23B

27 12 1 1B 12
53 24 23A 24

25 1 1A

23 9D
51 21
21 9C
22 22
19 10 49 9B 10 19C

17 9A
47 19B
20 20

15 8 45 7 8 19A

13 43 5C 17D

11 41 5B 17C
6 18 6 18

9 39 5A 17B

7 37 3C 17A

5 35 3B 15B
4 4
16 16
3 33 3A 15A

1 2 31 14 1 2 13 14

Figure above illustrates the same problem of uneven densification but with higher densification on
the left side of the street. The same rule described above can solve the problem by introducing letters,
as shown in the above figure on the right. Once again, the value of the property number on the left
is smaller than the property number on the right.

Extreme Cases of Uneven Densification

In the case of exceptionally large properties, such as universities, research institutions, open grounds,
convention centers, etc, that face smaller properties on the opposite side of the street, the
numbering scheme does NOT need to include ‘A, B, C, D’ for the smaller properties.

The large property can be numbered as a single number if an open ground or convention center with
one main entrance, or it can be assigned multiple numbers if various buildings exist. The smaller
properties will be numbered in a sequential order maintaining parity, see the right-side figure of the
example below. When the street or the extremely large property ends, numbering will continue in a
regular fashion – increase sequentially and with parity, so properties on the left will be oddly
numbered and on the right will be evenly numbered. Therefore, the problem of uneven density is
fixed within the particular street where the exceptionally large property lies.

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Figure 13: Extreme Uneven Density

Note: Try to resolve the problems of uneven densification within the street which it appears in. Do
not let the sequencing problem overflow to other streets.

Extra Properties

For the few, small properties lying on very small interior streets, one can number them 5A, and 5B
rather than breaking the flow of numbering for the entire block. The diagram below illustrates this
issue. Two extra properties highlighted in green on 1st Cross are numbered No. 8A 1st Cross and No.
8B 1st Cross since they are adjacent to No. 8, 1st Main Road. Please note numbering here is
conducted along the Main Roads.

Rules to Assign Bar-Numbers

For Uneven Densification, please number with letters. 8A, 8B, 8C
For Extra Properties, please number with letters without adding a letter to the first number: 8, 8A, 8B
For Bifurcations, please number the new properties with a slash and number. 7/1, 7/2.

Type Property Numbering Example

Uneven Densification 8A, 8B, 8C
Extra Properties 8, 8A, 8B
Bifurcations 7/1, 7/2

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

FIGURE 14: NUMBERING PROPERTIES

– ZOOMED IN SNAPSHOT OF EXTRA PROPERTIES

2 Cross

15 16 47 48

13 14 45 46 No 8, 1st Main Road

12 43 No 8A, 1st Cross Road

11 44
Mahatma Gandhi Road

No 8B, 1st Cross Road

9 10 41 42

7 8 8A 8B 39 40 No 39, 2nd Main Road

2nd Main Road

1st Main Road

1st Cross

5 6 37 38

3 4 35 36

1 2 33 34

Property Numbering Sequence

Start with major roads which cross through multiple blocks. The property numbering should
proceed in the following sequence:

1. Major Roads
2. Block Boundaries
3. Number remaining properties within each block.

Example: If in Mysore exists 9 Engineering teams conducting “Street Naming and Property
Numbering”. These teams should first be assigned major roads, such as J.L.B.Road, KRS Road.
Once properties on these roads are numbered then the teams can be assigned Blocks within which
streets need to be named and properties numbered.

Major Roads / Block Boundary Roads

Properties on major roads and all boundary roads should be numbered first using parity. Start
numbering properties from the beginning to the end, as shown below. Then property numbering
should be administered at the block level.

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FIGURE 15: NUMBERING PROPERTIES ALONG BOUNDARY ROADS USING PARITY /

UNIQUENESS

INCORRECT SOLUTION CORRECT SOLUTION

Boundary Road Boundary Road

City City
Center Center

After properties along major roads and block boundary roads are numbered, the property numbering
should be administered block-wise. The figure below shows a snapshot of one corner of a block
which properties have been fully numbered.

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

FIGURE 16: NUMBERING PROPERIES FOR ONE BLOCK

1
3
4

City Center Boundary Roads

Index- Arrow 1: Major Road and a Block Boundary
Arrow 2: Block Boundary
Arrow 3,4,5: Roads with in a Block

The figure above depicts the sequence for numbering properties at the block level. First, number
properties on boundary roads, as shown with Arrow 1 and Arrow 2. Then number remaining
properties within the blocks based on the beginning and end of each road, as shown in Arrow 3,
Arrow 4, and Arrow 5.

Major Road Crossing Through City Center. Figure 17: Major Road Crossing City Center

Start numbering properties at the city center and

increase towards periphery, in both directions. Major
roads running through the city center will have two “1”
near the center, therefore, split the major road into P.B. Road North
North and South. For example: Bellary Road North City Center
and Bellary Road South. They are now two different
roads although the road appears as one. Address will
be No. 10 Bellary Road North and No.10 Bellary Road
South.

Major Roads for ULBs surrounding Bangalore.

P.B. Road South
For roads that run from Bangalore into surrounding
CMCs, please start numbering properties from
municipal limits. One does not need to coordinate
with numbering sequence conducted in Bangalore.

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

However, if for example, Bellary Road South crosses into next the CMC, it is suggested to retain the
name Bellary Road South.
FIGURE 18: MAJOR ROADS EXTENDING TO SURROUNDING ULBS

P.B. Road North

City Center

P.B. Road South

ULB Boundary

Ring Roads
Please number properties on circular streets, such as Ring Roads, anti-clock-wise and with parity.
The northern point where the meridian intersects the ring road can be the beginning/end point. Split
the ring road into four sections where the baseline and meridian intersect the ring road. Start
numbering from each of these four points in anti-clockwise direction using parity.

FIGURE 19: NUMBERING PROPERTIES ON RING ROADS

Beginning &
End Point
2 NE
1
NW
2
1

2 1
SE

1
SW 2

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

Numbering Properties – Agricultural Land

If agricultural land exists and the land records are with the State Revenue Department, then
divide the land based on the survey number if available. One does not need to create blocks. If
land record does not exist, do not number agricultural properties.

All streets and properties within agricultural areas, regardless if land records are available, must be
identified and numbered. Properties on each street must be numbered street-wise.

Numbering Properties – Multiple Sites with Single Owner

If multiple properties exist in a single site, owned by a single owner with one MAR19 (entry in
assessment register), then the entire site is given one door number. Internally, the divisions may
change. Interior properties can be given a secondary location indicator, as described in the
Flats/Apartment section.

Numbering Properties – Complexes

To number properties within a complex, please use the same numbering scheme used for flats/
apartment buildings. The entire complex will have one property number and then each unit
within the complex is given a secondary location indicator, as described in the Flats/Apartment
section.
Examples: Zoos, Government housing, and Railway quarters.

Numbering Properties – Slums & Hutments

Number properties in slums/hutments as one block, starting from the corner closest to the city
center and moving towards the periphery. Please number the properties facing the boundary
streets first, using parity, then number the remaining interior properties sequentially. See figure
below.
Figure 20: Numbering in Slum/Hutment Blocks

Slum/ Hutment
Block

City
Center
Block Boundary

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Small Properties in Large Open Land

Please use the same guidelines for numbering small properties in large open area, such road-side
dhabas and gas stations in agricultural tracks. In the figure below, Property numbers 105B and 105C
could be roadside dhabas on large tracks of agricultural lands (Properties 105A and 106)

FIGURE 21: NUMBERING SMALL PROPERTIES ON LARGE SITES

103 105

105A 105B

104B

104A 106

Property Numbering for Petty Shops

Please only number small petty shops that are permanent structures starting with ‘P’. Many times
small shops will line in front of large buildings, such as hospitals, these properties can be numbered
as P 10A, P 10B, P 10C, etc. ‘P’ indicating petty shop.

APARTMENTS AND DUPLEX NUMBERING

With the advent of flats and apartments in many of the cities and towns across India, it is important
to have a numbering scheme for these situations. Even though an apartment complex consists of
multiple properties and multiple owners it has one property number assigned to it by the local
corporation. The above numbering scheme implemented by the apartment complex developer or
association is used to distinguish between individual properties within the complex.

1. Apartments and all other multi-tenant structures should have one main property number for
the entire building, placed on the main entrance to the complex. If the complex has more than
one building, then each building should be
lettered differently but all buildings share the
same property number (306 Airport Road).

2. Each individual unit should then be given a

secondary location indicator such as the
building designator, floor number and unit
number. It is preferable that buildings be
lettered, and that floors and apartments
be numbered. For example, the residence at
the address 306 Airport Road, Apt F-1-27
should be the 27th apartment on the 1st floor of building F. The hyphens in the unit distinguish
the 27th apartment on the 1st floor from the 7th apartment on the 12th floor.

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

3. Floor numbering will start with ‘0’ for the ground floor. Any basement floors will be numbered
B1, B2, B3, etc. as the floors descend further underground. For example, the 27th apartment on
the first floor of the basement will be numbered 306 Airport Road, Apt F-B1-27.

Note: Since each flat or apartment owner has to pay property tax individually, the eGov Property
System distinguishes between individual flats.

Amalgamation

Amalgamation is when multiple plots are merged into one plot. Commonly apartment complexes
have been developed on land that was previously multiple properties with different property
numbers. In this case, the lowest property number that previously existed will be used.

How does one handle properties in high-rise buildings within a GIS system? GIS systems are
predominantly 2-Dimensional in nature (although there is progress on the 3D GIS front). Since flats
within an Apartment complex have individual ownership, the municipality must track it as a separate
property in the assessment register. The eGov Property System handles the complexity of a high-rise
building having many distinct properties. The GIS will simply represent the apartment complex as a
single piece of land and have separate layers for buildings with first floor, second floor etc.

“METRIC” OR “LINEAR” NUMBERING

In metric numbering, entryways are numbered corresponding to their distance from the beginning of
the street, or the ‘zero point’. For example, in Figure-22 property number 42 is situated forty-two
meters from the ‘beginning’ of the street and property number 39 is almost directly opposite number
42. Numbers are therefore, not automatically continuous where there are empty plots.

To determine which number to allocate to empty plots measure the distance from each entryway to
the ‘zero point’. This figure is rounded up or down to the closest even or odd figure depending on
the side of the street. For example, the number allocated to the entryway situated 7.7 meters from
the ‘zero point’ will be 7 if the building is on the left (odd-numbered) side of the street or 8 if it is on
the right (even-numbered) side of the street.
Figure 22 –Metric Numbering System
Metric Numbering Metric Numbering
Before Densification After Densification

52 61
58
61
N 55

48

34 45

42
45 39

33
36

28 28

33 23

24

19
22
17 22

15

11 8 11 8

Odd Numbers Even Numbers Odd Numbers Even Numbers

Zero Point Zero Point

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Advantages of the Metric System

 Numbering is final, so there is no need for bar numbering , such as 27/1, 13/1/1, etc;
 It is suitable for the rapid development of neighborhoods, and for restructuring. When a new
building is erected the number is determined immediately, simply by measuring the distance
from the zero point.
 Locating property addresses is easier when, for example, the number 109 is always opposite
the number 110, and 109 meters from the beginning of the street. This simplifies the task of
the different administrations (simplified routes for mail delivery, water meter reading,
electricity meter reading, telephone services, etc.).
 It provides useful data about the roadway – its linearity and surface area.
 It simplifies the addition or removal of entryway numbers. For addition, each new building
corresponds to a unique number since it is the relevant distance from the zero point.

Since the sequential number scheme is simpler and has been in use in Karnataka and
other parts of India for many years, the Urban Development Department, GoK has
decided to use the sequential numbering scheme in Karnataka.

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

MAPS & DATABASES

GIS MAP PREPARATION AND PROPERTY POLYGON INSERTION:

Take 2 separate copies of Block maps (Block maps supplied by SOI), one for rough sketch
work of property insertion and another Block map to transfer of property polygons from rough
sketch neatly.

Hired engineer should insert property polygons into rough copy of GIS map and label the
polygons with the corresponding FSN on every day evening from Monday to Friday after returning
back from field survey. And on every Saturday both Municipal Engineer (GIS) and Survey Assistants
shall sit together and prepare a neat GIS map of the surveyed Block by transferring all the property
polygons from rough sketch map. Make sure that all polygons are labeled with the corresponding
FSN and all the blocks & streets are labeled with their corresponding names & numbers. This neat
sketch should be kept permanent.

Municipal Engineer (GIS) should take a photo copy of the neat sketch Block map having all
the property polygons inserted including the property polygons present along the boundary line of
the Block which belongs to other Blocks. Then write final PID for polygons by applying property
numbering scheme. See section ‘Property Numbering’ for property numbering guidelines and various
systems. Now submit the map to SOI for approval.

CR E AT I NG A B LO C K LI ST WIT HI N A C ITY

Using the city map described above, block boundaries must be marked to create block maps. Blocks
are demarcated to administer the street naming and numbering guidelines consistently within a
smaller area, since it is difficult to do so across large sections of the city. One should try to retain
existing blocks and localities boundaries and names instead of creating new ones, since they are
recognized by the citizens.

A block list for each block in the city must be created from the block map described above. The
excel format of the block list is shown below in Figure-23.

Figure 23: Block List Form

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

CREATING A STREET LIST WITHIN A BLOCK

Using the block maps created, every street physically on the ground must be located on the map.
This will be done a survey team in the field. Missing streets, even small mud roads and lanes, must be
added to the map.

The street addressing scheme will be administered at the block level. For example, if ‘Block 1’ has
five Main roads, numbered 1st Main Road, 2nd Main Road…5th Main Road, then in ‘Block 2’ the Main
Roads will start from ‘1st Main Road’ again.

A street list for each block must be created from the block map described above. Each street within
the block must be assigned a unique number. The old street names should also be noted, as shown
below in Figure-24.

Figure-24: Street List Form

PUBLIC AWARENESS CAM PAIGN

It is essential to communicate to the public that the city will be implementing a street naming and
property number project. The citizens should be informed of the changes being made to their
localities and its expected benefits in order to secure their cooperation. Display street naming and
property numbering schemes in the city offices for citizens to view.

Methods to Inform the Public:

 Press release to local newspapers and radios (no cost involved);
 Radio advertisements;
 Posters;
 Official inauguration of the project.

The public can be informed of planned changes, such as localities marked for street renaming and
those that will retain current names. Press releases should address citizens’ concerns, such as what
will happen to the old addressing system and how this will affect their property tenure status.

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

The property numbering system requires property owners to mark the number on their house. This
requires their cooperation in order to ensure smooth use of new property addresses by concerned
government departments, such as the postal service and water metering. Other non-government
businesses, such as banks and telephone companies, will require notifications of address changes as
well.

SIGNPOSTING
After street naming is complete, street signs should be made and installed. Following are the
guidelines for the signpost process:
1. Select the street intersection, which will be signposted, in the city or town. Intersections in
streets with high traffic flow and usage should be chosen for signposting. Use the city base map
to locate these street intersections.

2. Select the type of signs to be used for each street. Different signs can be used for different
localities, for example street plaques on walls can be places in the city center, while short concrete
sign poles can be used in for smaller residential neighborhood blocks with less traffic flow.
a. Street Signs on Poles
a. Metal pole with reflective computer-generated lettering (stickers) on both sides of
the signboard. Sign poles are erected at one intersection corner, as shown in Figure-
25 below.
b. Metal pole with hand-painted lettering on both sides of the signboard.
b. Street Plaques on Walls – useful in dense urban areas or narrow roads without room for
poles.
a. Inscribed metal or stone street plaques
b. Painted signs
c. Short Concrete Sign Posts – best for less trafficked roads.

4. On the map, sketch out the placement of all the new and existing signposts throughout the city.

5. The Engineering department of the government should oversee maintenance. It should seek
advertisements from major corporations in the city to offset the initial installation and on-going
maintenance costs. GIS maps can be used to identify location of signposts and a cost structure
can be based on the importance of the location.
Note: This process is based on progressive implementation due to budget constraints. Signs can be
added in the future as need arises and the budget allows. See below for an example signboard.

Figure-25: Sign Posting

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

SIGNBOARD STANDARDS

The signboard standardization is important for a uniform format and visibility. Following are the
recommendations for signboards standards for street signs with poles. These standards have been
provided courtesy of Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF).

The signboard needs to accommodate the following requirements:

 The road name needs to appear in the local language (ie. Kannada) in the first line and in
English on the second line. Since the same street name can occur in multiple blocks, the
road name should be followed by the block name. For example, 7th Main Road – HMT
Block. Many times the blocks’ names will be numbers rather than proper nouns.
 The range of property numbers on either side of the street (until the next sign post) should
be indicated.
 The sign should be made of reflective material so that it is visible at night.
 The sign needs to be about 3 meters above the ground level so that it is clearly visible to
pedestrians and motorists during day and night.
 Each signpost should have two signboards that are at right angles to each other. The
signboards should not hang over the street; rather it should be placed parallel to the street
and hanging over the sidewalk. This will avoid having large Lorries and trucks destroy the
signs.
 As shown in the Figure-26 below, the signpost should be place at the corner of the
intersection, so that the signs are visible to people who are traveling in all four directions of
the intersection.

Figure 26: Signboard Display

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 DIRECTORATE OF MUNIC IPAL ADMINISTRATION

In order to curb costs of expensive sign poles, an advertisement portion can be affixed to the bottom
of the signboard. See Figure 27 for an example.

Figure 27: Signboard Size Specifications

Road Sign Name
300 600

480
100
200

Technical Specifications

Location : A Corner of a road intersection

Note: Bilingual Inscription
Material: HIG retro-reflective on 2mm thick Al
sheeting.

Advertising Specification
3000

75 Dia MS Pipe, 10 Gauge Size: 600x200 mm

Location: 100mm below sign

Design Specification
Font: Shree 855, Helvitica Bold
Font Height: 200 mm
Colour. French Blue: IS No:166

Structural Specifications
75 Dia MS Pipe,
10 Gauge Foundation: 300x300x600
1:2:4 Concerete
Support: MS Pipes 75 dia, 38dia, 25dia
Fixing: Welding & Revetting
Ad Plate: MS Plate

230 Dia MS Pipe,

16 Gauge
300

Foundation

Design Courtesy of BATF - Bangalore Agenda Task Force

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

S T E P S - B Y- S T E P W O R K F L OW
FOR STREET NA MING & PROPERTY NU MBE RING
Maps and Boundaries

1) Create a city map (preferably digital) of the entire city/town showing the city boundaries.
a. Start with Topo Sheets (provided by Survey of India) and overlay available city sketches.
Scan them so that it is available in digital form (raster form is sufficient).
b. Mark the city boundary on the city map.

2) Identify a physical city center (reference point) and assign the meridian (north-south line) and
baseline (east-west line). See section ‘Street Naming’.
a. The ‘city center’ should preferably be a well-known building or location.

3) Identify remaining streets, historical Blocks, Quarters, and Major Campuses etc. And divide
entire city into individual blocks according to street pattern, historical blocks etc. Blocks can be
localities that were formed either by design or by evolution; usually they have a name that the
developer or citizens have given. And number the identified blocks according to the protocol
given in this document.
a. Block naming: Each block should be named with either a name or number. One should
retain existing block names. The street naming and property numbering will be administered
within block boundaries.

4) Mark all the major roads that extend through the city, which usually pass through multiple
blocks.

Street Naming

5) Administer the street naming scheme for all the major roads and main thoroughfares with
high traffic volume first, as per section ‘Street Naming’.
a. Most major roads in the city have names assigned to them by the corporation or commonly
known by the citizens. Do not change the names of these major roads.
b. One does not need to change a street name simply because the same street crosses block
boundaries.
Suggestion: Start the street-naming scheme in one block, as a test case. Then generalize
the process throughout the city.

6) Administer the street naming scheme within each block.

a. Name the North-South roads as Main starting from the one closest to city center.
b. Name the East-West roads as Cross starting from the one closest to city center.
c. Assign a name to every street in the block.
d. Do not assign duplicate names within one block.
e. If old names are to be retained and new ones added, then follow the guidelines in section
‘Street Naming’.

7) Enter the new street names in each block, in a list format, as per the excel spreadsheet shown in
Section ‘Maps and Databases’.

Property Numbering

8) Inform citizens of the new property numbering scheme, since new numbers should be marked
on the doors. Display street naming and property numbering schemes in the city offices for
citizens to view.

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9) Assign property numbers for all major roads first. See section ‘Property Numbering’ for
property numbering guidelines and various systems.
10) Prioritize which localities will be numbered first. The same guidelines apply as mentioned for
‘street naming’.
11) Assign the property numbers for the remaining city streets, block by block.
12) Maintain a database of all new property numbers and their corresponding old numbers in an
excel spreadsheet, as shown below. It will be used to populate the property register.

13) Update the block and city maps with newly assigned property numbers.

Signposting

14) Select the streets in the city or town, which will be named. Streets should be selected with high
traffic flow and usage.
15) Decide the type of sign (sign polls, street plaques, or concrete signs) to be used based on cost and
need. See section ‘Signposting’ for more details.
16) Decide on how many signposts (1, 2, or 4) will be placed in an intersection based on budgetary
constraints.
17) Create a tender to bid for the project. Bid will cover procurement of materials and construction
work.
18) On the block map, sketch out the placement of all the new and existing signposts throughout the
city.
19) Maintenance: Seek advertisements from major corporations from the city to offset the initial
installation and on-going maintenance costs. GIS maps can be used to identify location of
signposts and a cost structure can be based on the importance of the location.

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 STR EET NA MING & PROPERTY NUMBERING GUIDE WITH BLOCK WISE- FSN CONCEPT

Step by Step Work Flow for GIS Based Property Tax Management
System Project Execution

(The role shown inside the bracket indicates the person who executes the step)

1. Get the City Map and identify the city boundary, city centre, Baseline and Meridian, and Major
Roads (AEE/AE/JE).
2. Name and Number all Major Roads as per protocol given in this document (AEE/AE/JE).
3. Identify remaining streets, historical Blocks, Quarters, and Major Campuses etc. And divide
entire city into individual blocks according to street pattern, historical blocks etc. And number
the identified blocks according to the protocol given in this document. (AEE/AE/JE).
4. Take individual maps of identified Blocks and identify all the streets in that block and name &
number them. (AEE/AE/JE).
5. Take 2 copies of fresh digitized Block maps (all missing streets and blocks identified and
numbered) (AEE/AE/JE).
6. Filling up of Form-C for assessed properties by using MAR-19, DCB or Assessment Register
(Bill Collector). (This process does not depend on previous steps, it is a parallel process)
7. Street wise bundling of Form-Cs. (Bill Collector & Municipal Engineer)
8. Filed Survey and filling up of Form-C for both assessed and un-assessed properties under the
supervision of Municipal Engineer (Bill Collectors & Survey Assistants)
9. Insertion of property polygons onto the rough schematic map-I on every day evening from
Monday to Friday after returning back from field survey under the supervision of Municipal
Engineer (Survey Assistants).
10. Filling up of col-8 in form-C under the supervision of RO/RI (Bill Collector).
11. Transfer of property polygons from rough schematic map-I to the proper schematic map-II
under the supervision of Municipal Engineer who is responsible for GIS, on every Saturday
(Survey Assistants and Municipal Engineer).
12. Preparation of Block map along with PID for submission to SOI for approval of the numbering
scheme. (Survey Assistants and Municipal Engineer). This step is independent and steps 12 to 24
will not depend on Step-11.
13. Hand over Form-Cs to higher officials of ULB for verification purpose (Bill Collector).
14. First level verification (Commissioner, RO, RI and other ULB officials)
15. Hand over the verified and corrected Form-Cs to IT-Consultant for Data Entry.
16. Initial Verification by IT-Consultant and make sure all the form-Cs have FSN and hand over to
Data Entry Agency (ULB&DUDC IT-Consultant).
17. Data entry of Form-C by using FSN (Data Entry Operator).
18. Verification by IT-Consultant (ULB&DUDC IT-Consultant).
19. Corrections Incorporation (Data Entry Operator).
20. PDF generation (ULB&DUDC IT-Consultant).
21. Printout of forms (Data Entry Agency).
22. Hand over printouts to ULB officials for Second level verification (IT-Consultant).
23. Second level verification (RO, RI and other ULB officials).
24. Corrections Incorporation (Data Entry Operator).
25. Final printout of data entered Form-C (Data Entry Agency & IT-Consultant).
26. Final printouts to be served to citizens for obtaining their feedback (Bill Collector & Other ULB
Officials).
27. Citizen feedback incorporation (Data Entry Operator).
28. ULB may go live for property tax with MIS database Block by Block.
29. Incorporation of approved PID into MIS database.
30. Obtaining digitized Block maps and GIS database from SOI (Municipal Engineer, GIS).
31. MIS and GIS integration and Corrections incorporation (ULB&DUDC IT-Consultant).
32. ULB to go live for GIS based property tax application Block by Block.

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REFERENCES

1) Street Addressing Manual. World Bank.

2) Local Government Handbook for GIS Implementation within the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania.

3) Street Addressing Standards and Guidelines for the State of Georgia - Georgia Spatial Data
Infrastructure GIS Coordinating Committee.

4) A Guide to Street Naming & Property Numbering – eGovernments Foundation, Bangalore

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