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Parcels

How to read a parcel in Bucky — geometry, dimensions, and jurisdiction identifiers — and what to do when a field has no source on file.

A parcel is the piece of land Bucky reasons about. It's the anchor for almost everything else: zoning applies to a parcel, and feasibility is judged on a parcel. When you ask "what can I build here?", here is a parcel.

What you do

Frame a parcel by searching an address, dropping a pin, or drawing an area on the Projects map — including an assembly of multiple adjacent lots. See site exploration.

What you see

  • Geometry — the parcel's boundary, which defines its shape and extent.
  • Dimensions — measurements derived from that boundary, such as lot width and depth, that matter for what can fit on the land.
  • Identifiers — the reference a jurisdiction uses for the parcel. These vary by region: much of the US uses a parcel identification number (PIN); other jurisdictions use their own scheme.

Source status

Parcel geometry and dimensions come from municipal or county land records where Bucky has ingested them for that jurisdiction. Where a boundary or dimension has no source on file, Bucky says so rather than estimating silently — treat an unsourced figure as a starting point to verify, not a survey. See Citations and confidence for how Bucky distinguishes a sourced fact from an assumption.

Identifiers are region-specific

Because every jurisdiction names land differently, Bucky surfaces the identifier that's meaningful for a parcel's location rather than forcing a single global scheme.

Why the parcel matters

The physical facts of a parcel — how big it is, what shape, where its boundaries sit — combine with its zoning to determine what's buildable. That combination is exactly what feasibility evaluates.

Limits

  • What's known about a parcel depends on the data available for its jurisdiction. Coverage expands jurisdiction by jurisdiction — see Coverage.
  • Parcel geometry is a planning aid, not a survey. Confirm boundaries and ownership with official records before you rely on them for a legal purpose.

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