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ROLE OF LAND SURVEYORS AND GEOSPATIAL ENGINEERS IN THE BUILT

ENVIRONMENT

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N ov e m ber -J a n ua r y coou African Journal of Environmental Research Vol 2, No. 1, 2019. pp 102-117

ROLE OF LAND SURVEYORS AND GEOSPATIAL ENGINEERS IN

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Innocent C. Ezeomedo
Department of Environmental Management, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University ,
Uli Campus, Nigeria.
email: ic.ezeomedo@coou.edu.ng,

Abstract
Surveying has been said to be the bedrock of any physical development. This implies that no
meaningful physical development can occur without the direct and indirect application of the
knowledge of surveying. This knowledge of measurement is vital to nation-building and land surveyors
as geospatial experts around the world are saddled with the responsibility of providing the accurate
geospatial information required in urban and rural development. The paper discusses the
conventional and contemporary role of land surveyors in the built environment with a focus on the
philosophy of surveying. It discusses some applications of the field of surveying, benefits of the land
surveying profession, duties or responsibilities of a surveyor, dangers of neglecting the services of
surveyors and lack of collaboration with other professionals in the built environment. It affirms that,
for a sustainable urban milieu, the services of land surveyors are strongly required in planning,
designing, executing and monitoring of developmental activities. The paper also established the need
for professional collaboration and division of labour in the construction industry. It then recommends
the use of appropriate professionals and concludes that sustainable physical development would be
unattainable in developing countries without the use of land surveyors.

Keywords: Built-Environment, Geomatic Engineers, Land Surveying, Sustainable Urban

Development.

INTRODUCTION
Land surveying, sometimes interchangeably called geomatics has traditionally been defined
as the art, science, and technology of determining or establishing the relative position of
points on, above or below the earth’s surface (Ghilani & Wolf, 2005). In other words, land
surveying can be regarded as that discipline which involves all methods for measuring and
collecting information about the physical earth and our environment, representing the
information as points, lines, or elevations in a usable form on plain paper using suitable scale
to form plans, maps, charts, profile and figures or stored as in report tables or as a computer
based maps disseminated to a wide range of clients (Ghilani & Wolf, 2005). The definition
of surveying and the name itself is changing to reflect the applications of surveying
techniques and the impact that the introduction of computer technology has had on the more
traditional aspects of the discipline. Surveying is one of the world’s oldest and most important
arts because from the earliest times it has been necessary to mark boundaries and divide land.
The science of surveying began in Egypt where Herodotus recorded that Sesostris (about
1400 B.C) divided the land of Egypt into plots for the purpose of taxation. Annual floods of
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River Nile swept away portions of these plots and surveyors were appointed to replace the
boundaries. These early surveyors were called rope-stretchers, since their measurements were
made with ropes having calibration at unit distances.
Surveying has now become indispensable to modern way of life. The results of today’s survey
are used to map the earth above and below sea level, prepare navigational charts for the air, on
land, and at sea, establish property boundaries of private and public lands, develop data banks
of land-use and natural resources information which aid in managing our environment,
determine facts on the size, shape, gravity, and magnetic fields of the earth, prepare charts of
our moon and planets, among numerous applications.
According to Utah Council of Land Surveyors "Professional land surveying or the practice of
land surveying" means any service or work, the adequate performance of which requires the
application of special knowledge of the principles of mathematics, the related physical and
applied sciences, and the relevant requirements of law for adequate evidence to the act of
measuring and locating lines, angles, elevations, natural and man-made features in the air, on
the surface of the earth, within underground workings, and on the beds of bodies of water for
the purpose of determining areas and volumes, for the monumenting or locating property
boundaries or points controlling boundaries, and for the platting and layout of lands and
subdivisions thereof, including the topography, alignment and grades of streets, and for the
preparation and perpetuation of maps, record plats, field notes records, and property
descriptions that represent these surveys and such other duties as sound surveying practices
could direct (Irvine & Maclennan, 2006).
In the engineering and social sciences, the term built environment, or built world, refers to the
human-made environment that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from
buildings to cities and beyond. It has been defined as "the human-made space in which people
live, work and recreate on a day-to-day basis (Roof & Oleru, 2008). In other words, the built
environment encompasses places and spaces created or modified by people to serve their
needs of accommodation, organisation and representation. Built environments are typically
used to describe the interdisciplinary field that addresses the design, construction,
management, and use of these man-made surroundings as an interrelated whole as well as
their relationship to human activities over time. The sciences of the built environment cover
architecture, urbanism, building technology, civil engineering, land surveying, landscaping
and the management of built environment.
Surveying is basic to engineering in the sense that no engineering work can be started without
a surveyor preparing a plan or map of the area showing topographical details involving both
horizontal and vertical measurements (Roy, 2009). Thus, the precise positioning of all
engineering works like roads, railways, buildings, dams, canals among others requires a
geomatic engineering map prepared through surveying. Surveying is used to prepare a
topographic map of land surface of the earth required in any construction and development.
Using the airborne and satellite platforms this can be faster and economical to achieve, with
added advantage of visualising the natural and built environment in 3D (Ndukwe, 2001). This
makes aerial survey, therefore, the best option for collection of topographic data in very
complex areas such as irregular settlements, typically characterised by high-density housing,
irregularly shaped and very precarious construction sites and some place where
accommodation may be located in flood-prone areas (Birriel & González, 2016).
Technological advancements such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Global
Positioning Systems (GPS) have created an even greater need for surveyors in urban planning
as spatial data administrators, organizing the different raster and vector files from the project

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inception till the final step of as-built mapping and infrastructure maintenance using GIS,
(Orit and Moshe, 2006). GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, querying, analyzing
and displaying geospatial data (Chang, 2010; Ndukwe, 2001). It is a technology important to
geoscientists, cartographers, photogrammerists, environmental engineers and urban and
regional planners. People responsible for managing the earth’s natural resources and planning
future development recognize the importance of accurate, spatial information residing in a
geographic information system (GIS) (Jensen, 2007). The creation of large-scale digital
topographic databases of urban areas provides a rich source of basic data that could be used in
a variety of applications which urban planners and engineers can use for both analytical and
management oriented applications (Sliuzas & Brussel, 2000). The paper discusses the
conventional and contemporary role of land surveyors in the built environment with a focus
on the philosophy of surveying. It examines some applications of the field of surveying and
benefits of land surveying profession, duties or responsibilities of a surveyor, dangers of
neglecting the services of a surveyors or patronizing quacks and the significance of
collaboration with other professional in the built environment.

THE FIELD OF SURVEYING

Surveying is divided primarily into plane surveying and geodetic surveying (see Figure 1).
Plane surveys are surveys that are done in small areas. The curvature of the earth is not taken
into consideration. It is assumed that the earth is plane surface. Surveys that fall in this
category are surveys for engineering, designs, and construction, agriculture, urban and
regional planning, land administration, among others. Geodetic surveying on the other hand is
the branch of surveying that takes into consideration that the earth surface is not flat but
spherical. It involves surveys of whole country or very large area. The surveys are carried out
with higher order of accuracy and precision (Figure 1). The curved nature of the earth is
considered and computations are referenced to ellipsoid geodetic surveys. These form the
frame work. Geodetic framework forms the framework which other surveys are based. Also
they form ground controls for aerial photogrammetry. Geodetic surveys employ the use of
precise equipment like Total station, T3, T2 and EDM/Tapes with many rounds of angular
observation in each station. This effort has been made easy with the use of global position
system/Doppler system, which allows position on the surface of the earth to be determined by
making measurement to minimum of four satellites. Geodetic controls can now be established
much faster in a short time and the science that provides backing for Geodetic surveys is
known as Geodesy.

SURVEYING

 PLANE SURVEYING
 CONTROL SURVEYING
 GEODECTIC  TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYING
SURVEYING  CADASTRAL SURVEYING
 HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING
 ENGINEERING SURVEYING
 PHOTOGRAMMETRY/REMOTE
SENSING SURVEYING
 MINING SURVEY

Figure1: Primary division and classifications of surveying

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The basic principles of surveying involve mainly working from “Whole to Part” which entails
traversing and coordinating from two or more permanent stations whose position have already
been well defined in order to localize the error and control the accumulation of errors in field
measurement. Based on purpose and nature of field surveying, methods and type of
instrument used, surveying is further classified as follows:
1. Geodetic Surveys: It is survey based on large area where curvature of the earth is taken into
consideration. High precision equipment is used and all necessary correction must be applied
to distance and angles observed. Geodetic Survey is mainly for mapping, control extension
and high precision construction, surveys for scientific experiment including subsidence
monitoring earth crystal movements and deformation surveys.
2. Engineering Surveys: Engineering/construction surveying is the process of measuring
lengths; height differences and angles on site either for the preparation of large-scale plans or
in order that engineering works can be located in their correct positions on the ground. The
correct term for this kind of surveying is engineering surveying (Uren & Price, 1994). This
involves all survey work before, during and after any civil/engineering project. Before any
works are started, large-scale topographical maps or plans are required as a basis for designs.
The proposed position of any new item of construction must then be marked out on the
ground, both in plain and height (Bannister & Raymond, 1992; Roy, 2009). The objective of
engineering survey is to supply information that will aid the location of projects in their
correct positions on land. It also supplies information to ascertain the correct situation of the
project in the form of as-built surveys.
3. Topographical Surveys: These are surveys for the determination of positions on the earth
surface for the production of maps and plans for natural and man-made features. These are
used to determine the configuration (topography) of the terrain. These are surveys that help to
produce 3D digital terrain model (DTM), digital surface model (DSM), digital elevation
model (DEM). This 3D surface model and DEM can be used for urban geospatial analysis and
decision making. Topography maps were traditionally produced with ground methods using
theodolite, EDM, tapes, levels and other methods of picking details. However, with the advent
of science and technology, most topographic maps/surveys are carried out with aerial
photogrammetric methods and satellite imagery obtained from satellite. According to
Socrates, (450 BC) “Man must rise above the earth-to the top of the atmosphere and beyond;
for only then will he fully understand the world in which he lives”. Thus, remote sensing of
the environment is a fundamental tool for environmental science and resource management,
although, ground methods are still necessary to compliment fast aerial methods.
Topographical maps are used mainly for planning, which encompasses one or more of the
following: layout of commercial and industrial areas, route designs and road network
analysis, site selection and suitability analysis, drainages and irrigation projects, watershed
analysis, flood and erosion control and management, land use planning and providing useful
guides to the military in times of war.
4. Cadastral Surveys: These are surveys for land administration and legal purposes. It
involves defining the boundaries, positions and size (area) of properties. It involves surveys
for land uses and allocation. They usually involve a larger scale than topographical plan or
map. A cadastral system is divided into two, namely, legal and technical cadastrals. The legal
cadastral deals with the process of land registration and interest in individual plots while
technical cadastral is concerned with the technical process of demarcating the property and
producing plan based on your measurements. Cadastral survey is therefore the process of
measuring, defining and recording boundaries or property for land administration or legal

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purposes. This is the commonest type of surveys practiced in Nigeria. Land ownership in
Nigeria is based mainly on plans produced from cadastral surveys.
5. Hydrographic Surveys: These are surveys carried out in water bodies for the purpose of
construction of floorboard and desk, coastal defense work, determining sea bed configuration
for navigational charts, dredging, offshore gas and oil related construction like oil platforms
and pipelines, sewage disposal, mineral resources development as well as positioning in the
sea. It involves the use of acoustic equipment and global positioning system, scanners etc. to
be able to map the seabed.
6. Photogrammetry: This includes all surveys that make measurements from photographs
obtained from aircrafts taken in series of flight over an area. Thus, photogrammetry is an art,
science and technology of obtaining and recording reliable information through measurement
from photographs taken in the air. Measurements from photographs taken from ground
stations or platforms are called terrestrial photogrammetry. The purpose of photogrammetry is
to produce maps and photographs that are useful for road design, land administration, mineral
exploration, and military applications, among others.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SURVEYOR

Orit and Moshe (2006) discussed the role of the surveyor in the development of an urban
construction plan in Israel, starting at the initial architectural sketch through the detailed
engineering planning which will lead smoothly to the construction phase. It describes the
planning and land rights registration procedures and the duties of the surveyor in these
interrelated processes. Hence, there is a need for systematic data collection phase that includes
topographic mapping at a proper scale, and compilation of statuary and local maps and data of
the project area. This phase is critical to the success of the project since the planning team
depend upon these data being of a reasonable degree of exactness and completeness. Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is one of the largest professional bodies in UK and
it is regarded as a leader in matters relating to land, property and construction. Their aim is to
provide its members, known as chartered surveyors, with support; provide facilities; promote
and publicise to the public the services they offer and to regulate its members through rules of
conduct to ensure the high standing of profession (Uren, & Price, 1994). Similarly, in Nigeria,
Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) and Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) are
saddled with the responsibility of regulating the activities of surveying: registration,
regulation and coordination of surveyors in Nigeria; while, the apex mapping agency in
Nigeria, the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) is statutorily saddled
with the responsibility of providing and coordinating surveying and mapping activities within
the country. As the central depository for survey, mapping and geoinformation activities in
the country, state survey departments, oil companies, private practitioners and institutions are
required by law to inform the OSGOF of such activities.
The foregoing would appear to be very different from the public perception of a ’surveyor’ as
simply somebody who stands next to the road looking through a telescope lens of a theodolite
and waving his arms about. Recognizing the increasing importance of the practice of
surveying, the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) recently adopted the definition of a
surveyor as a professional person with the academic qualifications and technical expertise to
conduct one, or more, of the surveying activities. These tasks that are performed solely by the
surveyor are illustrated in Figure 2.

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Figure 2: The different steps in the urban development workflow.

Source: (Orit & Moshe, 2006)

In conducting surveying activities, surveyors have always played a key role in urban
planning, land development. They are responsible for data collection and for the management
of different design and engineering plans such as transportation, water system, and power
system plans using proper metric standards (for instance, coordinate system, accuracy,
drafting specifications). Qualified surveyors are obliged to keep abreast with modern
developments through continuous professional development (Irvine & Maclennan, 2006).
There are different kinds of surveyors, but the most common types are the land surveyors.
The land surveyors work both in the office and in the field. See Figure 3.

Figure 3: What a Surveyor Does

Source: (McKay, 2019)

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According to McKay (2019), the job and duties that surveyors should expect to have can be
diverse and require various training and skills. They include and are not limited to provision
of topographical maps showing hills, rivers, towns, villages, forests and other natural and
manmade features, planning and estimating new engineering projects like water supply and
irrigation schemes, mines, railroads, bridges, transmission lines, buildings, showing the
boundaries field, houses and other properties, setting out a work (see Figure 4) that is,
transfer of details from map to ground knowledge, or planning navigation routes and harbors,
marine and hydrographic data and preparation of military maps for strategic planning.
Therefore, execution of a project of any magnitude is constructed along the lines and points
established by surveying. This means that the measurement of land and the fixation of its
boundaries cannot be done without surveying. Accordingly, the economic feasibility of the
engineering project cannot be properly ascertained without undertaking a survey work.

Figure 4: Setting out sewer

Source: (Gautam, 2018)

Surveyors are responsible for providing the evidence required for proving the ownership of a
property in cases of dispute or land settlements. An accurate survey ends a lot of
misunderstanding when it comes to property ownership (Schwartz, 2018). Surveyors stand as
a witness or an adviser, drawn into the vortex of land litigation. If an urban area grows to the
extent that land encroachment occurs, the expert in the land case may be a surveyor (Russel,
Brinker & Roy, 1995). Surveyors carry out different types of detailed research to solve
countless environmental problems for the benefit of its sustainability. They are always behind
the scenes making sure they update the built environment and correct all the errors in older
survey documents caused by old methods of collecting information. Chukwu (2016) reported
that surveyors seem innocuous to the average citizen and that except their service was
required, their name or their equipment may not make any meaning to them. Yet they are
indispensable, if a judicious use of the environment is to be made. With over 3,000 registered
Surveyors in Nigeria, it is pertinent to identify the often neglected surveying and mining
sectors as crucial to the development of institutional and infrastructural advancement of the
country.
Experts say that 85 per cent of activities on the surface of the earth require mapping, thus
signifying that the surveying profession is one of the foremost and primary professions in the
world. The former Surveyor General of the Federation, Prof. Peter Nwilo, underscored the
relevance of the profession when he said:

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“Surveying is all about measurements, traditionally, measuring distances, angles with

a view to determining maps or plans used for developments. As we are here, we have a
coordinate, our position is known. Everything you do on the surface of the earth has a
location. Our movement has a location and that location can be traced. There cannot
be development without surveying and mapping whether on the surface, under the
surface or in water, that information about the location must be known and if you
attempt to develop without surveying and mapping, you are like a blind man moving in
the bush trying to find a way” (Chukwu, 2016).
The first necessity in surveying is to prepare a plan and a section of an area to be covered by
the project. From these prepared maps and sections the best possible alignment, amount of
earthwork and other necessary details depending upon the nature of the project can be
calculated, figure 5 and figure 6. Thus, the measurement of land and the fixation of its
boundaries cannot be done without surveying. This involves the determination of the size and
shape of the earth and measurement of all data needed to define the size, position, shape, and
contour of any part of the earth, were both horizontal and vertical observation are carried out
using surveying instruments. Moreover, surveyors determine the positions of boundaries of
public or private land, including national and international boundaries and registration of
those lands with appropriate authorities. This is normally described as cadastral mapping. The
positioning of objects in space, and positioning and monitoring of physical features,
structures, and engineering works, on, above, or below the surface of the earth, are all
achievable with the services of land surveyors. This includes planning and designing of all
civil engineering projects such as railways, highways, tunneling; massive buildings, airfields,
ports, irrigation, dams, reservoirs, canals, waterworks and sewerage works. Execution of any
project of any magnitude is done along the lines and points established by surveying.

Figure 5a: Base map showing gully Figure 5b: Map produced from Satellite
erosion site image for Geospatial analysis
Source: (Ezeomedo, 2017) Source: (Ezeomedo, & Igbokwe, 2018)

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Figure 6a: 3D surface model of Figure 6b: Suburbia

Awka, Anambra State Source: (David Shankbone, 2008)
Source: (Ezeomedo, 2017)

The infrastructure that connects us relies on surveying. This includes roads, bridges, and
railways which link energy supplies and communication networks among others (see Plate 1).

Plate 1: Rail Construction

Plate 2 shows setting of pillar position for pilling of bridge at Ahoada, EW road, River State,
Nigeria in 2008 using a Leica total Station instrument and other stages of road construction.

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Plate 2: Road Construction

Source: (Fieldwork, 2008)

Drainage construction, setting out of new structure, bridge construction, laying of curb stones,
Street light and other electrification projects and laying of asphalts are shown. Thus, the
planning and design of all civil engineering projects such as railways, highways, tunneling,
irrigation, dams, reservoirs, waterworks, sewerage works, airfields, ports, massive buildings,
underground utilities (Plate 3,4,5 and 6), are all based upon surveying measurements.

Plate 3: Shewing Laying of Pipe Lines, Steel pipes for the water reticulation, based upon
surveying measurements

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Plate 4: Underground construction based on surveying measurements

Plate 5: Building construction based upon surveying principles and measurements

Plate 6: The execution of hydrographic and oceanographic charting and mapping

required for Seaports, marine, seismic, harbour, are based upon surveying
measurements

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Geomatic Engineering
Geomatic engineers study the natural and social environment, measurement of land and
marine resources, and produce data to be used in planning of development in urban, rural, and
regional areas. Geospatial/Geomatic engineers are the most recent additions to the
engineering family. They use new and developing technologies such as GPS, LiDAR, UAV
(like Drone), satellite imagery, laser mapping and fast computing to create complex layers of
interconnected geographic information. According to Charlton Bland (a geospatial surveyor),
geospatial surveying is at the forefront of the profession and it’s really growing in UK and
abroad, so there are huge opportunities to work in (RICS, 2019). The major duties of a
geomatic engineer is summarised in Figure 2, where the end result is to produce plans, maps
or charts for planning, development and decision making towards a sustainable built world.

Figure 2: The profile of Geomatic Engineering

DANGERS OF NEGLECTING A SURVEYOR OR USING QUACKS

According to Olumide (2019), it takes much more than a social media account, a classy
address, office and business card to be a professional surveyor. The same is true for many
professions and professionals. Considering the importance of the services that a land surveyor
offers and what is dependent on the outcome of such services, no one should choose quacks to
handle their surveying needs. Many have lost millions of their money because their surveys
which are the foundation on which their claim to ownership is based, and the basis on which
the designs of the developments were executed, was done by non-professionals.
When the planning team in construction did not verify the right-of-way length and as a result
the first line of building encroached into the right of way area, the planning had to be
modified, resulting in loss of time and money. When the services of surveyors are ignored,
there could be improper feasibility study, inaccurate orientation of structures, inaccurate
estimates of engineering works (calculation of areas and volumes), erosion, flooding, bridge
collapse or breakdown, building collapse (Plate 7a), land-in-dispute and land encroachment,
urban environmental problems to mention but few. For instance, when roads are not well
leveled and properly drained, water will always tends to settle on top of newly constructed
roads and subsequently cause road decay and damage (Plate 7b). These should not be
tolerated because of the need to ensure safety of users. Over the years, properties are created
from the division of larger pieces of land. Without proper record-keeping, the risk of
inadequate calculations may arise in the future, leading to abutting properties not matching

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with adjacent parcels which can in-turn leave overlaps and gaps. Surveyors ensure that these
don’t happen. They ensure that a property doesn’t suffer from miscalculations, improper
bonding, wildlife crossings, false titles and even easements. This they do when they measure,
store, process data obtained from the environment.

Plate 7a: Building Collapse in Nigeria Plate 7b: Road failure due to improper drainage

Source: (Channels Television, 2014) Source: (firstwatercontracting.com, 2018)

PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION

Irvine and Maclennan (2006) highlighted the need for enlightening and creating awareness
among potential surveyors, civil engineers, architects, town planners and those into building
and environmental studies. This is because they require a solid grounding in the fundamental
principles of land surveying for a sustainable built environment. The construction industry is
as old as human civilization itself. The history of the industry changes with evolution of
human settlements and culture. It has its different features in each age of human existence,
viz., agricultural, industrial and information ages. As such the construction industry has over
time, in an attempt to overcome evolving challenges as a result of increasing complexity of
human settlement (town, country, city, megacity), culminated into specializations that seek to
enhance efficiency and economical service delivery in the industry (Olanrewaju & Akinpelu,
2014). Historically, the professionals representing the land and built environment have
depended upon and trusted their professional bodies to both uphold educational and
professional standards among its members and regulate the profession for the benefit of
members and broader society (Wilkinson & Reed, 2010).
The construction of all projects and different types of physical development involve the
services of many professionals, who design, construct and maintain, from inception to
completion, and to terminal demolition (Fadamiro, & Ogunsemi, 1996). The construction
sector in a country’s economy is an important employer of a nation’s workforce as it employs
between 2 to 10% of total workforce of most countries (Zantanidis & Tsiotras, 1998).
Choosing a career in the built environment is a route to making a positive contribution to
nation building and perhaps, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a structure through
from the first concept of sketches to it being occupied and enjoyed. Carey and Doherty (1968)
stated that a professional is automatically tied up with more practical concepts and
expectations from the public, encompassing issues such as competence, responsibility and
willingness to serve the public. Brien (1998) avers that the problem that faces any
professional community is how it could regulate itself effectively to justify its autonomy,
while ensuring that the clients of its members and society as a whole benefit from the
profession’s and the individual professional’s actions, rather than becoming their victims.

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In making crucial decisions of what goes where and why in a built environment, land
surveyors are involved in planning the construction of everything from skyscrapers, shopping
centres, football stadiums to simple home extensions. They must work alongside other
professionals; architects and land developers such as civil engineers, landscape architects,
cartographers and photogrammetrists, building technologist, environmental managers, estate
surveyors, quantity surveyors, geographers, urban and regional planners for division of
labour, to define legal land boundaries and provide essential engineering support for urban
development, large infrastructure projects, the development and operation of mines and the
management of the environment and resources. Geomatics should work with the planning
team in verifying the distance from rightmost edge of road to building-line, distance from
leftmost edge of road to building-line road width accurate determination of the project
boundary, working with the road designer and make sure the right of way lengths are
maintained, proportioning parcel frontages in equal and symmetrical manner and according to
the local regulation with the project architect, accurate calculation of parcel areas and
verifying that these areas conform with the local authority zoning and land-use regulations.
Project management surveyors run teams to deliver projects on time and on budget.
Quantity surveyors assess the financial impact and profitability of construction projects.
Building control surveyors design and manage the use of buildings to make sure they comply
with laws and regulations. Infrastructure surveyors ensure the effective running and
connecting of cities, including rail, road, water and electricity. The use of appropriate
professionals in any developmental activities and the need for professional collaboration is
required for urban sustainable mapping and smart city development. This collaboration will
enhance the production of comprehensive design documents, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation. Working together will bring checks and balances and elevate professionalism for
better nation building and environmental sustainability.

CONCLUSION

Surveyors shape the environments where we live, from our towns and cities to our streets and
homes, they help to create safer, better and happier communities. They help keep to traffic
flowing, water running and people moving. They help to shape our roads, bridges and tunnels,
our skyscrapers, stations and stadiums. They help to regenerate deprived areas and planning
smart cities, while pioneering safer, more sustainable and more environmentally friendly
urban environment. The consequences of not using the services of experts in surveying and
geospatial engineering will lead to loss of time and money, land disputes, urban chaos and
unsustainable urban milieu. There is the need for professional collaboration. This
collaboration will bring about the interplay of the forces of mutual understanding among the
experts for increased efficiency, while encouraging professionalism. In addition, a strict
enforcement of regulations and laws by the professional bodies should prevent function
overlap among the professions in the construction industry. It is therefore imperative that
appropriate professionals are used in all developmental activities.

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