Arcgis Austin

What Arcgis Austin does

Arcgis Austin MCP server exposes City of Austin open geospatial data to MCP-compatible AI clients. Its dataset catalog covers topics such as parcels, zoning, transportation, parks, and city services. The integration is an independent, unofficial connection and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by the City of Austin or another upstream provider.

The service follows a discovery-to-query workflow. First, search for a relevant dataset. The result includes the dataset name, summary, record count, owner or organization, and a Feature Service URL. Use that URL with the layer inspection or query tools.

How it works

search_datasets accepts a keyword and returns matching City of Austin GIS datasets. The returned service URL is the handoff point for the other tools.

layer_info examines an ArcGIS Feature Service or Map Service layer. It reports the available fields and their types, geometry type, total record count, and supported capabilities. This is useful before writing a query because it reveals the layer schema.

query_layer retrieves records from a layer URL. It supports SQL-like where conditions, comma-separated out_fields, order_by, limit, and offset. Results contain attribute rows and geometry. To inspect a sample, use a condition such as 1=1 and request all fields with out_fields="*".

Setup and configuration

Arcgis Austin MCP server can be used through the hosted Pipeworx gateway or run locally as a stdio package. For a hosted connection, configure an MCP client with the streamable HTTP endpoint:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arcgis-austin": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/arcgis-austin/mcp"
    }
  }
}

The gateway endpoint lists the pack tools along with shared Pipeworx meta-tools. Its initialization response is the authoritative source for the tools available at a given time. The gateway can also route broader questions through ask_pipeworx.

For local execution, use the published npm package with a stdio configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arcgis-austin": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-arcgis-austin"]
    }
  }
}

The local process communicates over standard input and output and exposes only this pack's tools. It does not require a Pipeworx account or gateway round trip.

Tools and capabilities

The three pack-specific tools support these tasks:

• Find Austin GIS datasets by keyword.
• Review a layer's fields, geometry, record count, and capabilities.
• Retrieve filtered, ordered, paginated records with geometry.
• Explore a layer by requesting all fields and a broad condition.
• Use returned service URLs as inputs for subsequent operations.

Limitations and notes

Arcgis Austin MCP server is focused on City of Austin GIS data exposed through ArcGIS Feature Service and Map Service layers.

The hosted pack endpoint includes shared gateway tools in addition to the three pack-specific tools, so its total tool count is larger than the local stdio server's list. The full Pipeworx gateway exposes the broader catalog directly, while ask_pipeworx can route questions across that catalog from either gateway connection. Initial gateway calls do not require an account according to the setup notes.