Mapping

Fish and Wildlife to deploy drones in battle against invasive plants

To protect native plants and reduce equipment impact on the environment, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will deploy aerial drones to spray invasive plants with herbicides.

  • By Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard

Cloud move takes city’s GIS from rough to ready

Perrysburg, Ohio, used to map underground utility lines with a kludgy VPN and on-prem server, but a cloud-based system is more accurate, efficient and user friendly.

  • By Chris Teale

VR drives next-gen situational awareness for public safety

The winner of NIST’s challenge developed a digital twin of a command center that gives remote users access to the center’s large-format video walls and 3D tools through a head-mounted display.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

VR map tracks ‘silent killer’ of extreme heat

A 3-D map of Washington, D.C., overlaid with temperature data illustrates urban heat islands and shows neighborhoods that are most at risk.

  • By Chris Teale

Scarce GIS resources could hamstring state broadband challenges

The FCC allows states to challenge its new national map through January 13, but the requirements could be too onerous for those without specialized staff.

  • By Chris Teale

Nonprofit cites ‘inaccuracies’ in new broadband maps

Open internet advocate Public Knowledge urged the FCC to clarify the challenge process, the availability of satellite internet and the role of anchor institutions.

  • By Chris Teale

City seeks digital twin for public building interiors

As original blueprints are no longer accurate, Aurora, Illinois, wants indoor digital maps to update records and increase public safety.

  • By Chris Teale

Environmental groups using digital tech to bolster data collection

Environmental data and mapping technologies are helping Virginia environmentalists raise community awareness and guide agencies' climate-friendly plans.

  • By Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury

State serves up map for tackling food insecurity

An interactive food resource map covers all 46 counties in South Carolina and features profiles for more than 900 food pantries and resources.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Surveillance is pervasive: Yes, you are being watched, even if no one is looking for you

It’s important to recognize how physical and digital tracking work together.

  • By Peter Krapp, The Conversation

Cincinnati maps food insecurity gaps

Building off of its emergency food delivery response at the height of the pandemic, the city is now using the same tools to tackle the long-term issue of food insecurity.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee

Nevada adds dashcam data to digital twin of work zone traffic

By incorporating Nexar’s dashcam data into its Esri-based digital twin platform, the Southern Nevada Regional Transit Commission aims reduce traffic congestion around work zones and improve safety.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee

Faster, safer bridge inspections

Researchers are working to help inspectors make quicker, easier and more accurate determinations about the structural integrity of bridges.

  • By Susan Miller

How Waze partners with cities on data sharing

Under the Connected Citizens Program, participating cities and states get filtered data based on aggregated traffic information Waze collects from their communities of drivers.

  • By Matt Leonard
Featured eBooks

NWS poised for flood season with sharper tools for mapping risk

The National Weather Service has a number of tools to help gauge the risk of seasonal flooding, including maps that show both landscape elevations and water depth.

  • By Patrick Marshall

Alaska's scale puts USGS mapping systems to the test

A USGS project to create 3D maps of the continental United States uses special high altitude, cloud-penetrating radar to collect data across Alaska’s remote expanses.

  • By Patrick Marshall

Flood-risk planners await next-generation laser mapping

USGS, NOAA and FEMA use LiDAR elevation mapping technology to improve flood-risk assessments.

  • By Patrick Marshall

EPA to open its ArcGIS data to the public

Esri is allowing its government customers to release data stored on its ArcGIS platform to the public.

  • By Mike Cipriano

App helps Pennsylvania get its bridges back

Tablet app helps the state survey its complete road and bridge system.

  • By John Breeden II

FEMA crowdsources disaster response

FEMA's mobile app now has a feature that allows citizens to photograph, geotag and explain conditions in their local area.

  • By John Breeden II