Fall NEARC 2024

The New York Department of State, Office of Planning, Development, and Community Infrastructure, with Stone Environmental, have reimagined the New York Geographic Information Gateway website using ArcGIS Online. Now that the new Gateway is live, the team has turned their attention to a version of the website for kids in grades 3-6. The website is called KidsMapVenture and the team built it with ArcGIS Hub, ArcGIS StoryMaps and an ArcGIS Instant App. The purpose of the site is for kids to learn about geography with interesting, engaging ArcGIS Online content and external websites. Also, KidsMapVenture empowers educators with resources and activities for their students to enhance learning about geography, particularly in New York State.

Our team carefully designed content that is relevant to New York State learning standards to support teachers’ curriculum and help kids gain skills in geographic awareness. We conducted user research with adults and students, integrating their input into an accessible design. Learn how our team configured a GIS website for a younger audience, the tools they used, user research sessions that helped enhance the content, and design choices that make the website interesting for kids.

Since 2020, homeschooling has increased nationally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after school restrictions were lifted, many families chose to continue homeschooling. Homeschooled students often have ample time for in-depth project work and center their learning around their individual interests. Thus, homeschooling families can be an ideal audience for geographic-based inquiries. This presentation will focus on an online pilot project that incorporated the ArcGIS Online Schools contest as a means of engaging homeschooled children ages 5-14 in conducting geographic research. Challenges and lessons learned from this project can help to inform future GIS outreach efforts.

Long gone are the days where teaching was strictly done with chalk on a blackboard. The modern, web-connected classroom allows educators to access teaching materials, tools, and examples from around the world like never before, at the touch of a finger. This presentation will introduce and demonstrate several free online GIS tools that can be used to enhance teaching in geography, history, and the sciences.

I have been working with undergraduate student interns since 2017 in both field situations and in data analysis.  There have been multiple hurdles, but also some terrific successes.  One of the biggest lessons I've learned is how prepared I need to be to create a very robust layer for them to collect data within.  It's very different from a layer I might create for my own use as multiple people will use it and need to interpret it without assistance.  My goal is to talk about how I manage GIS interns and how I hope to improve this process in the future.  

What if there was an incredibly easy to use tool for K-12 students (which can also be used in introductory higher education courses) to explore data, layers, and maps? The National Geographic MapMaker application provides an intuitive interface that any grade level can utilize to explore global datasets in 2D and 3D. When educators need an application focused on a specific geography or topic, they can build the same experience with the configurable Atlas application.

While it’s not overly difficult to make a basic ArcGIS Dashboard, it can be very challenging and time consuming to create a dashboard which looks appealing and is easy to use, especially when your intended users lacks GIS experience. This presentation will explore helpful tips and tricks for making attractive, easy-to-use dashboards based on my own successes (and failures) while working on a variety of mapping projects over the past four years.

Kettle bogs have unique profile of a sphagnum moss ring surrounding open water.  As a group project an Advanced GIS Class used this unique characteristic along with seven other characteristics to identify kettle bogs within NY State’s Adirondack Park.  Approximately 140 kettle bogs were identified, which is 1.27% of all the water bodies in the Park.  These results are being used for further research on kettle bogs.

The African Building Heritage Project is an international and multidisciplinary initiative involving scholars from the United States and Benin. The American team comprises Killion Mokwete (Architecture), Patricia Davis (Communications/Cultural Studies), Jessica Parr (History/Archives), Bahare Sanaie-Movahed (GIS Specialist), Halima Haruna (History PhD Student), Gavin Gershman (Architecture Undergraduate Student), and Sophie Legget (GIS Co-op).

This project focuses on producing 3D models of historically significant, at-risk sub-Saharan African buildings using LIDAR data obtained from a LEICA handheld scanner and a drone. These buildings are georeferenced, and attribute information is collected on-site using Survey123. The results are incorporated into a searchable web database using the ArcGIS Online suite. This geospatial archive leverages technology for preservation and access, promoting the study of African architecture and preserving digital facsimiles of buildings threatened by climate change, resource limitations, and other challenges.

In December 2023 and June 2024, our team traveled to Porto Novo, Benin, as our project’s pioneering site, where we scanned five buildings, including a nineteenth-century mosque built by Afro-Brazilian returnees. Benin holds cultural and intellectual significance for Haitians and the broader African Diaspora.

Our NEARC presentation will cover the project's conception and introduce the African Built Heritage hub. Due to varying travel and research schedules, some team members may contribute their parts of the presentation via pre-recorded comments or Zoom.

Keywords: Digital Cultural Heritage, African Architecture, GIS, Cultural Preservation, 3D Modeling, Digital Archives, ArcGIS Hub, ArcGIS Dashboard, ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS StoryMap, Education.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the field of GIS, but is still being grappled with in education. We know that both students and the workforce are using AI, yet are uncertain of its long-term impacts on learning and socio-environmental systems. At Dartmouth College, the Geography Department has been exploring AI technologies in GIS classes from introductory to advanced and assessing their impact on student learning. This presentation offers our experiences, findings, and points of discussion for a new technological future.

Join our panelists as they discuss the GPS and Data Collector equipment people are using and the issues they might be encountering. This conversation will primarily focus on, but is not limited to, field data collection within the ESRI suite of software: Field Maps, Survey123, and Quick Capture. Discussion topics will include equipment, software, and GPS correction technology. We will cover tablets, Bluetooth GPS receivers, GNSS Handheld Data Collectors, legacy hardware like the Trimble 7x’s, specialized software such as mobile device management and GPS middleware, as well as GPS correction technology. Our panelists will also bring some of the devices they are currently using for a show and tell.

Join us for an insightful look at the technology people are using!

Do you know how the network analysis tool works and how it's used to answer problems? This presentation will explore the fundamentals of how the tool works and how it can be used for real world applications. We will share a few case studies which used Network Analysis to solve unique problems related to snow plowing and emergency response. Participate in this 60-minute presentation by sharing your own tips and tricks or ask questions on the utility and application of the tool.

The ArcGIS Utility Network (UN) is a transformational technology change, a modernization effort replacing earlier widely adopted Esri network technology and data models, embedding logic and functionality that will further empower organizations. At the same time, the UN represents a significant deviation from more traditional data schemas and requires a thoughtful and deliberate approach to help ensure organizational and technological readiness. As support for Arc Desktop is getting ready to be retired have you planned for how you will transition to ArcPro for your Utility data?

This presentation will highlight the ArcGIS Utility Network adoption pathway and address considerations for existing utilization patterns, required server infrastructure, integrations with Asset Management and other business systems. This transition is not a one size fits all approach and this presentation will help assist your decision process for the approach that best fits your needs and if the UN is the right fit for your organization. Additionally, this presentation will include an overview of what's next for Water Utilities addressing vertical assets and into the future with digital twins.

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) and Blue Raster will give a short oral presentation on the approach and the GIS tools used to create a user-friendly web-based experience for the ECOS Regional Plan.
CCRPC has been producing a Regional Plan to protect the county’s resources and to guide its development since 1976. CCRPC has branded their regional plan as the ECOS Regional Plan, a sustainability plan for the most populous county in VT. Currently, the ECOS Plan consists of disparate content types consisting of 8 pdf documents of existing conditions and policy, 70+ GIS Layers in a web map viewer, and 100+ indicators for tracking progress on the ECOS strategies. This has made access and useability a challenge.

For the 2026 update, CCRPC wanted a solution to better integrate all the types of content that makes up the ECOS Plan to increase understanding of the ECOS Plan among community audiences. CCRPC has partnered with Blue Raster to build the ECOS Plan website on ESRI’s Hub platform.

Using ArcGIS Hub Premium, Blue Raster designed and deployed a visually pleasing user-friendly Hub site for CCRPC’s ECOS Plan. The ECOS Plan Hub site brings to life the dense pdf document by using a topic-based icon system to connect community users with their topic of interest with just a few clicks. A user can then access key insights on that topic portrayed through short narratives, geo-spatial data and indicators. Additionally, the user can choose to translate the site into numerous languages using Hub’s translation widget.

Most of the data indicators for Chittenden County come from the Decennial Census and American Community Survey. Because CCRPC is committed to keeping the ECOS Plan data indicators current on an annual basis, they were looking for a solution to minimize manual updates and processing time. Blue Raster configured Hub to connect to ESRI’s Living Atlas and Community Analyst, so the ECOS Plan site is updated as soon as new data is available. This required custom coding of the Hub’s chart widget to connect to these services. Blue Raster also customized the chart widget to expand the number of variables and formatting of the charts shown on each ECOS Plan topic page.

Learn how CCRPC collaborated with Esri partner Blue Raster on a Hub site to connect community and increase understanding of the CCRPC ECOS plan by using the Living Atlas, dynamic charts and more!

Vermont, one of the most rural states in the U.S., is leading the charge to expand broadband internet access to its citizens. The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is responsible for overseeing this work and distributing funding to and collaborating with regional collaborators. Stone Environmental, an Esri Silver Business Partner, empowered the VCBB with ArcGIS Online to manage data. Learn how Stone and the VCBB use ArcGIS Hub, ArcGIS Dashboards, and Experience Builder to bridge the digital divide in Vermont. We'll dive into a specific case study looking at the State-led BEAD Challenge process and the challenges and unique solutions Stone configured to meet federal requirements and the needs of Vermont addresses lacking adequate access to broadband services.

In the field of public engagement, the effective collection, analysis, and presentation of data are essential to fostering community involvement and informed decision-making. Esri’s ArcGIS offers a suite of powerful tools designed to seamlessly integrate these facets, notably Survey123, Dashboards, and StoryMaps. This presentation showcases the collaborative use of these ArcGIS products to enhance public engagement across a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning project with the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center.

Survey123 plays a pivotal role in gathering public input and feedback efficiently. This tool enables project teams to collect georeferenced data from participants, ensuring that public opinions and observations are spatially contextualized. Surveys can be customized to address specific needs such as community needs assessments, call out areas of concern and allows the public to voice any additional thoughts they may have. By utilizing Survey123, communities can engage with diverse demographics, ensuring that a broad spectrum of voices is heard and considered in the decision-making process.

Once data is collected, ArcGIS Dashboards deliver an intuitive platform for analyzing and interpreting the information. Dashboards can be tailored for both public and private viewers, providing real-time insights and visualizations that are crucial for transparency and responsive planning. Through interactive charts, maps, and lists, stakeholders gain a comprehensive understanding of the collected data, thereby informing decisions and strategies effectively for a successful project.

Finally, StoryMaps combines narrative text, images, and multimedia with geographic data to create compelling, interactive presentations of project findings and additional details. This tool transforms raw data into an engaging story, facilitating a deeper connection with the audience and enabling a broader understanding of the project's impacts and objectives. The storytelling aspect is crucial for bridging the gap between data and the public, making complex information accessible and engaging.

By leveraging Survey123 for data collection, Dashboards for analysis, and StoryMaps for presentation, this integrated approach not only enhances data-driven decision-making but also fosters greater public participation and engagement. Attendees will gain insights into the practical applications, benefits, and best practices of using ArcGIS products in community-engaged projects, ultimately driving more inclusive and informed outcomes.

The University of New Hampshire started our journey of Indoor GIS mapping more than a decade before ArcGIS Indoors was a glimmer in ESRI’s eye. We’ll discuss our early days of CAD georeferencing and conversion utilizing model builder, python and currently FME as well as poor CAD drafting versus the nobel sensibilities of GIS and realizing the third dimension. Furthermore, revelations on early indoor asset data collection via old school printed maps to Collector and finally Field maps and aligning to the ArcGIS Indoors schema. We’ll discuss the constant struggle between aligning our ever changing physical infrastructure to our “digital twin” or vice versa, whether it’s discovering “new” rooms to physical signage mismatches. Join us as we dive into the trials and tribulations of Indoor GIS mapping through the years and what it might hold for the future of space management and beyond at UNH.

Higher Education has attempted to grapple with the efficient utilization of space for decades. The issues adding to the challenge vary from internal politics to the lack of reliable or complete data sources for decision making. Many techniques and tools can be used to try and assess or quantify the use of space. No single one seems to offer the solution. The University of New Hampshire leadership recently engaged with a software vendor to try and find a new technological approach to solving the space problem. We are currently implementing the use of this software platform that utilizes AI for the mapping of devices via wireless access points and uses the data collected for the assessment of space utilization. That’s the claim anyway. This talk will go over the challenge of the university’s leadership expectation for a technological “easy button” as well as implementation challenges associated with this solution. Join us as we attempt to hold a software contractor/consultant accountable for their claims in relation to leadership expectations and whether the solution holds up to the sniff test when compared to traditional tools used to asses space utilization.

70% of the total cost of ownership of most assets happens long after the asset is built and installed. Once the asset is designed, built, and installed, owners have minimal control over the total cost of ownership throughout the lifecycle of that asset. Developing a true asset lifecycle management program is a powerful methodology and allows owners to save more than 40% on the total cost of ownership over the asset's life. Trimble Unity utilized Esri GIS in a truly seamless process to take control of your asset management program and maximize the asset's true potential, reduce costs, and improve overall performance.

This presentation focuses on using FME to work with Surficial Geology GIS data that has been stored in everything from Feature Services to e00. Surficial Geology can refer to the unconsolidated sediment, landforms, or surficial bedrock present in an area. This project focuses on the unconsolidated sediment and landforms, which vary depending on the region. The goal of this project is to derive “high-level” insights from publicly available data where the desired information is often buried within a paragraph. This presentation will cover the challenges and techniques that were applied within FME to wrangle these data. Each state that has been processed so far has provided its own challenges and unique issues.

With the availability of federal and state funding, states such as Massachusetts have a financial opportunity to ensure that every broadband serviceable location (BSL) across the state has access to at least one high speed internet connection. Though great progress has been made, there are still a few remaining pockets of unserved and underserved locations across the commonwealth.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is administering federal broadband infrastructure funds allocated to Massachusetts through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. MBI saw a need to develop more accurate statewide BSL data to support its objective of deploying federal funds to achieve universal access to high-speed internet service. The licensing requirements, data sharing and distribution constraints, and low data accuracy of existing address level BSL data prevented MBI from leveraging third-party data.

To get a complete view of the broadband landscape in Massachusetts, Sanborn collaborated with MBI to create a state-owned BSL layer using publicly available 911 and parcel data using Safe Software's FME and Esri ArcPro QA/QC tools. The resulting data allows MBI to more accurately target federal funds for the state of Massachusetts to achieve viable broadband mass market service availability to every residential and business address in the state.

The Road Centerline Update Request App (https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/5b7c6df52704408da630658a1a922ac1) was developed using ArcGIS Experience Builder to help Vermont Agency of Transportation Mapping Unit staff and other outside state agencies report issues with the Vermont Road Centerline Data and to enter pending changes for annual updates to Town road mileage.  The intent was to create a spatially enabled tracking and reporting system for the Mapping Unit and to eventually replace an access database that tracks pending changes. In the future, this app will hopefully be shared with municipalities to use to report any new, discontinued, class changes, or mapping problems with existing roads.  If applicable, this reporting can then be used in conjunction with Certificates of Highway Mileage that each town must submit annually to VTrans.

Survey123 can improve data collection efforts through the use of Arcade scripting, Microsoft Power Automate, and calculations within the SurveyConnect application. By using factors like geographic location, previous survey responses, and layer attributes, Survey123 can auto-populate answers and simplify your workflow. Learn to take advantage of these features in collaboration with other services like ArcGIS Online and Field Maps.

During major storm events, the Vermont Agency of Transportation activates the Transportation Incident Command Center (TICC) using the Incident Command System (ICS) structure. This structure includes a significant mapping component in the Planning Section that aids in situational awareness by providing a Common Operating Picture (COP) of the extent of highway closures and openings, as the Agency responds to the storm damage. A simple dashboard has been developed to provide insight to the number of closures, partial openings, and segments that were opened. The Common Operating Picture (COP) is accessible to the TICC, State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), as well as the public. The COP is generated through a feed of authoritative closure and opening information from the Traffic Management Center and the 511 system, repackaging it to provide a clear count and extent of closures across the state.

The City of Woburn, Massachusetts needed to migrate from a third-party work order management solution that they had been relying on for water and waste waster operations and maintenance (O&M) tracking. The previous provider was divesting, and the City was looking to make better use of the resources already at their disposal in ArcGIS Online. Weston & Sampson was contracted to develop in that environment a comprehensive solution for the full work order lifecycle from generation through assignment and tracking and finishing in summary report generation. This was particularly important to the O&M strategies of their water department which is responsible for weekly and monthly tracking of statistics on their water quality for reporting to state regulatory commissions. Weston & Sampson proposed and implemented a system based in ArcGIS online that synthesized the complementary platform components of ArcGIS Online, Field Maps, Experience Builder, Work Force and Survey123. Bringing all of these together in a single total solution that allowed their water department to create work orders for specific tasks such as daily treatment rounds, sampling, meter changeouts, hydrant flushing, service line installation, meter reads and more and then deliver the assignments electronically to users in the field, track their status collaboratively, and output automatically formatted reports for submissions to the requisite state agencies. The solution was constructed based around the existing schemas of the previous solution to allow for easy porting of historical data and was also designed to accommodate easy expansion to other departments notably the sewer department and to incorporate MS4 compliance through the integration of stormwater O&M forms later.

The NHDOT had a need to map their buried fiber optic system to a high level of accuracy to support fiber system maintenance, development of an accurate asset inventory, and implementation of a GIS environment. NHDOT contracted with CDM Smith to implement a geodatabase design and data collection process for 29 miles of fiber optic cable that runs along the I-93 corridor in southern NH. To support NHDOT requirements, it was clear that a subsurface utility engineering (SUE) approach was required by locating buried lines using geophysical tools such as ground penetrating radar and line tracing equipment. The end result was a highly accurate dataset that primarily meets “Quality Level B” mapping standards as documented by the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) Standards for Subsurface Utility Mapping.
This project took a fresh look at a traditional data collection workflow, and the lessons we’ll share are valuable process and management insights that are applicable to any kind of field collection project. The project involved a variety of data sources coming from several field teams, including fiber optic cabinet component inventories, manhole inspections, subsurface utility location information, and centimeter RTK-GPS measurements of asset locations in ESRI Field Maps, and it was all compiled into a single, integrated GIS workspace. Throughout this presentation, we will detail the approach to the data collection process and share some best practices that were gleaned regarding setting up quality control procedures to ensure accurate capture of assets is achieved. We’ll also dive into the components of the final product, share how it is possible to take advantage of the collection phase to assist in the final data development by using tools like 360-degree GPS-enabled cameras, and show how this process produced a valuable database that will find use in future locating efforts, system overview visualizations, and asset management. Through our example, you’ll take away some experience-based tips about how to plan ahead for your field collection efforts to ensure a smooth turnaround from field to office and set up a successful and thorough a data development process from start to finish.

The accuracy and completeness of utility GIS data are critical as data now plays a key role in utility management, improvement, and maintenance. Today, GIS and asset management data support various functions, including compliance reporting, construction management, complete streets, and utility operations. However, many municipalities and government agencies face challenges with outdated GIS and asset data developed over a decade ago, which often do not meet current needs. This has prompted a trend of reinvesting in data development to achieve higher accuracy and broader usability. Utilities are seeking guidance on improving their GIS and asset data.

To address this need, the municipalities, government agencies, and utilities are enhancing their GIS and asset management capability by increasing the quality and scope of their GIS. Advanced technologies like mobile GIS, subsurface utility location tools, 360-video, and 3D LiDAR are being utilized to accomplish this goal. These tools help map the location and assess the condition of assets, providing higher-quality data to staff through improved web, mobile, and augmented reality applications. Additionally, utilities are unifying their information management systems (GIS, CMMS, models, etc.) to enable better decision-making through integrated technology.

This presentation will overview how the Town of Hudson, NH, the US Navy, and other organizations are enhancing the accuracy of subsurface utility systems using techniques such as ground-penetrating radar, 360 GPS-enabled cameras, and enhanced GPS. These advancements allow utilities to expand their technology environment for various uses, including improved asset management, condition assessment, construction management, 3D augmented reality, and data-driven capital planning. Case studies will demonstrate how utilities are improving the quality and detail of their data, showcasing the processes and benefits of these enhancements.

Do you know how much of your property, campus, or office complex is covered by asphalt or concrete? Discover the crucial role of high-resolution aerial photogrammetry in assessing such impervious surfaces, vital for effective stormwater management. This presentation delves into how municipalities leverage the 2D planimetric mapping of man-made and natural features derived from aerial orthoimagery to support sustainable funding strategies. One leading example is stormwater utility fee programs, which charge businesses and residences a fee proportional to the impervious surface existing on their properties. Accuracy is the name of the game, and high-res orthos with high horizontal (x,y) accuracy is the tool of choice by municipalities to avoid billing disputes and lawsuits. Join us to gain insights into the evolving landscape of stormwater management and the pivotal role that aerial photogrammetry plays in reducing flood risks to our communities.

Maximize your GIS investment by learning the benefits of integrating a CMMS with Esri’s ArcGIS platform using a modern, GIS-Centric approach. Understand how work management can be accomplished faster and more accurate as work orders are developed from the map using GIS-Centric technology. Become versed in the best practices for identifying assets in the field, creating work orders, attaching work history to assets, and analyzing the data through reporting. Get an overall picture of how budgets are being consumed and how capital planning tools can help prepare for upcoming expenditures.

Over the past two years, the Town of Concord, MA deployed Field Maps for data collection and asset management applications across multiple departments. These projects include catch basin cleaning operations for MS4 compliance in Public Works, to developing an asset management and tracking program for the Natural Resources Commission, to quarterly hydrant flushing operations with the Water department.

Field Maps has proved to be an invaluable tool for jump-starting and recovering stalled data collection projects, and has become integral to how we as a GIS team serve our colleagues in their day to day operations. In this presentation we will offer insights on deploying and maintaining Field Maps solutions for a wide array of departments. We will demonstrate the customizations we utilize in Field Maps like auto-calculated fields and logic trees for field visibility, and explain how we integrate Field Maps with other Esri and third-party applications. We will cover the benefits and challenges of the application when working across knowledge and skill bases, discuss best practices for updating solutions built from scratch, and reflect on developing custom solutions as a stand-alone GIS team within a municipality.