Three Ways to Make GIS as Powerful as Possible

These days, cities are expected to make the most of open data and spatial visualization technologies.

1 minute read

June 25, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Jim Berry, a gedeveloper advocate at Esri, publishes an article at Smart Cities Dive that offers advice on how cities can better deploy GIS technology.

"There’s a revolution in civic innovation taking place in most major cities around the world, writes Berry, "cities are realizing the need to provide easy access to open spatial data and interactive map apps for partner agencies and local governments."

Beyond making the case for why cities should embrace this revolution (e.g., open data frees up workers and provides data and resources within their daily workflows), Berry lists three steps toward making the most of open data and spatial visualization tools. The first step is to make sense of the data (with easy-to-read maps). The second step is to activate the Internet of Things. Berry sites the Virginia Beach StormSense Project as an example of this approach. The third step is to enable collaboration.

Much more detail is included on each of these approaches in the article.

Friday, June 8, 2018 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation