Photos and reports from the first North American Open Source Geographic Information Systems Conference.
"The second MapServer Users Meeting and the first ever Open Source GIS Conference was held on June 9th to 11th in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The initial response from the Open Source GIS community is that the conference was a huge success."
"Users and developers are flocking to open source solutions for all kinds of reasons: economic, philosophical, and practical. And, that's happening in the GIS community as well..." reports Adena Schutzberg in the GIS Monitor.
On his webblog, Tyler Mitchell writes: "Often the main benefit of open source GIS and mapping tools appears to be the low cost, especially when compared to the commercial alternatives. However, the greater strength, we are realizing is the vibrant community support and also the power of technology that is ahead of the commercial software curve in many respects."
According to a presentation [MS Word document] given by Paul Ramsey, Director, Refractions Research Inc. "Existing products are now entering a phase of rapid refinement and enhancement, using the core software structures that are already in place. Open Source software can provide a feature-complete alternative to proprietary software in most system designs."
Thanks to Slashdot
FULL STORY: Open Source Geographic Information Systems Conference 2004 Proceedings

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Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
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Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
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Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.

Six Reasons Why Housing Is a Human Right
Is housing a human right? A law professor shares six reasons why it should be, from its role in protecting other rights to global recognition and U.S. legal traditions. As public support grows, could housing be the next right written into law?
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