Change is all around us – at home, at work, in our communities, across our nations, on our earth. We often talk about how GIS is changing the world, but the world is also changing GIS. How we use GIS, how we interact with GIS, and how GIS interacts with the world are all changing. Some of the change is technology-driven, but the biggest driver of change is you – the GIS user. The challenges you deal with and how you want or need to deal with them are changing GIS. In this talk, I share how GIS is changing in response to our world and the requirements of you – its users.
Can you confidently find your next conference session, the nearest exit, or a restroom? Come learn about options for navigating the venue. Sorry, no cheese… Have a map instead!
We’ll get familiar with the venue while evaluating strengths, weaknesses, and trade-offs of this year’s conference maps and apps. Consider it a case study for technology selection, indoor reality capture, oriented imagery, and challenges in human wayfinding.
Bring your critical eye and thinking cap! Your questions and feedback will help improve next year’s experience.
ORURISA Emerging Professionals invites you to a panel discussion with mentors and mentees from our 2024-2025 Mentorship Program cohort. During this session you will hear from current participants about their experiences or projects they are currently working on during this year’s mentorship program. A foundational goal of the Emerging Professionals Mentorship Program is to provide real-world experience in a professional setting with a knowledgeable GIS professional. This is a great opportunity for all those interested in the program to not only learn about interesting projects, but to also hear more about the ins and outs of the experience. At the end of the program outline, we will hold a Q&A session to answer any questions that arise. Please join us to learn more and become part of our network!
Geospatial Lab Coordinator, Portland Community College
Catherine Green is a board member of the ORURISA Emerging Professionals, and a co-founder of the Portland chapter of Women in GIS. She has a BA in Environmental Studies, an MA in Geography, and a certificate in GIS from Portland Community College.
Wednesday April 23, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT Auditorium
An overview of the GIS analyses that are a part of Metro's Cooling Corridors study, which is aimed at understanding the distribution of cool and hot, natural and built corridors in the region, and identifying opportunities for connecting existing cool areas or conversely identifying the hot areas that would most benefit from cooling interventions.
Joe Gordon is a Senior GIS Specialist at Metro (Portland, Oregon) that specializes in demographic and remote sensing analysis. He has worked on equity and environmental justice analyses, including indicator development, vulnerability indices (demographic and environmental), and hazard... Read More →
Wednesday April 23, 2025 11:00am - 11:30am PDT Atrium
In 2023 the State of Oregon updated the Transportation Planning Rules (TPR) to include additional requirements regarding multi-modal inventory and reporting associated with Jurisdiction Transportation System Plans (TSPs). To support jurisdictions in complying with the revised TPR, ODOT launched a Multi-Model Inventory Project in 2024.
The Multi-Modal Inventory Project will develop multi-modal datasets for 48 jurisdictions within the state’s eight Municipal Planning Organizations (MPOs). Datasets developed by the project include roadway, freight, transit, active transportation, and crash datasets with standardized geometries and TPR-compliant attributes.
This effort presents a unique opportunity to develop statewide standards, provide data to jurisdictions that they do not currently have and make their work more efficient.
Every year, Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality publishes a general statistical overview of status and tends of water quality across Oregon using the Oregon Water Quality Index. The index, which DEQ has calculated for more than three decades, analyzes a defined set of water quality parameters and produces scores that describe the general water quality within a network of 160 stations located in streams throughout the State of Oregon. GIS plays a critical role in not only understanding where changes are occurring in the State, but also to communicate the overall water quality of Oregon’s rivers in an easy-to-understand, non-technical manner to the public, agency managers, and the Oregon Legislature.
Using geoprocessing tools available in ArcGIS Pro and published layers from ESRI’s Living Atlas and ArcGIS Online, DEQ is able to map wildfire perimeters, land use changes, and watershed boundaries to determine which recent changes are likely negatively impacting the water quality within the OWQI’s network of stations. DEQ uses tools available through ArcGIS Online such as Experience Builder, Story Maps, and Dashboards to communicate the results of the OWQI with members of the public and Oregon Legislators who are interested in monitoring water quality throughout the State.
This presentation highlights the importance of accessibility in GIS and mapping, emphasizing design considerations for users with diverse abilities. It covers practical strategies for creating accessible maps and apps, including planning, color contrast, basemap selection, and symbology.
For GIS analysts, generating walksheds (a polygon representing all the locations a pedestrian can physically walk to in a given distance or time, not just a circle buffer) has often been a cumbersome process involving street network data preparation, pages of network analysis settings that mostly apply to cars, and long processing times. We decided to boil this process down to the basics with two compact, modular Python scripts. The first script uses OpenStreetMap’s Overpass API to quickly download a routable pedestrian walking network for a specified bounding box to a shapefile, GeoPackage, or File Geodatabase. The second script uses the QGIS Network Analysis toolbox to generate walksheds from the downloaded network and an input file of points, with settings for walk radius, detailed walkshed geometry tweaks, and a few extra aggregation options for transit stops. The end result is extremely fast, downloading the pedestrian network for the Portland metro area in a matter of minutes and generating individual walksheds in seconds.
Using ArcGIS Experience Builder, GIS-related web applications can be created by arranging and configuring components known as widgets. Core capabilities are provided by out-of-the-box widgets, while custom widgets can be added to allow for workflows and operations that may not otherwise be accommodated. In this session, the value of custom widgets will be discussed and the process of creating widgets will be explained. A range of audience interests will be served, from offering a general appreciation of the possibilities through to guidance for those who may wish to develop widgets themselves.
In 2024 the Department of Justice issued a new rule on the accessibility of web content and mobile apps provided by state and local governments. This rule updates regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires that most state and local government website content meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA standards. In this presentation I’ll discuss LPRO's response upon learning about the rule, as well as how we’re assessing our currently available products and reviewing our processes to create new maps and apps.
GIS and Data Visualization Analyst, Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office
Ariel is a GIS and Data Visualization Analyst with the Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office. She has a BA in Geography and a Master of Science in Public Health. Prior to her current position she worked as a Technical Consultant on the Public Safety and Health team at Esri... Read More →
Wednesday April 23, 2025 1:30pm - 2:00pm PDT Atrium
Do you remember when you were a student or just getting started in your GIS career? Did you have an internship that helped launch you in a direction that led you to where you are today? Internships improve workforce preparedness and at the same time expand the ability of an organization or agency to work on projects that may not otherwise have the capacity to support. This panel will explore the mutual benefits of internships from both organizational and student perspectives, and offer practical guidance on successfully establishing and managing internship programs.
Christina Friedle has been teaching Geography & Geographic Information (GIS) classes at Portland Community College since 2007. She has worked on a wide variety of geographically based projects including Director of a Watershed Education program, Conservation Geographer for a salmon... Read More →
Wednesday April 23, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm PDT Auditorium
The City of Gresham and Dewberry have combined forces to bring the power of GIS to several municipal departments. From the fire department to community services, this collaboration has expanded the use of geospatial technology in ways that have increased awareness of impact and progress of the city's administrative responsibilities. Through the use of tools such as FME and VertiGIS, and the leveraging of ESRI web-based platforms such as QuickCapture and Experience Builder, we have brought creative solutions to longstanding challenges. Join Jacob Mark and Sara Hopkins as they discuss this journey.
The DOJ released new rules to make web applications accessible following the WCAG 2.1 by April 2026. The City of Portland is currently going through the process of developing standards and guidelines to comply with the new rule. We will be sharing our approach, the roadblocks, barriers, take aways, and more.
Recreational Trail Map - An interactive Web Application built with ESRI's Experience Builder: Hood River County (GIS) has developed a user-friendly, interactive web application for accessing recreational trails in Hood River County. Built using ArcGIS Online and Experience Builder, this web application allows county staff to update and manage trail information in real-time. Utilizing digital mapping products improve safety and awareness for all trail users and help with communications in natural disasters.
Learn how this web application was built using the developer addition of Experience Builder and why online maps are critical for recreating in a dynamic envrionment.
We developed and tested a method for mapping shade cast on water channels by riparian vegetation using imagery sources that are affordable and regularly available across Oregon. We validated the optical imagery-based results against lidar-based shade estimates that, while more accurate, are not viable for ongoing statewide monitoring due to their expense. This work provides insights toward determining a viable strategy for statewide monitoring of riparian vegetation condition, which could in turn support a data-driven prioritization and assessment framework to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of riparian restoration efforts.
We created a model to predict shade from 1-foot Oregon Statewide Imagery Program (OSIP) imagery and 10-meter Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, trained from shade estimated using solar-path modeling applied to lidar data collected over three disparate study areas. The model explains nearly 77% of the variation in lidar-derived shade across the study areas. NAIP-based models significantly outperformed Sentinel-2 models; we found that multi-scale image textural information derived from NAIP was important in creating accurate shade estimates. Maps of shade from the optical-based model were created over the entire Johnson Creek watershed in metropolitan Portland; visual inspection of the results shows a very high correspondence to photo-interpreted NAIP imagery, including accurate response to subtle and fine-scale variation in conditions.
The majority of stormwater runoff in Bend, OR is uniquely managed via a combination of surface water discharge and dispersed infiltration systems. The City of Bend owns and operates over 7,000 dispersed infiltration systems, ranging from 3 to 100 feet deep. These systems are designed to prevent flooding and keep pollutants from impacting surface water quality in the Deschutes River. The City recently delineated its surface water drainage network that conveys stormwater to the River using rudimentary geoprocessing tools available in ArcPro. The workflow was fairly straightforward; utilize a Lidar derived DEM and overlay City infrastructure while incorporating expertise from field personnel to verify the accuracy of the final product. That work prompted a simple question: what are the isolated drainage basins for the dispersed systems that manage the bulk of stormwater City-wide? It became clear that urban hydrology would not be as simple to analyze as previous efforts. Jurisdictional boundaries, complex drainage patterns, and data limitations were only some of the implications that would need to be addressed to reflect the reality of managing stormwater in the high desert. Workflows identified in ESRI’s Arc Hydro guides were modified to fit the region’s unique hydrologic conditions. Ultimately, a data package was developed that is now available to provide data-driven outcomes that serve the community.
Last year at GIS in Action I presented on updates Metro has made to our RLIS Housing dataset in preparation for the upcoming Urban Growth Report and ended with a game called “What is it?” where we looked at examples of regional housing and tried to agree on a housing type based on available data. This year I’ve been working on a similar project with non-residential data, and am ready for a new round of “What is it? Non-Residential Edition!”.
Another part of our Urban Growth Report is an employment forecast- how much land do we need to accommodate future job growth in the region? What type of buildings do we need on that land? Before we can talk about what we need for the future, we need to understand the types of building we have now and how they are being used. In this talk I’ll walk through a GIS exercise looking at available data sources and my attempts to turn that into a building use. Then we will wrap it up with some fun, crowd-sourced building identification.
As a Senior GIS Specialist in the Data Resource Center, I serve as Metro’s UAS Coordinator and DRC Liaison to WPES. I started at Metro in 2015 doing basic map analysis and visualization for many of Metro’s various departments, including Parks, Solid Waste, and the Zoo. My current... Read More →
Wednesday April 23, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm PDT Classroom
What do fish, ecological restoration, and drones have in common? They all play a vital role in the Stage 0 restoration of Wasson Valley! Stage 0 restoration is an innovative approach aimed at returning landscapes to their initial state, allowing nature to restore itself. Using drones to monitor these areas allows for landscape level analysis of the imagery collected, enhancing our ability to track and support the recovery process. This method of monitoring could reduce the amount of field work for future restoration sites. Scientific monitoring of habitat restoration has generally occurred on-the-ground with time-intensive efforts. Monitoring by UAS will allow for landscape-wide monitoring using multispectral, LiDAR and thermal sensors to track environmental changes resulting from the restoration, such as vegetation growth rate, sediment movement, elevation changes, and surface temperature of soil and water.
GIS Specialist, State of Oregon- Dept. of State Lands; South Slough Reserve NERR
Jennifer is a GIS and UAS specialist for South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Charleston, Oregon since 2002. She works on research that contributes to climate change and coastal management. In summer she contributes to wildland fire support as a GISS. Before her role... Read More →
Wednesday April 23, 2025 4:00pm - 4:30pm PDT Atrium
Many people are familiar with using Arcade in ArcGIS online for visual enhancement but it can also be used in Dashboards. In Dashboards Arcade can be used to create visual formatting and styling elements for a more user friendly and effective format. It can also be used for calculating fields and statistics from data in order to display better fitted information to your uses. This presentation will show examples of how this has been accomplished and show ways that it can be incorporated into many applications.
High-resolution aerial imagery is a game-changer for GIS professionals, providing unparalleled accuracy and detail that supports critical decision-making across multiple sectors. This presentation will explore how advanced aerial imagery enhances GIS data integrity for public safety agencies, urban and regional planning departments, utility providers, and land use managers.
By integrating high-resolution imagery with GIS workflows, professionals can improve situational awareness, conduct precise asset mapping, and streamline operations such as emergency response planning, zoning assessments, and infrastructure management. Case studies will demonstrate how agencies leverage updated imagery to reduce errors, enhance predictive modeling, and improve resource allocation.
Attendees will gain insights into the latest advancements in aerial imaging technology, best practices for incorporating high-resolution datasets, and the future of remote sensing applications in GIS. Whether optimizing emergency response routes, refining parcel data, or enhancing vegetation management, high-resolution aerial imagery is a powerful tool for maximizing the accuracy and effectiveness of GIS-driven solutions.
Debris flows are natural hazards that can damage ecosystems and infrastructure, especially in mountainous areas after wildfires. Debris flow mapping and inventory development provide the groundwork for understanding the frequency, spatial distribution, and key influencing parameters that help identify high-risk areas. This study evaluates parameters associated with post-fire debris flow mapping by analyzing lidar differencing, satellite imagery, and machine learning (ML) applications. The study area includes seven watersheds in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA. The combination of wildfires in 2017, followed by an intense rainstorm in 2021, led to multiple debris flow events in the area. Lidar and satellite imagery datasets from 2018 and 2021 are analyzed using machine learning algorithms: Random Forest, XGBoost, SVM, and logistic regression. In implementing these models, we focus on feature selection optimization and handling class imbalance. Random Forest and XGBoost performed best, achieving an F1 score of 85% to 90% in mapping debris flow locations. Spatial visualization of the results validated the models against historical data. Adding soil burn severity to the analysis highlights its influence on sediment erosion and vegetation patterns. The study showed that the watersheds with higher burn severity areas experienced more significant sediment erosion.
