GIS in Action 2025

Measuring the Oregon landscape: An update from the Oregon Lidar Consortium on data collection, analysis, and distribution
The landscape of Oregon is varied and dynamic, the product of past and ongoing earth system processes. High resolution topographic data characterize earth surface morphology, vegetation characteristics, and the built environment. The Oregon Lidar Consortium (OLC), formed in 2007, is mandated to collect high quality, dense (≥ 8 points/sq m) lidar data across the state and to make these data available to the public. By late 2024 78% of the state had publicly available lidar coverage, while the remainder of the area has been collected and is being processed. Additionally, many areas throughout the State of Oregon have now been covered by one or more repeat lidar datasets, allowing detailed measurements of landscape changes including those driven by coastal, landslide, riverine, vegetation, fire, and urban processes. Opportunities for future collection include targeting known topographic changes as well as to maintain recent observations over wide areas. Another important direction is topobathymetric lidar collection for areas of shallow water including rivers and estuaries to better resolve flood and tsunami hazards and aquatic habitat. This presentation will review the status of lidar acquisition and data availability across the state, example applications to resolve diverse hazards, change detection, and best practices for efficient access to OLC data.

Disasters don’t wait—so why should we? While many organizations rely on GIS for post-disaster response, the real power of geospatial technology lies in proactive preparedness. By leveraging ArcGIS and Esri Disaster solutions before disasters, agencies can predict risks, optimize response strategies, plan evacuations, and mitigate damage, ultimately saving lives and resources all this while having Business continuity. This session will explore the transformative role of ArcGIS in disaster resilience, showcasing possible scenarios where predictive analytics, real-time data, and spatial modeling can empower agencies to stay ahead of emergencies. We’ll discuss best practices in risk mapping, scenario planning, and evacuation mapping. From government agencies to utilities and emergency management teams, organizations that shift from reactive to proactive ArcGIS strategies gain a critical edge. Join us to learn how to future-proof your operations and build a smarter, more resilient response framework—before disaster strikes.

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) provides a valuable means of assessing ground and structural changes using satellite-based radar imagery. This presentation walks through the workflow of acquiring, processing, and preparing coherence data for use in a building damage assessment study.

We begin with data acquisition using the Alaska Satellite Facility’s Vertex tool, selecting and downloading InSAR coherence products. Next, we outline the use of ArcPy to automate key preprocessing steps: applying masks, clipping coherence rasters to building footprints, and structuring the dataset for statistical analysis. Challenges in handling large datasets, dealing with null values, and ensuring spatial alignment are discussed.

With processed coherence values linked to individual building footprints, we then explore initial statistical methods for assessing damage patterns. The goal is to establish a foundation for classification, setting the stage for more advanced spatial and statistical techniques. This workflow provides a replicable approach for integrating InSAR data into disaster impact studies.

High-accuracy GNSS corrections are more accessible today than ever before. Accuracy levels from sub-meter to sub-foot to centimeter, with some being free as a public service. These corrections enable users to achieve down to centimeter horizontal and vertical accuracies in real-time, and be utilized on any iOS/Android/Windows mobile device.

GNSS correction providers in the Pacific Northwest include; ORGN, WSRN, Galileo HAS, Point One, Atlas, WAAS, and self-hosted RTK base stations. Understanding the capabilities of each service is important to achieve the desired level of accuracy and productivity. This presentation will begin with an overview of the GNSS landscape, then dive into the correction options available in the Pacific Northwest, summarizing the tradeoffs of each service.

Cloud GIS is transforming how organizations manage geospatial data, offering scalability, accessibility, and cost efficiency. But what drives this shift, and what lessons can we learn from those who’ve made the move? This session explores the benefits of Cloud GIS—real-time data access, automated updates, and seamless integrations—while diving into key cloud migration models: hosted (ArcGIS Online), non-hosted, multi-tenant, and hybrid. We’ll compare their pros and cons, including administration, security, and performance differences. Real-world case studies from government, utilities, and private enterprises will highlight successful migrations and how organizations overcame regulatory compliance and data governance challenges. Whether starting your cloud journey or optimizing an existing deployment, this session will provide technical insights to help you make informed decisions. Don’t just adapt—lead the change.

Street signs are one of the core transportation assets the City of Hillsboro Public Works department keeps track of, however, due to new development, replacements, and evolving technology, it has been challenging to keep an accurate inventory. A partial street sign inventory and workflow had existed for several years, but due to staff turnover and challenges field staff had with the data collection technology available at the time, the extent of missing or incorrect asset records was uncertain. In early 2020, there was a focused effort to improve the data entry process, along with implementing more user-friendly technology. As a result, sign replacements and new installations since then have been more consistently and correctly entered. We will be sharing how we are leveraging various tools and services that we already have access to (such as Cartegraph, FieldMaps, ArcGIS Dashboards, and PowerBI) in order to complete an accurate street sign inventory, and how we will be maintaining accuracy and quality moving forward.