The 2014 ESRI User Conference Proceedings are available for viewing.  Included are papers, presentations, case studies, and technical workshops.

Kristina Jacob from the City of Santa Clarita is sharing her photos from the 2014 ESRI Conference.  Check them out!

For those of you that could not make the conference this year, here are some highlights that I took away from the first day:

• ESRI continues to focus their products to the web and integrate with with the web.  “Web GIS” and “ArcGIS as a Web Platform” are the themes.  They want to extend the ArcGIS Data Model into the cloud.  You will see this more in version 10.3 in 2015.
• ESRI is also pushing GeoDesign.  They stress that it is not just something planners do, it is what all of us GIS types do on a daily basis.  ESRI is creating tools for GeoDesign use.
• As suspected, ArcGIS Pro is the product to show off this year.  I like the fact you can have multiple layouts and view your 2D and 3D windows together.  I also liked the demo showing how they changed the annotation rendering and symbology on the fly using the tools in the ribbon interface.
• There is a new web app builder for Javascript using HTML5, for both ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online.  It has some 30+ widgets to work with, you can change things like the layout, color, logo, title, and other settings.  Developers will have tools to extend it as well.
• Explorer for ArcGIS is now supported on the Mac as well as iPhone and iPad.
• ArcGIS Online comes with better administration tools.  You can create custom user roles so you can specify what exactly each user can do.  Better metrics and reports down to the user level if you want.  There are new analytic tools, like a drivetime tool, ready to use maps from the Living Atlas, and an Enrichment Layer tool for you to add extra fields of data to your existing layers (think joining tables together).
• Also your web maps can be extended into a presentation using the Presentation Builder (think Briefing Book).
• There was a cool demo of a Hotspot Analysis Tool using time as the third dimension.  It aggregates data into a space/time cube which allows you to view statistically significant clustering of your hotspots.
• 3D is also the big thing.  There are new tools to create web scenes and to fuse your existing data into the 3D environment.  You can quickly build a 3D scene of buildings and trees.  You can create slides for presentations and also save your work online to be able to view your 3D data on a web browser, tablet, or mobile device.  You will see new functionality in 10.3.
• ArcMap 10.3 is focused on advanced science capabilities.  Will support space/time formats, python aggregator function, raster process template, vector field symbology, and infographics tool.
• Starbucks did a presentation on how they use ESRI poducts to locate new stores.  My takeaway from their presentation … they will be starting a “Starbucks Evenings Pilot Program” where certain locations will be serving beer and wine!  The map of the LA area below shows those locations (dark symbol) with all other stores (green symbol) and a wine away from home index layer (white-yellow-orange polygons).

So there you go.  And also, I bet if you wait a day, ESRI will put their first day presentations online at video.esri.com.  Check it out! -mike

Found this article interesting reviewing the Q&A for this years ESRI Conference:

http://apb.directionsmag.com/entry/twelve-things-worth-knowing-from-esri-2014-user-conference-qa/407604

You can see how ESRI is really pushing the cloud option.  Also ArcGIS Pro will be tightly linked to ArcGIS Online or Portal.

Hope to see some of you there at the conference next week! -mike

NAPSG Foundation is holding a one-day Los Angeles Region Summit on September 15, 2014, in Los Angeles, California.  Just one block from the historic Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. This event will convene current and new NAPSG partners from the Los Angeles Region and across Southern California, from all public safety disciplines and levels of government.

The Summit will provide you with an opportunity to learn about the status of Public Safety GIS in the Los Angeles Region and to interact with other public safety officials and GIS professionals.

Who Should Attend? Operations and technical public safety officials, across all disciplines, who are interested in learning more about the requirements and application of GIS in day-to-day public safety operations.  Including:

• Public Safety – Emergency Managers, Fire Service, EMS, Law Enforcement, Fusion Centers
• Search & Rescue Coordinators
• GIS Coordinators
• Transportation Agencies
• Public Safety & Homeland Security Officials
• GIS Analysts, Specialists, Managers
• IT Support Personnel
• Industrial Emergency Responders

And all other Public Safety & GIS Personnel

Agenda topics will include:

• Geospatial Information Sharing
• US National Grid
• GIS for Next Generation 911
• Data Interoperability
• Brush Fire Operations
• Search & Rescue
• Regional GIS Infrastructure
• …and other technical and operational topics

Registration will open in early August, and space will be limited.  There is no cost for public safety and other government officials.

Where & When
The California Endowment
1000 N Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
September 15, 2014, 8:30-4:30pm

Hey CalGIS folks,

We’re starting preparations for the 2015 CalGIS and I’m super excited. As mentioned during 2014 CalGIS, we want to get your opinions on a few things before we move forward with location selections. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to this survey, it should take you less than 2 minutes. We’ll be closing the survey on June 18 so if you want a say, respond before then.

Here’s the link: 2015 CalGIS Location Survey

Thanks!

Christina Boggs
2015 CalGIS Conference Chair
Christina.Boggs@norcalurisa.org