So if both Microsoft and ESRI are concerned about the Google's move into mapping with the impressive Google Earth, then perhaps a Microsoft-ESRI combination would be the way to fight back. Wow. That's a big rumor.
So if both Microsoft and ESRI are concerned about the Google's move into mapping with the impressive Google Earth, then perhaps a Microsoft-ESRI combination would be the way to fight back.
Wow. That's a big rumor.
A colleauge and friend who is intimately familiar with geographic information systems (GIS), writes, "Just to give you a sense of the kind of firestorm that is raging through the world of GIS marketing because of Google and Microsoft" with a pointer to Memo to Bill Gates on the GLE Earth a blog about things being done with Google Earth.
"Google Earth is the next-generation browser, it has blindsided you, and you have nothing in the pipeline that delivers the same oomph or the extensibility of Google Earth. You need to recover from this situation quickly... The big idea wouldn't just be geosearching. It'd be adding a geospatial dimension to much of what Microsoft produces. ArcView is an obvious addition to Microsoft Office. Microsoft and ESRI already team up to provide business solutions."
My colleague writes, "I think it is all a bunch of crap ... but, fun to talk about."
Of course, it would be cool to have ESRI products integrated into the desktop.

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86
Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform
The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
