The editor of the Antarctic Sun says that while Antarctica has always been viewable in Google Maps, the imagery was "about as sharp as the graphics in Pong." The folks at the Polar Geospatial Center came to the rescue.
The Polar Geospatial Center, a project of the University of Minnesota, has updated almost 1,000,000 square kilometers of imagery for both poles, reports Peter Rejcek:
"The informal partnership took shape about a year ago, facilitated by a Google employee on sabbatical who worked a summer season at the South Pole Station's External U.S. government site computer help desk.
[Team leader Paul] Morin and his team of mostly students provide Google with a list of Antarctic regions - from the ice-free McMurdo Dry Valleys External U.S. government site to ice shelves to subantarctic islands - that are scientifically and logistically important."
FULL STORY: Antarctica on Google
Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.
Explore US Demographics With the New ACS Atlas Collection
Esri's new ACS Atlas Collection offers interactive applications that visualize the latest U.S. demographic and socio-economic data, enabling users to explore over 175 curated web maps across various thematic areas.
Fighting Forest Pests With AI: A Hemlock Success Story
Fairfax County utilized GeoAI and ArcGIS technology to efficiently map and protect its hemlock trees from the invasive woolly adelgid, ensuring targeted pest management and preservation of its evergreen canopy.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie