GIS

Rome

A Land-Management Plan for Catholic Properties Around the World

One of the largest landowners in the world—historically known for creating maps of the Earth—the Church doesn't yet have a cohesive understanding of its global footprint.

November 1, 2017 - Curbed

Control Room

Technologies for Understanding Cities

Researchers are examining technologies that can aid in understanding many aspects of our cities, from how citizens interact in plan making, where residents use social media, and how to understand our changing communities.

October 29, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Teaching Students the Power of GIS

Ninth graders in Soldotna, Alaska, were introduced to geographic information systems (GIS) by a team of volunteers who spent two days illustrating how GIS technology is used in analyzing complex systems.

October 17, 2015 - Peninsula Clarion

Visualizing the Spread of the OpenStreetMap Project

OpenStreetMap has released an animated map to illustrate the impressive growth of the project over the first ten years of its existence.

March 3, 2015 - Maps Mania

Young Planners

What's Good about Being an Urban Planner?

For urban planners, it’s easy to focus on the negatives of the job. Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau reminds us of some of the positive trends in planning, especially in Los Angeles.

December 10, 2014 - UrbDeZine

New York Historic map

Friday Eye Candy: New York Public Library Releases Thousands of Historic Maps to the Public

“For the historic cartographile, Christmas may have come late, but here it is,” writes Daniel Stuckey.

April 4, 2014 - New York Public Library

Mapping Transit "Deserts": An Imperfect Science

The first step to solving the transit “desert” problem is identifying where those deserts are. But that’s easier said than done.

February 9, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

NYC and Tech Community Work Together to Perfect Mapping Data

A partnership between the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) and OpenStreetMap is a promising example of the public sector and tech communities working together to improve the accuracy and usability of data sets.

October 6, 2013 - MapBox

With GE Partnership, Google Maps Goes Underground

GE and Google maps have announced a new partnership that could lead to significant advances in the way infrastructure is planned, cataloged, and maintained, reports Michael V. Copeland.

February 26, 2013 - Wired

Using Geodesign to Model the Complex Intersection of Land Use and Climate Change

The subject of a recent summit hosted by software maker Esri, Larry Greenemeier explains the application of Geodesign to help predict and manage the increasingly complex intersection of design, land use, ecology, and climate change.

January 27, 2013 - Scientific American

Six Magnificent Maps of 2012

The "best of 2012" lists are just starting to spread and, already, one of the most unique collections we've come across is Caitlin Dempsey's look at the year's most interesting maps. You don't have to be a cartographer to enjoy these visualizations.

December 11, 2012 - GIS Lounge

Where to Find Elusive GIS-Ready Census Data

For planners searching for hard to find historic census data in a GIS-ready format, the National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) may be the one-stop shop you've been looking for.

October 11, 2012 - APA

Geocoding the Health Impacts of Your Neighborhood

Ever wonder what effect the pollution you're exposed to in your neighborhood on a daily basis is having on your family's long-term health? The emerging field of geo-medecine is providing answers, reports Christine MacDonald.

May 24, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Land Trust an Unexpected Ally in Indiana's Planning Scene

Ole Amundsen discusses the Central Indiana Land Trust's recent work in proactive land use planning, signaling a broader change in the way land trusts are doing business.

April 27, 2012 - APA - Sustaining Places Blog

Can the 'Wikipedia of Maps' Challenge Google?

Google starts charging for its maps, and an open source alternative -- with support from Microsoft -- begins to challenge Google's dominance.

December 29, 2011 - MIT Technology Review

GIS Whizzes Get Antarctica on Google Maps

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.

December 14, 2011 - United States Antarctic Program

How the U.N. Uses GIS to Manage Humantarian Responses

Two planners with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveal how they use GIS to coordinate their efforts, using the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan as an example.

September 24, 2011 - Directions Magazine

Mapping Seattle's Bikeability

Comparing Seattle to Portland, transportation planner Adam Parast used GIS data to show the most bikeable parts of the city.

December 22, 2010 - Ballard New Tribune

Using Crowds, and GPS, to Chart Roadkill

Ron Ringen has logged more than 1,400 animals for a roadkill project. "I'm almost a fanatic with it," he said. "You get hooked."

September 13, 2010 - The New York Times

The Evolution of GIS

Thomas L. Millette looks back at how far GIS has come, and how it has become an essential tool for urban planning.

April 6, 2010 - Planning Commissioners Journal

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.