Welcome to the 2026 GIS in Action Annual Conference hosted by the Oregon & SW Washington Chapter of the Geospatial Professional Network & Cascadia ASPRS.
Why does change feel so hard? Change is constant, and yet it’s one of the greatest challenges for individuals and organizations. Dr. Jessica Lorenz examines how the brain responds to uncertainty, why resistance is a biological reaction, and how we can build the capacity needed to move forward with clarity, care, and intention.
Informed by neuroscience, change management, and trauma informed care, this presentation provides practical, accessible strategies for building resilience. Attendees will learn how to strengthen personal capacity during times of transition and how to support others with greater empathy.
By connecting brain science with leadership practices, Dr. Jessica Lorenz offers an actionable path forward to navigate change more effectively, support well-being and build adaptive, thriving teams.
Dr. Jessica Lorenz brings over 18 years of experience helping individuals and teams strengthen organizational capacity through people-centered approaches. As a Change Manager and Workforce Development Analyst at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, she collaborates across the agency to support change, deepen employee engagement and cultivate a values-aligned culture. She holds a Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in organizational leadership, grounding her work in research-based practices that drive sustainable organizational change.
The removal of the J.C. Boyle Dam in 2024 marked a transformative moment in the ecological restoration of the Klamath River Basin. This study presents a multi-sensor UAV-based assessment of post-dam removal landscape dynamics using high-resolution RGB, multispectral, and LiDAR datasets acquired in July and November 2024. A comprehensive land cover classification was conducted to evaluate vegetation recolonization, exposed sediment distribution, and hydrologic surface changes. Multispectral indices, including NDVI, NDRE, and SAVI, were used to quantify vegetation recovery and stress patterns across newly exposed riparian zones. Additionally, LiDAR-derived digital terrain models enabled a DEM of Difference (DoD) analysis to identify erosion and deposition patterns, channel reconfiguration, and microtopographic variability. Preliminary results indicate significant sediment redistribution and early-stage riparian vegetation establishment within four months of dam removal. The integration of UAV photogrammetry and LiDAR data provides a scalable framework for monitoring rapid geomorphic and ecological transitions in post-dam landscapes. This study demonstrates the value of high-resolution UAV-based monitoring for adaptive river restoration management and long-term ecosystem recovery assessment.
The first USGS topographic maps in 1884 started as hand-engraved copper plates, and in the early 1900s, relief was hand-shaded. By the 1960s, maps were scribed on mylar sheets, labels were applied letter by letter, and technicians field-verified map features. Since 2009, maps are made using GIS software with remotely sensed data, produced on a predefined grid, and updated every three years. The 2022 release of topoBuilder allows users to create custom topographic maps centered anywhere in the U.S. and territories with the latest available data from The National Map.
Elaine started at USGS as an applied researcher in multi-scale cartography. She is now the National Map Liaison to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.
Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am PDT Atrium
GPN-PNW Emerging Professionals invites you to a panel discussion with mentors and mentees from our 2024-2025 Mentorship Program cohort. During this session you will hear from current participants about their experiences or projects they are currently working on during this year’s mentorship program. A foundational goal of the Emerging Professionals Mentorship Program is to provide real-world experience in a professional setting with a knowledgeable GIS professional. This is a great opportunity for all those interested in the program not only to learn about interesting projects, but to also hear more about the experience of being a mentor or mentee. At the end of the program outline, we will hold a Q&A session to answer any questions that arise. Please join us to learn more and become part of our network!
The purpose of this collaboration session is to provide helpful guidance for anyone using ArcGIS Pro and Python together or separately. The basis for the material presented and demonstrated is everyday experience, particularly with respect to an annual project for which procedures have evolved over many years. A list of related and unrelated topics will be reviewed and audience members will be invited to contribute to the discussion. Ideally, there'll be something for everyone and, as usual, the goal is to provide a forum for a beneficial exchange of information, ideas, and inspiration.
David Howes is a geospatial information scientist and the sole owner at David Howes, LLC (dhowes.com) in Seattle, WA, specializing in the development of GIS tools, processes, and supporting infrastructure for a variety of clients from small operations to multinational corporations. With over 30 years of academic and private sector experience in both the United Kingdom and the United... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:30am - 11:30pm PDT Classrooms 1-4
Climate change and decades of wildfire suppression have combined to trigger a transformation of Oregon landscapes via an era of wildfire events of extraordinary areal extent and severity. Oregonians now confront the heartbreaking reality of what has and will be lost. This infographic highlights the increase in the extent and severity of wildfire in the last thirty years relative to the preceding century. It then uses wildfire burn probability modeling data developed by scientists with the US Forest Service, Oregon State University, and other public and private partners to illustrate the areal extent that may burn in the next thirty years. The infographic also illustrates the extent of transformed Oregon landscapes clearly visible in Landsat imagery aggregated in the most recent (2024) Annual National Land Cover Database (NLCD). Next, the infographic reviews losses of existing vegetation types in a listing of the “jewels” of Oregon’s inherited environmental legacy impacted by wildfire.
GIS Certificate Program, Portland Community College Geospatial Program
Daniel Welch is underway on a second career in GIS after a successful career as a product owner of electronic group-polling systems for opinion and media-evaluation research with Dialsmith, Inc. Upon completing the PCC GIS certificate program this June, Dan looks forward to bringing... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:39am - 10:47am PDT Columbia
Ground control points (GCPs) are highly useful in UAS photogrammetry and Lidar collection for a variety of infrastructure mapping applications. It is important that GCPs reflect the true elevation at the point location where they are registered. One common problem with registering a GCP is that there is distortion in the observed elevation related to the geoid separation height. An application was developed for orthometric correction of ground control points using a Geoid API provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which outputs elevations that are more accurate and more useful for drone mapping. This application was built into a Python toolbox that was made accessible to the Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation (MassDOT) for future drone missions.
I am a geographic information system developer with over 7 years of experience building scalable, data-driven solutions that integrate remote sensing and advanced spatial analysis. My work spans GIS application development, ETL pipeline design, and geospatial workflow optimization... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:48am - 10:56am PDT Columbia
Urban areas often experience higher surface temperatures due to impervious surfaces and limited vegetation. Evapotranspiration (ET) cools surfaces by transferring water from land and vegetation to the atmosphere. Understanding ET–climate interactions is important for designing green infrastructure that mitigates urban heat. This study investigates long-term relationships between ET and key climatic indicators in Portland, Oregon, comparing a highly urbanized downtown area with a densely vegetated reference site in Forest Park, located approximately 9.7 km away. Using Google Earth Engine, July mean values from 2000–2025 were derived for ET, land surface temperature (LST), maximum air temperature (Tmax), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and surface albedo. Correlation analyses were used to evaluate ET–climate interactions. Results show clear climatic contrasts between the two landscapes. Daytime LST ranged from 28.7–34.2 °C in downtown Portland and 22.5–28.2 °C in Forest Park, while evapotranspiration was consistently higher in the forested site (18.6–26.3 mm/day) than in the urban core (8.2–16.5 mm/day). In the urban system, ET showed significant negative relationships with LST and Tmax, indicating measurable evaporative cooling effects. These findings suggest that increasing vegetation and green infrastructure may produce stronger marginal cooling benefits in water-limited urban environments than in already vegetated landscapes.
Imagery is no longer just a snapshot in time. It is becoming an essential infrastructure for how organizations plan, operate, and make decisions. Building a Resilient Imagery Program explores how organizations can move beyond one-time image capture toward a planned, repeatable, and shared imagery program that supports standardized workflows, and broader organizational use. This session will examine the progression from ad hoc imagery collection to a resilient program model, highlighting how deliberate and repeatable design choices help sustain long-term value while reducing risk. Attendees will gain insight into how imagery programs can be structured to support continuity, improve access to historical and operational context, and better serve planning, operations, and decision-making across an organization. Ideal for GIS professionals, program managers, and organizational leaders, this session offers a practical framework for building imagery programs that endure.
This study investigates how long-term homeownership affordability tools built into affordable homeownership program structures impact participating homeowners’ opportunity to build wealth. This study uses county-level tax lot data and GIS analysis to answer questions about the impacts of affordable homeownership programs, such as shared equity programs, on the potential equity that homeowners in those programs can realize. Using Real Estate Index methodology, an analysis generated index of single-family attached homes in Medford, Oregon to quantify the equity gains that homeowners in affordable housing programs can realize compared to the traditional real estate market. This research provides data-driven insights for program decision-makers to balance the dual goals of maintaining long-term housing affordability while supporting homeowner wealth accumulation.
The "Data Equity in Transportation Safety" Story Map on Metro’s Safe Streets for All hub provides readers with a data equity context for regional crash information and dashboards. Using crash data, narrative elements, and accessible visualizations, it highlights both what we know - and what we lack - about how people with different mobility and access needs move through transportation systems. This lightning talk will cover approaches for visualizing incomplete datasets, using “data visceralization” to convey lived experience, and treating data stewardship as an evolving practice. Attendees will gain strategies for communicating uncertainty and centering equity in spatial storytelling.
Is your computer struggling under increasingly heavy operating systems? Have you heard of Linux, but aren't sure where to start? Worried about losing access to your programs? Join me for a brief introduction to the Linux ecosystem as a fellow new Linux user. I'll cover basic terminology, introduce distros and desktops, plus how I set up geospatial tools such as QGIS, Google Earth Pro, GDAL, and even ArcGIS Pro.
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is integral to Oregon’s complete and coordinated wildfire response system. Effective incident response relies on timely, accurate, and standardized geospatial information to support tactical and public safety decisions in complex, high pressure environments. This presentation examines how GIS technologies are integrated within the incident command structure - from field data collection to map production and data dissemination. A key focus will be the use of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Geosptial Operations (GeoOps) data standard to create efficient workflows, maintain data integrity, and ensure interoperability across all responding agencies. The session will also provide a glimpse into life at fire camp, where GIS specialists work alongside firefighters, planners, and operational staff to deliver critical geospatial intelligence.
Protection Division GIS Coordinator, Oregon Department of Forestry
As the GIS Coordinator with the Fire Protection Division of the Oregon Department of Forestry, my work focuses on implementing geospatial solutions for wildfire response and detection systems while supporting the Department’s efforts to promote healthy, fire-resilient forests through... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm PDT Atrium
Static PDF maps are a foundational communication tool at Metro, but they often present accessibility barriers if not intentionally designed for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. This session provides a practical, production-focused approach to creating accessible static maps that work for all users that we will be applying to our Counter Map products available through our front desk at the Data Resource Center.
We will cover key accessibility considerations including color contrast, typography, layout structure, alternative text, reading order, and PDF tagging. The presentation also highlights how accessibility settings and layout structure that can be configured in ArcGIS Pro prior to export along with quality assurance steps for reviewing final PDFs.
Attendees should leave with a clear, repeatable workflow and an example of a checklist that can be integrated into existing map production processes with the goal of helping shift accessibility from a final compliance step to a standard design practice.
My project evaluates whether the idea of a “15 minute neighborhood” is meaningful and achievable in Seattle. As an international student from China, I have experienced how life feels when daily needs like grocery stores, clinics, schools, and parks are within a short walk. In Seattle, the contrast is clear: cars dominate, and distance is measured in drive time instead of walk time. I want to move from the slogan to a concrete, testable method that shows where 15 minute access already exists, where it almost exists, and what it would take to close the gaps. I will also compare my results to local planning goals and investments to see whether planned actions are targeting the same “gap” areas that the accessibility measures identify. Using GIS analysis, I will estimate access to basic daily needs for each census tract in Seattle under two scenarios: walk only and walk + transit/micromobility. I will identify “near miss” tracts that are close to meeting 15 minute standards and design small, realistic intervention scenarios, such as adding a grocery store, improving a key bus route, or adding a safe connector path. To connect mapped access with lived experience, I will also conduct a small set of interviews or surveys in contrasting tracts to understand how people actually move, what routes they avoid, and what changes would make their neighborhood feel like a true 15 minute place. The goal is a replicable method that can guide targeted improvements instead of abstract debates.
The aim of Elevation-Derived Hydrography (EDH) via the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is to satisfy the pressing need for better integration between high resolution elevation data and hydrography data. This data has a myriad of applications from infrastructure asset management to conservation, supporting many varieties of analytical and cartographic applications.
Real-world lidar datasets rarely behave as cleanly as theory suggests. Multi-time-around artifacts, shoreline ringing, mission-level inconsistencies, and environmental effects such as steep terrain or water interfaces can introduce systematic noise that standard workflows struggle to resolve. This presentation examines common lidar artifacts encountered in coastal, tropical, and complex terrain environments and discusses practical strategies for diagnosing root causes and applying targeted cleanup methods. Emphasis is placed on distinguishing systematic artifact patterns from random noise and adapting classification parameters to existing spatial behavior. Then implementing repeatable mitigation strategies and structuring workflows to improve coherence without relying solely on reflying data. Attendees will gain insight into how critical analysis, structured automation, and adaptive classification approaches can improve data quality while preserving efficiency in production environments.
Blind and low vision map users rely on tactile materials to orient and navigate themselves in locations they frequent. While simplification of these maps for tactile legibility with traditional production methods typically omits elevation data, the increased availability of 3D printing production allows for the incorporation of 3D terrain and symbol elements into tactile cartography. Tactile cartography requires a different design approach than visual cartography and the incorporation of 3D printed elements add additional haptic variables that change the design approach. Locations with varied terrain and complex way finding can greatly benefit from incorporating 3D design elements in their tactile maps which can provide these users with more safety and confidence when navigating these areas. Explore the design and production of 3D tactile terrain models of the Portland Community College Sylvania Campus for the benefit of blind and low vision students and faculty.
Chance Morrison is a current student of Geomatics at Portland Community College. After years of gaining experience in operations and project management roles, he returned to school to find a career utilizing GIS analysis to drive change. Having a do-it-yourself attitude, he enjoys... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm PDT Classrooms 1-4
Last year, I closed this very conference by letting AI generate my slides dynamically. It crashed spectacularly. We laughed, I cried. Apparently, I haven't learned yet. This year I'm back! But instead of fixing my approach, I've doubled down. I'll narrate, David Attenborough style, while Claude attempts to build a complete ArcGIS web application. I won't write a single line of code. At least, that's the plan, anyway. AI scales effort, not judgment. With my hands off the keyboard, I'm freed up to make the real decisions: what to build, when to pivot, and whether the output is even good. Will it work? Probably (not entirely). Things will break, and we will all learn something. That's the whole point.
This lightning talk introduces the Eskey System, a conceptual map that imagines how future explorers might navigate the lunar surface. Using GIS terrain analysis and lunar elevation data, low-slope routes were modeled between potential landing zones and key destinations such as craters and maria. These routes represent the easiest travel paths for rovers or astronauts, forming a network of potential lunar “roads.”
The system builds on the lunar quadrangle framework already used in planetary mapping. Quadrangles act like regional boundaries, while astronomical chart numbers function similarly to postal codes. Within this structure, routes are named to honor astronauts, missions, and themes from the history of space exploration.
The result is both an analytical and imaginative map—one that translates complex terrain data into familiar navigation concepts. By applying terrestrial wayfinding ideas to an extraterrestrial landscape, the project explores how GIS and cartography could help humans organize and navigate the Moon.
Electric utility monitoring programs are increasingly challenged by scale. As inspection requirements grow, operational efficiency becomes as critical as data quality. This lightning talk presents a utility monitoring project where GIS served as the operational backbone for managing and delivering a large‑scale UAS inspection program.
GIS tools were used to track the inspection progress of over 500 individual utility poles, support daily field operations, and maintain real‑time visibility into completed, in‑progress, and priority assets. Map‑based status tracking replaced static reports, enabling faster decision‑making, reduced coordination overhead, and more efficient use of field resources as inspection volumes increased.
GIS also streamlined delivery by organizing inspection results into spatial asset inventories that linked structure locations with inspection classifications and supporting imagery. These deliverables allowed the client to quickly assess conditions, identify high‑priority issues, and integrate results into existing asset management workflows.
This presentation highlights how GIS enables UAS inspection programs to scale efficiently without proportionally increasing operational complexity. At scale, GIS isn’t just mapping inspection results—it’s what makes modern utility inspection programs operationally possible.
The Pacific Northwest faces a major seismic hazard from a potential megathrust earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Such an event could cause significant infrastructure damage and limit access to emergency services throughout the Portland metropolitan area. This project uses ArcGIS Pro to analyze how earthquake-related ground deformation may affect facilities and emergency transportation routes in Multnomah County, Washington County, and Clackamas County.
Spatial datasets of hospitals, emergency transportation routes, and earthquake hazard projections were analyzed using GIS overlay techniques to identify potential vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. The results highlight areas where emergency response access may be limited following a major earthquake. This student study project demonstrates how GIS-based hazard analysis can support disaster preparedness and resilience planning in earthquake-prone regions. Potentially, further studies will be looked at for this topic.
Digital elevation models are primarily interacted with through a screen, but they can become powerful physical tools for visualization, teaching, and storytelling. This presentation explores the creation of tangible 3D printed topographic maps, transforming digital elevation data into physical models that make landscapes easier to interpret and engage with.
Building on a session presented at GIS in Action last year, this updated talk expands the workflow and lessons learned from additional experimentation and projects. We will walk through a practical pipeline for turning elevation data into printable terrain models, including sourcing DEM data, preparing and modifying terrain surfaces, exporting printable meshes, and producing final prints.
The workflow will demonstrate techniques using both ArcGIS Pro and QGIS, as well as web-based tools, to convert elevation rasters into printable geometry. The session will also introduce the fundamentals, including how printers operate, key components, and an overview of the current consumer printer landscape. Along the way we will discuss scale, vertical exaggeration, mesh resolution, printer limitations, and other design considerations that influence how terrain translates from raster data to physical form.
By the end of the session, attendees will understand the conceptual and technical steps required to move from DEM to printed object and will leave with practical knowledge for creating their own tactile terrain models.
Noah Flick is a geospatial professional in the Pacific Northwest whose work focuses on the systems that transform satellite signals into usable spatial data. He works with Frontier Precision at the intersection of GIS, surveying, and GNSS, with a particular focus on field instrumentation... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm PDT Classrooms 1-4
We will explore how reliance on traditional blueprints and floorplans has repeatedly led to degraded and inefficient responses during critical incidents, as documented in after-action reports from national tragedies such as Uvalde, Parkland, and others. Using these real-world examples, we will illustrate the core problem facing public safety agencies: the lack of an accurate, accessible, and tactically useful common operating picture in moments where seconds matter. We will walk through the specific limitations of architectural plans during emergencies and introduce ways to provide first responders with a true common operating picture— a map designed not for construction, but for crisis. This session will move from problem to solution, highlighting technologies and strategies that are redefining how agencies prepare for and respond to incidents in schools and large infrastructure environments, and discuss how GIS fits into this picture.
This lightning talk presents a chronological map series documenting the spatial evolution of Oregon’s administrative boundaries. Starting from the original provisional districts of the 1840s to the final 36-county layout established in the early 1900s, this project visualizes the settlement and development of Oregon over time. By mapping the shifting lines and the relocation of county seats, this gallery entry provides a clear, spatial record of how the state’s political geography was carved out of the Pacific Northwest. It is accompanied by a web application which presents the same information in an interactive format.
Streetball' is America's most popular urban sport. A chaotic but beautiful mesh of basketball, hip-hop culture, bravado, and passion, streetball represents the beating heart of America's outdoor sports. It requires no equipment except a bouncing ball and a hoop to put it in. And because of this, it's also a microcosm for forces much greater than sports: of race, of class, of economic disparity, of resilience, of hope, and of unmet expectations. It's more than basketball; it's a culture unto itself.
Rucker Park, in New York City's Harlem neighborhood, is the nexus for streetball worldwide. The home of legendary players -- including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor), Dr. J (Julius Erving), and a host of players whose careers never reached the heights they sought. Leading off with urban landscape, this large-scale poster graphic highlights six legendary streetball courts in the U.S., and tells the story of the would-be-but-never-were superstars who graced them.
Laid out onto a custom-created map, each location tells a story: Of place, and of people. Featuring imagery as visual highlights, as well as infographic data, this thematic map shines a light on an athletic arena that may be unfamiliar to many. This project hopes to change that.
The story of America is one of hope ... and sometimes tragedy. Hoop Dreams: Mapping American Streetball is a vivid portrayal of this duality.
Joshua is a second-year student about to finish his GIS Certificate at Portland Community College. He specializes in interactive GIS experiences, cartography, and content development.
By craft a content strategist and digital storyteller, Joshua is adding GIS to his content toolkit. Career goals include transportation and transit network GIS work, infrastructure development, and public-facing GIS marketing. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his family... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 2:15pm - 2:23pm PDT Columbia
This map leverages remote sensing data to analyze the relationship between land surface temperature and transit walksheds in Portland. Using Landsat-derived land surface temperature data, the project identifies significant urban heat island patterns along the East Stark Street corridor.
The analysis reveals that some of East County’s most critical transit-accessible resources—including public libraries and schools—are located within areas experiencing the highest surface temperatures. By spatially intersecting heat data with pedestrian access zones, this work highlights inequities in thermal safety for transit-dependent populations.
This project demonstrates how integrating remote sensing with transit accessibility analysis can support more equitable and climate-responsive planning. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions—such as shade infrastructure, streetscape improvements, community involvement and land use strategies—to mitigate heat exposure along key transit corridors.
Erin Zipper is a designer and educator who is passionate about using visual communication to make important ideas accessible to new audiences. She attended Parsons The New School for Design and Eugene Lang College, completing a B.F.A. in Communication Design and a B.A. in Urban Studies... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 2:24pm - 2:32pm PDT Columbia
Topographic-bathymetric lidar is a critical tool for coastal resilience, infrastructure planning, and nautical charting. Woolpert, Inc. collects topo-bathymetric lidar using Leica’s HawkEye5 system mounted on a fixed-wing aircraft, enabling efficient, high-resolution mapping of coasts, rivers, and lakes. The system simultaneously collects topographic and bathymetric data, allowing continuous coverage across the littoral zone. Compared to traditional vessel based acoustic surveys, airborne topo-bathymetric lidar excels in nearshore and shallow regions (~0–20 m) where vessel operations can be unsafe or inefficient. Clients include the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). These projects support applications such as change analysis, disaster response, navigational charting, and deeper water applications (up to 50m) such as benthic habitat mapping, underwater obstacle detection. Collection and processing challenges, including weather, water clarity, turbidity, and vegetation, require careful planning and adaptive workflows. GIS plays a central role in the workflow, supporting flight planning, coverage assessment, quality control, result validation, and product creation. Examples of final deliverables include seamless topo-bathymetric digital elevation models (DEM), web maps, and derived feature layers to support informed decision making.
In remotely sensed imagery, both shadows and unhealthy/dead vegetation contain low values in near-infrared band pixels. As NDVI and NDRE analyses rely heavily on NIR values, false positives for unhealthy vegetation are often the result of shadows.
By converting RGB raster data to invariant color spaces and leveraging this with NIR data by way of logarithmic calculations, a processing mask can be created to avoid shadows when analyzing imagery.
A StoryMap on this project can be found here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cbaad398d6be4bd08057c1cf57ff6e0e
As the GIS community transitions to Experience Builder, we have a unique opportunity to rethink how we present information to our users. Rather than relying on complex and static geoprocessing, one can use Esri’s Arcade language to transform data directly within the web map. This session explores how a county GIS department uses Arcade to deliver high-functioning tools while maintaining a lean, simple database.
We will walk through three levels of practical implementation, in increasing complexity. First, we will demonstrate basic data cleansing. We use Arcade scripts to standardize “messy” legacy data, such as fixing title casing and formatting soil classes for historical reporting. Second, we look at Arcade’s dynamic capabilities, with features such as buttons that dynamically generate URLs and text that displays feature attributes from multiple layers. Finally, we explore spatial relationships and calculations, making use of `FeatureSetByName` and `Intersects` to perform on-the-fly queries, and rudimentary sliver checks to catch topology errors. Attendees will see how these techniques reduce the need for intermediate "clipped" layers and redundant data maintenance. We will conclude with a practical discussion on the trade-offs of this approach, specifically regarding client-side performance and the balance between browser-side logic and server-side preparation.
How do deep learning, Lidar, aerial imagery, and ESRI StoryMaps combine to enhance city-wide urban forestry management? This session briefly showcases the powerful role GIS recently played for urban forestry planning and tree maintenance for the City of Detroit. NV5 supported a multi-agency initiative using aerial imagery, Lidar, and machine learning to map tree canopy, provide measures of tree health, perform tree species classification, and identify ideal open planting spaces for new trees. These data were ingested into a custom dashboard which gives non-GIS savvy users, including the public, the power to navigate and understand the data as well as to provide valuable insights and summary information.
This project aims to understand the interconnected nature of: colonialism, environmental justice, and indigenous land sovereignty as it relates to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. This research is incredibly important in understanding and furthering the fight of Native nations for land sovereignty against colonial powers. In particular understanding the individual environmental injustices the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma are undergoing and how colonial systems have caused them. This research will be carried out through a literature review, conducting a survey, and doing a GIS analysis. Specifically the survey will be with employees of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and residents within the boundaries of the ten and a half counties of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. There will be surveys sent to employees of the Environmental Protection Service, Forestry Program, Land Management Program, Wildlife Conservation, Water Resource Management, and Hunting and Fishing. I will also post a survey online for residents who live within the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma boundaries to fill out. To conduct a GIS analysis I will be analyzing the negative effects that environmental injustices are putting onto the community, these being related to public health, environmental health, and sustainability.
Oregon Metro's Safe Routes to School Walkshed Analysis application was created to provide information on transportation needs and barriers impacting K-12 students across the greater Portland region. This talk will highlight
Graffiti is now widely accepted as street art. Bathroom graffiti may be more taboo and not always considered art, but it is a form of artistic communication only localized to a specific spatial dimension. As such, it is worthy of both GIS and cultural study.
Known academically as 'latrinalia', bathroom gratffiti dates back to at least Roman times. It occurs in a rare space: one that is private and public at the same time. Location here is not merely a point on a map, it's an existential landscape, with boundaries both physical and internal to the individual.
Bar bathrooms generally share a common spatial identity -- stalls with walls, sinks, mirrors, towel dispensers. But they're also an ever-evolving human space, marked by passive interaction and often unseen conversation.
Covering topics from the very definition of physical 'space' to gender equity to social justice, this is a presentation that transcends geography, while including it, and enters the realms of social science and linguistics. Backed by academic support from tenured professors of sociology and criminal justice, 'For a Good Time Call' is intended to be thought-provoking as well as informative.
This presentation includes a detailed StoryMap with interactive maps and experiences, as well as short presentation explaining the concepts and providing the context that grounds the project squarely in GIS and geography. I believe it will provide a unique view of GIS and geographical-human interaction.
Joshua is a second-year student about to finish his GIS Certificate at Portland Community College. He specializes in interactive GIS experiences, cartography, and content development.
By craft a content strategist and digital storyteller, Joshua is adding GIS to his content toolkit. Career goals include transportation and transit network GIS work, infrastructure development, and public-facing GIS marketing. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his family... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 3:30pm - 3:38pm PDT Columbia
How do you build an online GIS presence from scratch? Better yet, how do you make data from 2005 talk nice to data from 2025? Navigating the transition out of the ArcMap/Desktop ecosystem into the wide world of AGOL and ArcGIS Pro is no mean feat. In conjunction with our consultant partners at Flo Analytics, come learn how (and why) RTC undertook this journey. A candid look at the process of threading the needle between what can be done and what is "beyond the scope of this thesis", we'll explore the many bumps, bruises, and lessons learned along the way.
Water managers, farmers and communities across the United States are increasingly seeking better information about how water is used across the landscape. One of the most important- and historically difficult- components of water accounting is consumptive use: the water that is actually used by crops and vegetation and returned to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration (ET).
OpenET is a collaborative, satellite-based platform that provides field-scale evapotranspiration data across the western United States. By combining satellite imagery, weather data and multiple ET models, OpenET makes it possible to estimate consumptive water use consistently across large areas while also making the information accessible through an easy-to-use online platform and open data tools.
This presentation will introduce the fundamentals of satellite-based evapotranspiration and provide an overview of the OpenET platform. Attendees will learn how ET can be estimated from satellite observations, how OpenET integrates multiple scientific models, and how these data can help water users, researchers and resource managers better manage water.
The talk will also highlight emerging ways OpenET data are being explored and applied in Oregon. Across the state, satellite-derived ET information is helping improve understanding of agricultural water use, support water management planning and provide new insights into how water moves through landscapes and watersheds.
Geohazard monitoring in the real world is dominated by messy data, weather interference, occlusions, sensor drift, dropouts, and site-to-site variability. Cascade Geomatics is building a robust alerting pipeline that turns imperfect sensing into reliable, georeferenced risk intelligence for rockfall, landslide, mudslide, and avalanche hazards. We begin by constructing a large, local database of labeled geohazard events and near-miss conditions, aligned in space and time with multi-modal sensor streams. We then train machine-learning models to sift signal from noise and detect hazard-specific precursors, deformation rates, fracture evolution, moisture/loading indicators, and thermal/seasonal dynamics, while producing calibrated confidence scores. In parallel, we maintain a physics-informed neural network (PINN) for each hazard class, using sensor-derived inputs as boundary/forcing terms to model near-real-time dynamics and constrain predictions when data quality degrades. The system continuously compares current conditions to historical analogs, fusing outputs from the historical neural models and the PINNs to generate GIS-ready risk layers: evolving hazard polygons, runout/impact overlays, and asset exposure scores, each with uncertainty and confidence. This talk focuses on the practical path from “bad data” to actionable alerts, its limitations, and how reliability, explainability, and geospatial delivery are engineered into the system end-to-end.
Salps are gelatinous grazers that can rapidly form dense blooms in ocean ecosystems, yet the environmental conditions that drive where and when these blooms occur remain poorly understood. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of salp blooms is increasingly important as ocean conditions shift and as blooms potentially influence commercially important fisheries. This study investigates the question: what environmental conditions allow salps to bloom and persist, and how might changes in their distribution affect market fisheries along the California Current System? To explore these questions, I mapped salp bloom occurrences along the California Current from 2013 to 2023 using observational data to identify patterns in bloom presence, magnitude, and geographic distribution. Spatial analysis revealed evidence of range expansion over the study period, with blooms appearing across a broader portion compared to earlier years. In addition, bloom magnitude increased during the middle of the decade, with particularly strong bloom events observed in 2017 and 2018. After these peak years, bloom intensity and frequency appeared to return to levels seen earlier in the decade. These patterns raise important questions about the oceanographic conditions, such as temperature shifts or altered circulation. This study provides insight into how changing ocean conditions may shape salp dynamics and, in turn, impact regional fisheries within the California Current ecosystem.
LiDAR-based forest inventory has advanced over the past decade, with studies reporting cm-level DBH accuracy and sub-meter height estimates. However, most of this work was done in urban forests, plantations, or younger forests with simple structure. In Pacific Northwest natural forests, undergrowth, tall trees, and closed canopy limit high-precision GNSS, making spatially explicit inventory difficult. We tried to register Handheld Laser Scans (HLS) with RTK-based Aerial Laser Scanning (ALS) as a reference. ICP registration failed, likely due to density differences and lack of common features. Therefore, alternatively, we used a two-step process: rough alignment with 'Register-Clouds' and manual refinement using canopy gaps and crown patterns. Despite good crown matching quite well, stem positions from the two scans were far apart, and stem sizes differed from under the canopy. These uncertainties propagate through DBH, height, volume, and biomass estimates. Quantifying their impact on operational forest inventory is essential, and developing matching algorithms robust to complex environments and dense tree clusters is encouraged
Multnomah County's Division of Assessment, Recording and Taxation is re-imagining its Residential Reappraisal Program. This program, designed to support accurate property value assessments and fair taxation, involves county appraisers inspecting properties (from the sidewalk) to verify and collect data on land and improvements.
To execute this work efficiently, the County selected ArcGIS Survey123 for field data collection. With support from GIS staff, a pilot project covering nearly 2,000 properties is approaching completion. This pilot uses a Survey123 form built on an existing feature service, which includes related child (i.e. land and buildings) and grandchild (i.e. building components and value adjustments) data with one-to-many relationships. This setup allows appraisers to view, edit, and add to the existing Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) data while in the field.
In addition to Survey123 development, attendees will also hear about associated:
Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) processes Workflow management and progress tracking tools developed using ArcGIS Experience Builder and Dashboards Strategies for database integration
Leveraging readily available government land use and remote sensing datasets, this study uses imaging analysis techniques to evaluate landowner choices relative to their municipal water use for landscaping during the summer season. Specifically, the study uses LiDAR surface modeling and NDVI index measures to identify residential taxlot parcels where owners choose to irrigate lawn turf covering their permeable surfaces. Further, the study investigates whether such variables as land/building property value, taxlot areal extent, and/or census tract demographics are predictors of the rate at which parcel owners choose to irrigate. This presentation will review the government interest in the spatial question, the methodology, and results from an initial study area in northeast Portland, Oregon.
GIS Certificate Program, Portland Community College Geospatial Program
Daniel Welch is underway on a second career in GIS after a successful career as a product owner of electronic group-polling systems for opinion and media-evaluation research with Dialsmith, Inc. Upon completing the PCC GIS certificate program this June, Dan looks forward to bringing... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm PDT Classrooms 1-4
The Freshwater Trust (TFT) is a solutions-oriented nonprofit that uses precision analytics to quantify high-priority conservation projects that achieve watershed-scale outcomes. I will highlight the water resource tools we are currently applying to solve problems across the Western U.S. and show examples of decision-support applications and the geospatial workflows we use in arid regions such as Colorado. We are partnering with water managers, farmers, and conservation districts to design programs that build resilience through large-scale water delivery and on-farm irrigation modernization projects. The foundation for these programs is TFT’s BasinScout® Analytics: automated diagnostics that assess large landscapes and watersheds to estimate environmental benefits and prioritize feasible conservation actions at targeted sites. For irrigation-related programs, we aggregate public data sets to focus on conserving high-value farmland, improving water quality, and supporting agricultural economies and communities impacted by drought and decades of water speculation. TFT’s analytics and customized decision-support tools can help communities adapt to changing water conditions and direct funding to the most impactful actions that balance agricultural productivity and competing water demands.
The objective of this research is to interrogate the deployement of intensified punitive tactics in U.S. immigration processing and border security. I rely on Critical Migration Studies, Abolition Geography Studies and various geographic perspectives as analytical frameworks to advance the working claim surrounding the political weak points and U.S constitutional violations as it relates to citizenship granting-processes, national security, and (in)mobility between borders. Given the indefinite suspension of U.S. asylum processing cases, refugee resettlement programs, citizen naturalization applications, and the expansion of military-grade border surveillance beyond U.S. ports of entry, I seek to investigate the spatial relationship between the Northwest Detention Center's and grassroots-led organizers who fight for its permanent closure. I employ ethnographic research and participatory observation to demonstrate the need for the abolition of immigration detention centers in the U.S.
Looking at processing Hillsboro's roadways, bicycle, pedestrian, and crossing facilities using AI data from Ecopia. This data was delivered to Hillsboro in late 2025 and will be used to draft the upcoming TSP.
This project develops a time-series InSAR workflow to monitor surface stability using Sentinel-1 SAR coherence data. By compiling multi-year interferometric pairs from a consistent acquisition geometry, the approach establishes a historical baseline of expected week-to-week coherence behavior across NW Oregon and SW Washington. New observations are compared against this baseline to identify statistically anomalous changes in surface conditions. The workflow combines cloud-based interferometric processing with local geospatial analysis, including automated extraction of coherence rasters and zonal statistics across vector or raster defined regions (administrative boundaries, FAR or land classification). The result is a scalable framework for detecting unusual landscape change, with potential applications in environmental monitoring, land management, and identifying unanticipated surface disturbances to both the natural and built environment.
As our devices become increasingly powerful, it is important to take full advantage of the hardware available. In April, Esri will release a brand new rendering architecture for the ArcGIS Native Maps SDKs to take advantage of modern rendering capabilities of the devices we use every day to bring improved performance and unlock new features. This will be available through the local scene, which enables 3D workflows in local projected data. In addition, the building scene layer will be added as a supported layer type for this release, allowing even deeper data access to 3D GIS data wherever users are.
For over 2.5 years, City of Salem Environmental Services has accumulated both internally and externally collected PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) samples, but these results were not integrated into GIS until recently. Our GIS team developed an internal ArcGIS Experience Builder application, built on Survey123 forms and hosted feature layers, with an automated FME workflow to standardize and consolidate the data. The application allows users to generate chain of custody forms, submit new lab results to update the dataset, filter sites by matrix and category, track regulatory exceedances, explore time-series trends for 40 PFAS analytes, and access associated lab reports and data files. By linking sampling events to mapped locations, the system turns years of scattered environmental data into an interactive, easy-to-use resource that supports better decision-making.
I’m a GIS Analyst with the City of Salem, Oregon, with over 10 years of experience in GIS and remote sensing. I manage the Public Works CCTV database for pipeline inspections and primarily support projects involving wastewater, drones, and imagery. I focus on using programming and... Read More →
Wednesday April 29, 2026 4:30pm - 5:00pm PDT Atrium
