Day: January 26, 2011

Explore the Role of Crowdsourcing for Emergency Management

/ Matt Artz / 1 Comment

Redlands GIS Week Attendees Will Identify Best Practices in Volunteered Geographic Information

Thought leaders from academia, government, and industry will gather at Esri headquarters in Redlands, California, February 8–10, 2011, for the second annual Redlands GIS Week. The event will focus on the future of volunteered geographic information (VGI) and how it can be integrated into applications built with geographic information system (GIS) technology.

Attendees will take part in advancing the partnership of VGI and GIS technology into multiple decision-making workflows—from citizen science to emergency response to social media applications.

To start the week, two keynote speakers will share their experiences with GIS and VGI. The first speaker is Michael Goodchild, professor of geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and director of the university’s Center for Spatial Studies, who coined the term volunteered geographic information. The title of his presentation is It’s About Time: The Temporal Dimension in VGI. Lorant Czaran of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs will present Coordinating Response: United Nations Platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER).

In addition, attendees will have several opportunities to share ideas and applications for VGI with leading geospatial professionals. Guest speakers, demonstrations, and Lightning Talks will foster dialog and debate about advancing geospatial solutions throughout various industries. It is expected that 100 researchers from sponsoring institutions will attend and participate in group discussions, while other researchers will discuss and present the practical aspects of VGI.

Redlands GIS Week is cosponsored by the University of Redlands, the University of Southern California, and Esri. There is no cost to attend. For more information, visit redlandsgisweek.org.

[Source: Esri press release]

Free Webinar: Timely, Accurate Decision Making Using ArcGIS and Lidar

/ Matt Artz

02 February 2011, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. PST

Attend a free webinar to learn how to get the most out of lidar data using ArcGIS. Hear about airborne data and products that are valuable for GIS, along with recommended workflows for managing and disseminating the data.

Benefits of the upcoming event include the following:

  • Learn how to integrate lidar data into your data production and advanced design processes.
  • Find out how to reduce data duplication and manage lidar information efficiently.

Learn how to save time by working in one GIS environment.

Register Now

Relevance of Time Geography to Spatio-Temporal Constraints on Social Networks

/ Matt Artz

Spatio-Temporal Constraints on Social Networks Workshop, University of California, Santa Barbara, Center for Spatial Studies, 13-14 December 2010

Shih-lung Shaw

“Hägerstrand’s time geography examines human activities under various constraints in a space-time context (Hägerstrand, 1970). Space and time are connected through the concept of space-time path that tracks an individual’s sequence of activities at different locations over time. The space-time prism concept, on the other hand, delimits a feasible spatiotemporal opportunity space that an individual could conduct his/her activities under capability, authority, and coupling constraints. Although time-geographic concepts were developed mainly for human activities in physical space, these concepts are relevant and applicable to human activities in virtual space enabled by information and communication technologies (ICT) such as the Internet and mobile phones. For example, people who do not have access to a smartphone face more capability constraints on social networking than those who have a smartphone with an unlimited data plan. Different social networks often have their own policies on user access, information sharing, among others. These are examples of authority constraints. Instant chats still require all parties involved be available online at the same time, which represent a coupling constraint. It is clear that time-geographic concepts have potential of helping us gain better understanding of spatio-temporal constraints on social networks. However, some classical time-geographic concepts need to be modified and extended to accommodate the changing nature and characteristics of human activities and interactions in virtual space.”

Violence, Drug Markets and Racial Composition: Challenging Stereotypes through Spatial Analysis

/ Matt Artz

Urban Studies, published online before print 17 January 2011

Cynthia Lum

“Places in which there is a strong spatial connection between violence and drug activity can often evoke particular stereotypes. They are believed to be places marked by high levels of social disorganisation, unemployment, disorder and racial heterogeneity. Yet scholars have argued that the spatial relationship between drug market activity and violence is more complicated and that other factors may explain this geographical connection. In the first article of this two-part series, different types of spatial analysis were employed to describe crime concentrations of drugs and violence. Evidence was found that challenges the notion that places with drug activity are inevitably more violent. This second paper examines what factors predict these variations in drug–violence spatial patterns in Seattle when derived using different spatial methods. The findings indicate that racial composition, disorder and unemployment may not be as salient as once believed in predicting places that are violent drug markets.”

The Redlands Forum Presents an Evening with Jane Goodall

/ Matt Artz

Learn about Goodall’s Remarkable Work and Her Inspiring Vision for Our Future

Join Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, on Monday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Redlands Memorial Chapel, as she discusses her pioneering work with chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park (Africa). She will also talk about the role we all must play to ensure a better future around the globe.

In her presentation, Gombe and Beyond: The Next 50 Years, the world-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and UN Messenger of Peace will reflect on the extraordinary changes the world has undergone since she began her work in Africa in the 1960s; the impact these changes have had on people, animals, and the environment we all share; and her inspiring vision for the road ahead.

Goodall travels more than 300 days per year inspiring audiences around the world with fascinating stories about her life. As founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), she emphasizes the importance of JGI’s innovative, community-centered conservation programs in Africa, as well as Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the institute’s global environmental and humanitarian youth program. Roots & Shoots engages young people from preschool through college in more than 120 countries to take positive action in their communities and beyond. Students from the University of Redlands lead a Roots & Shoots after-school program at Franklin Elementary School in Redlands. As Goodall frequently reminds us, “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”

A book signing will follow the lecture. Goodall’s books, as well as JGI merchandise and memberships, will be available for purchase at the book signing.

Tickets to this event are available through the University of Redlands Campus Events office ($10 general admission/$5 for students). All proceeds go to JGI.

Redlands Forum presentations are sponsored by Esri and the University of Redlands through the university’s Town & Gown organization. To learn more about upcoming Redlands Forum events and speakers, visit esri.com/redlandsforum or call 909-748-8011.

[Source: Esri press release; Photo courtesy the Jane Goodall Institute/Bill Wallauer]

Dataset: Trends in Inland Capture Fisheries by Country, 1984-1997

/ Matt Artz / 1 Comment

New Data Basin dataset on ArcGIS.com:

“This study analyzes quantitative and qualitative information and develops selected indicators of the condition of the world’s freshwater systems. The condition is defined as the current and future capacity of the systems to continue providing the full range of goods and services needed or valued by humans. Where available, we use global data sets to illustrate key indicators. In cases in which global data are not available, we use regional- and national-level information to illustrate important concepts, indicators, trends, and issues. Sometimes, local-level case studies have been used to illustrate trends that appear to be important but for which national or global data do not exist.”