Geospatial Without Maps

When most people hear "geospatial," they immediately think of maps. But in many advanced applications, maps never enter the picture at all. Instead, geospatial data becomes a powerful input to machine learning workflows, unlocking insights and automation in ways that don't require a single visual. At its core, geospatial data is structured around location—coordinates, areas, … Continue reading Geospatial Without Maps

Reflections on the Process of Planning FedGeoDay 2025

What is FedGeoDay? FedGeoDay is a single-track conference dedicated to federal use-cases of open geospatial ecosystems. The open ecosystems have a wide variety of uses and forms, but largely include anything designed around open data, open source software, and open standards. The main event is a one day commitment and is followed by a day … Continue reading Reflections on the Process of Planning FedGeoDay 2025

Why Young Professionals Should Get Out of the Office and Into Industry Events

In today’s fast-paced professional world, it's easy for young professionals to assume that hard work alone will get them ahead. While grinding at the desk and delivering results matters, relying solely on your work to speak for itself may leave you overlooked in a competitive field. Getting out of the office and into local conferences, … Continue reading Why Young Professionals Should Get Out of the Office and Into Industry Events

Demystifying the Medallion Architecture for Geospatial Data Processing

Introduction Geospatial data volumes and complexity are growing due to diverse sources, such as GPS, satellite imagery, and sensor data. Traditional geospatial processing methods face challenges, including scalability, handling various formats, and ensuring data consistency. The medallion architecture offers a layered approach to data management, improving data processing, reliability, and scalability. While the medallion architecture … Continue reading Demystifying the Medallion Architecture for Geospatial Data Processing

Three Ways to Use GeoPandas in Your ArcGIS Workflow

Introduction When combining open-source GIS tools with the ArcGIS ecosystem, there are a handful of challenges one can encounter. The compatibility of data formats, issues with interoperability, tool chain fragmentation, and performance at scale come to mind quickly. However, the use of the open-source Python library GeoPandas can be an effective way of working around … Continue reading Three Ways to Use GeoPandas in Your ArcGIS Workflow

Applying Porter’s Five Forces to Open-Source Geospatial

Introduction The geospatial industry has seen significant transformation with the rise of open-source solutions. Tools like QGIS, PostGIS, OpenLayers, and GDAL have provided alternatives to proprietary GIS software, providing cost-effective, customizable, and community-driven mapping and spatial analysis capabilities. While open-source GIS thrives on collaboration and accessibility, it still operates within a competitive landscape influenced by … Continue reading Applying Porter’s Five Forces to Open-Source Geospatial

Developing a Geospatially-Aware Strategic Plan for Your Organization

What is Strategic Planning and Why Does it Matter? Strategic planning is one of the most important things you can do for your organization. It helps you not only paint the picture of where you want your organization to be in the future, but also draws the roadmap for how you’re going to get there.  … Continue reading Developing a Geospatially-Aware Strategic Plan for Your Organization