May 2022

The May 2022 meeting featured presentations on the following topics.

Modeling & Data for All Hazards of Texas – Brent Porter, UT Austin Center for Space Research
This presentation discussed the collaboration, technologies, and goals of the Texas Disaster Information System program.

Machine Learning for Improved LiDAR Point Classification – Keith Owens, Fugro
This presentation focused on the recent Texas LiDAR classification project. Fugro deployed machine learning techniques for adding building, vegetation, and culvert classifications to USGS lidar data covering approximately 83,000 square miles of North, Central, and East Texas.

Delineating the Public Use Microdata Areas for the 2020 Census – Po-Chun Huang, UTSA Texas Demographic Center
Public Use Microdata Areas, or PUMAs, are non-overlapping, statistical geographic areas that partition each state or equivalent entity into geographic areas containing no fewer than 100,000 people each. A PUMA is also the smallest geography containing American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data released by Census Bureau, allowing data users to create custom tabulations that are not available in the pre-tabulated ACS summary tables. PUMS data are valuable to state and local planning agencies/offices for use in long-range planning and research projects. The Census Bureau is the only federal agency to create PUMAs. Every ten years the Census Bureau offers State Data Centers from each state the opportunity to delineate PUMAs for the tabulation and dissemination of decennial census and ACS PUMS data, using the decennial census population counts and updated census tract geography as critical inputs to delineation. The State Data Centers are the official participants for this program and must coordinate the delineation suggestions from other interested data users, such as local governments and regional planning agencies. 

Waze Travel Time/Congestion Poller – Helen Zhou and Daniel Burnham, City of Arlington

GIS for Communication of Projects – Kevin Babcock and Haley Salazar, City of Denton
City of Denton residents quite often like to know what projects are where, what they are for, how much is being spent, and how long they will take to complete. The city has created a custom web map that allows this information to be communicated by leveraging Cartegraph, Cityworks, and a custom data entry tool which allows Project Managers to create and update projects. The map gives the ability to show all work from all departments in the city. They have also integrated with JD Edwards for financial information and with Procore Project Management software to provide the most up-to-date information available to their residents. This is accomplished by using ArcGIS Enterprise and Safe Software FME Server.

Fire Tactical Response Guide Solution using ArcGIS Online Web Apps – Kristina Deitz and Captain Keil Baldia, City of Plano
The GIS team has partnered with the Fire Department to create a solution for reviewing and updating Tactical Response Guides for high occupancy buildings. This work began two years ago with an ESRI Solution and has evolved into a custom development utilizing ArcGIS Online web apps, hubs, field maps, and dashboards. The team has empowered the users, in this case firefighters, to regularly collect their own data in the field which allows them to better assess the type of equipment to be deployed in an emergency. This includes collecting data such as emergency contact information, building access points, key box locations, gate codes, and much more. The team has designed a solution to regularly assign these buildings to be reviewed when there are no emergencies, so that the emergency GIS information is being updated consistently. Other departments such as Police are interested in utilizing the same data and applications. 

Spatial Data Cooperative Program: Overview and Special Use Cases – Shelley Broyles and James McLane, NCTCOG
Since 2001, NCTCOG's Research & Information Services Department has facilitated the purchase of spatial data for in North Central Texas as a cost-sharing objective for local governments and other interested entities. Potential data acquisition includes high-resolution orthophotography, elevation data (LiDAR) and derivative products made from orthophotography and LiDAR like planimetric data, contours and landcover/landuse. This presentation discussed the history of the program, what makes the cooperative work and some innovative ways the data could be used moving forward.

Maintaining 9-1-1 Data Integrity Using FME – Bruno Blanco, NCT 9-1-1
This presentation showed participants how FME can empower your GIS data through the use of traditional Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processes and custom-tailored tools/applications. Examples of how NCT9-1-1 has used FME to transform, correct, and even enhance regional GIS data were provided. The presentation focused on the impact that these transformative FME tools have had in the highly demanding environment that is 9-1-1/public safety, while also exploring other potential uses for GIS in general.

What's New in ArcGIS Q1 2022 – Pamela Kersh, ESRI
March 2022 brought major releases and new capabilities of some of ESRI's most popular technology. This presentation covered some of the highlights of what’s new in the latest release in ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Online capabilities, and some of the ArcGIS applications.