ArcGIS Urban Future: Enhancing City Planning through Spatial Analysis and Technology Integration

Technology has advanced dramatically in the last 10 years. It has changed the way us planners work and is expected to continue this upward trend for years to come. How will our current/ long-range planning change in the next 5-10 years and what will be required for local government to keep pace?

The goal of this session is to increase awareness of the technologies now available, those that are in the offing, and how they will make more accurate and timely information available for use in making more informed and better decisions. Also, since an essential part of what we do is visionary, what tools are now or becoming available to help visualize, in real-world contexts, our plans and proposals?

For years, zoning ordinances have been written without knowing their true effects or what the on-the-ground outcomes will be. As development occurs, only then do we know how effective - or ineffective - the regulations are. Thus, many band-aids have been used, such as CUPs, SUPs, and PUDs, or new design guidelines of form standards are written.

What if this is no longer the case? What if we’re able to visualize development before its approved, evaluate it in the three-dimensional context of its surroundings, and understand upfront its conformance, compatibility, and contributions toward city objectives?

The recent release of ArcGIS Urban has done just that. It’s one small step for planners but a giant leap for communities.

Through this session, we will take a deeper dive into latest Esri tools available as Planners' toolkit and showcase real world examples of how cities not only within Texas but throughout the US are uniquely leveraging the ArcGIS Urban technology to accomplish its goals.

These case studies and use of technology may include topics but not only limited to housing shortages, affordable housing policy, economic development, downtown initiatives, zoning modification, land use planning, spatial analysis, development review, comprehensive planning initiatives and most importantly the direction in which the technology is making strides.

Additionally, technology tools should make Planners' daily workflow less burdened and we will showcase real live demonstrations of making use of the ArcGIS Urban technology. It is our intention to ensure that the use of such technology tools is just a short amount of effort away.

We are planning to add additional 2 speakers (invitations sent) at a later date. We are awaiting their confirmation.