by Cory Fleming, senior technical specialist/program director, ICMA  

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of National Day recognitions in the U.S. In November alone, you can celebrate National Sandwich Day, National Candy Day, National Puppy Day, National Men Make Dinner Day, and National Authors Day, to name just a few. And while many of these days are celebrated in a tongue-and-cheek fashion, one important and more serious day that local governments should be encouraged to celebrate is National GIS Day.

GIS technology is a staple in numerous local governments all over the world. Virtually every department in a local government can use GIS to improve daily operations and engage residents. Today, GIS is being used to address such diverse challenges as homelessness, opiate addiction, and preservation of green infrastructure, to name but a few. As we look toward the future, GIS technology provides a significant opportunity to bring new innovations for local governments to the forefront. This includes preparing the streets and roads for autonomous vehicles, improving traffic flow and safety, building artificial intelligence to forecast where natural disasters are likely to strike, or understanding where and how poverty exists in communities.

GIS technology has changed the way local government operates on a daily basis and will continue to be at the heart of local government innovations in the years to come. So celebrate GIS Day and the innovations we’ll see in the coming years.

Related Readings 

Using the Science of Where to Connect with the Community. This blog post explores the latest innovations in GIS technology.  

Auburn, Alabama: Making GIS a Part of Citizen Engagement. This Esri smart communities case study explores how Auburn, Alabama, was able to use GIS technology to present data that its residents could easily understand.

Green Infrastructure and a Checklist For Implementing a Successful Plan. A checklist for green infrastructure planning, including how GIS can be used to help map a community's green infrastructure assets.