Urbinsight is a next-generation data analysis platform designed for participatory mapping and planning processes. Its goal is to provide engaged cities and citizens with the necessary tools and technology to affect the resiliency and sustainability of their cities and settlements in a positive way. Evolved from earlier mapping methods that we pioneered in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 2000s, the project was first launched as the Ecocitizen World Map in 2014 and has since morphed into the much larger Urbinsight platform.

1. Using GIS for Urban Insights
Kirstin Miller, Executive Director, Ecocity Builders
Oakland, California, USA

2. TraditionalUnsustainableEcological
Transitioning for Resilience

3. UNDERSTAND the city as an urban ecosystem
and assess its condition and metabolism (resource flows)
Ecocity Information Model

4. Enables integrated thinking and design solutions

5. Form and flows
GIS
Geographic information system
UMIS
Urban metabolic information systems

6. EcoCity Projects Layer
EcoCitizen Surveys Layer
Basemap Data Layer
Environmental Assessments Layer
Neighborhood Resource Flow Layer
Map Layers

7. • CITY DATA AND INFORMATION
• HIGH LEVEL CONCEPTS AND INFORMATION
• ADD SPECIFIC CONCEPTS FROM MORE GENERIC ONES
• CITIZEN DATA AND INFORMATION
• START FROM REAL EXISTING OBJECTS
• AGGREGATE INTO MORE GENERIC OBJECTS
• LINK TO THE TOP DOWN LEVEL

8. Review materials
including EcoCompass
Compendium and web
maps (link); assess
capacity; identify
community
engagement methods.
Your academic
institution
or grassroots non-profit
is interested in
participating as a pilot
city of the EWMP.
No
Have you
reviewed EWMP
introductory materials
and standards, assessed
internal capacity, and
discussed a community
engagement
strategy and project
goals?
Yes
No
1. INTRODUCTION
AND ALIGNMENT
2. PARTNER
IDENTIFICATION
4. LEADERSHIP
ROUNDTABLE3. ACADEMIC
COURSES
5. BOOTCAMP
TRAINING
6. DEBRIEF
AND
ADAPTATION
Phase I: Knowledge Sharing -
Six Steps
Hold meeting between
grassroots non-profit
and academic
institutions to develop
partnership. Assess
potential urban districts
based on mutual work,
experience and where
there is significant
demand.
If you
are an academic
institution, have you
identified grassroots non-
profit(s) to partner with?
If you are a grassroots
non-profit, have you
identified academic
institution(s)?
No
Scan existing contacts
and research non-
profits and/or
academic institutions
whose work aligns with
EWMP project goals
and community
engagement methods.
Start or end Key decision points Process and Actions
Yes
DEFINITIONS
 Academic institution: a
technical college or post-
secondary university.
 Grassroots Non-Profit: an
organization involved in
citizen issues (e.g. human
rights, environmental
health, etc.).
 Community-based
organization (CBO): an
organization whose
primary services directly
benefit a neighborhood or
community (e.g. housing
tenure, food security, etc.).
Is there
sufficient capacity
to provide full EWMP
academic course;
seminars and labs? This
includes having
a dedicated instructor
and teaching
assistant.
No
Yes
Yes
No
Complete EWMP
community asset
accounting (link), listing
any relevant
community-based
organization.
Download and adapt
EcoCompass materials
(link). Register
participants/students.
Implement course
through academic
institution with
involvement of
grassroots non-profit(s)
(e.g. guest lecturers,
case studies, field
surveys).
As part of course
program,
participants/students,
with support from
academic institution(s)
and grassroots non-
profit(s), contact CBO
and introduce project.
Organize logistics of
leadership roundtable
(link) in or near the
community or
neighborhood from
where the CBO
primary services are
based.
Revisit the community
engagement strategy
with the CBO and
assess promotional
ways to ensure
community or
neighborhood citizens
attend the leadership
roundtable. With the
CBO, define proposed
participatory methods
to support citizen
leadership in research
activities of bootcamp
training and beyond.
CBO, grassroots non-
profit(s) and
participants/students
engage in outreach
and promotion for
roundtable.
No
Yes
Has
the CBO
helped shape the
community
engagement
strategy, determining
methods
to maximize citizen
partici-
pation (e.g. flyering,
announcements,
ads, etc.)?
Leadership roundtable
is held, defining citizen
involvement and the
specified study area.
Has a
study area, date
and location
been finalized
for bootcamp
activities?
Are teams of
participants/stude
nts formed to
facilitate training
of citizens on
bootcamp
research
activities?
Revisit discussion with
CBO and finalize study
area, date, location
for bootcamp training.
No
Reconsider current
potential for EWMP
pilot city project.
Participants/students
form teams according
to bootcamp research
activities. Review
participatory training
methods and test
hard/software (link).
Yes
No
Yes
Implement bootcamp
training.
CBO, grassroots non-
profit(s), and
academic institution(s)
(incl. available
participants/student)
to review research
data gaps, obstacles,
and project goals
post-bootcamp.
Develop and/or
customize databases
to store and organize
data collected during
the bootcamp
training.
Are
there changes
that need to be
made
to data collection
resources or
participatory
methods, before
proceeding with
further data
collection?
Discuss proposed
changes with CBO,
revise methods and
edit resources as
necessary.
Yes
Proceed with further
data collection in the
study area.
No
Share outcomes and
data through EWMP
online media (link).
Initiate Phase II of the
EcoCompass with the
CBO as part of the
EWMP (link).
DURATION of STEP >>
Is there
sufficient capacity
to adapt an existing
academic course or
offer
an intensive to include
EcoCompass
materials?

10. EcoCitizen Surveys

11. EcoCitizen Surveys

12. EcoCitizen Surveys

13. EcoCitizen Surveys

14. EcoCitizen Surveys

15. EcoCitizen Surveys

16. Parcel Audits

17. Neighborhood Metaflow: Parcel Audits

18. Neighborhood Metaflow: Parcel Audits

19. Neighborhood Metaflow: Parcel Audits

20. S
BREAKS DOWN SILOS AND LINKS KNOWLEDGE, DATA AND
INFORMATION

22. 15 universal conditions for healthy
cities and a society in balance with earth systems.
Use ubiquitous STANDARDS and MEASURES for the assessment
www.ecocitystandards.org

23. Map objectives to challenges
Cario 2016

24. ENGAGE CITIZENS with the information and in collecting the information

25. CUSTOMIZE solutions to fit your city’s particular situation
Vancouver 2016
© 2014 Jennie Moore

26. Urban agriculture
Co-working
Low impact storm
water management
Farmer’s markets
Bicycle greenways
REPLICATE what fits and what works

27. EcoCity green rezoning policies
• A rezoning policy to achieve higher
sustainability standards as an essential part of
large site developments.
• All rezonings that involve 2 acres or more of
land must include plans or studies in six areas:
• District energy screening and
feasibility
• Sustainable site design
• Green mobility and clean vehicles
• Rainwater management
• Solid waste diversion
• Sustainable housing affordability and
housing mix Vancouver
Enact POLICIES to enable transformation and scaling

28. TOOLS AND RESOURCES
Map
Urbinsight
Platform
Measure
Ecocity
Standards
and
Indicators
Network
Ecocity
Wiki
Define
Urban
Ontology
Go
Deeper
Resource
Library
Tour
Ecocity VR
Teach
EcoCompass

29. www.ecocitybuilders.org
http://www.ecocitystandards.org
Contact: Kirstin Miller, Executive Director
kirstin@ecocitybuilders.org
Visit www.ecocity2017.com
for further information