This presentation was delivered as the keynote address at the URISA-UAE Chapter Inaugural Event 'Towards Geospatial Society' in Dubai, UAE, 3 May 2012

1. URISA and the Development of a
Geospatial Society:
Past, Present and Future
Greg Babinski, MA, GISP
Finance & Marketing Manager
King County GIS Center
Seattle, WA
The Summit Chief Editor
URISA President
URISA – UAE Chapter
URISA Forum: Towards Geospatial Society
3 May 2012
Society of Engineers - Dubai, UAE

2. Greetings from URISA
URISA Board of Directors:
President: Greg Babinski, MA, GISP
Past President: Cy Smith, GISP
President Elect: Al Butler, GISP, AICP
Secretary: Tom Conry
Treasurer: Carl Anderson, GISP
Twyla McDermott, GISP
David DiBiase, GISP, CMS
Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP
Teresa Townsend
Nancy Obermeyer, GISP
Cindy Post
Chris Thomas
URISA Staff and Committees:
Wendy Nelson, Executive Director
Katie Morehead, Office Manager
Verlanda McBride, Database
Administrator
Pat Francis, Conference Manager
Jeni Griffith, Education Manager
Ann Bishopp, Finance Manager
Amy Esnard, Chapter Relations
Committee Chair
Tripp Corbin, UAE Chapter Liaison

3. King County,
Washington
Population (2010 USCB): 1,931,249 (14th most populous US county)
Area: 2130 square miles (sea level to 8,000’)
39 incorporated cities
Viable agricultural and private forestry areas
Remote wilderness & watershed lands
 Microsoft
 Boeing
 Paccar
 Nordstrom's
 Amazon
 Starbucks
 Port of Seattle
 Weyerhaeuser
 Univ. of Washington
 Google
 Skype

4. The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Key Themes
1. The past and URISA’s engineering origins:
50 years of geospatial accomplishment
2. The present and URISA’s relevance for a
geospatial society
3. URISA’s role and a vision for the future
geospatial society

5. Dr. Edgar M. Horwood
Professor of Civil Engineering and Urban Planning
University of Washington School of Engineering
URISA Founder
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations
Professor Horwood’s simple but disruptive
question to the U.S. Census Bureau in 1962:
“Can you let me have the 1960 census data for
the U.S. on digital tape?’

6. Edgar Horwood and the birth of URISA:
 Working with University of Washington Geography
Department – established a short course on data mapping
presented in 1962 and 1963
 1963 to 1966 Urban Planning Information Systems and
Programs Conferences for short course alumni
 1963 Conference considered first URISA Annual
Conference
 In 1966 the Urban and Regional Information Systems
Association (URISA) was formally established with Dr.
Horwood as first President.
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations

7. URISA and the development of geospatial technology:
 URISA short course 1963 graduate Howard Fischer
assumed the challenge to develop an improved card
mapping system
 Fischer developed SYMAP for automated chloropleth and
contour mapping
 In 1965 Fischer established the Harvard Computer
Graphics Laboratory where he released computer mapping
source code
 Jack Dangermond developed ArcInfo from the Harvard
R&D program
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations

8. URISA and the development of geospatial society:
 Annual Conferences and Proceedings from 1963 to present
 URISA Journal – Continued peer-reviewed academic focus
 Exemplary Systems in GIS (ESIG) Awards
 Basic URISA formula:
How to use technology x plus spatial data y for
government business purpose z
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations

9. Domains Discussed in URISA Conference Proceedings:
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations
• access to data issues
• access to data policies
• access to information issues
• access to information policies
• applications of data systems
• applications of geographic information systems
(GIS)
• applications of information systems (IS)
• applications of land information systems (LIS)
• assessing GIS benefits
• assessing IS benefits
• assessing management information system (MIS)
benefits
• asset management systems
• attribute data
• automated cartography
• automated data processing
• automated mapping,
• automated vehicle tracking
• cartographic principles and practices
• centralization/decentralization issues
• census
• climate change monitoring system
• code enforcement information system
• community health information system
• complaints-based municipal standard of care
response system
• complaints-based inspector dispatch system
• computer-aided dispatch
• computer-aided mass appraisal
• computer-communications systems
• confidentiality and privacy issues and practices
• consultants and data conversion tasks
• consultants and IS/GIS/LIS design and
implementation
• contour mapping,
• coordinate systems
• COTS – OSS/FS – Saas
• criminal justice information system
• data access control plan
• data acquisition alternatives
• data conversion processes
• data dictionary
• data generation techniques
• data layers/overlays
• data maintenance
• data models
• data sharing issues/protocols
• data sources and data acquisition/transfer caveats and
protocols
• data standards
• decision support information system

10. Domains Discussed in URISA Conference Proceedings:
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations
• development monitoring/tracking information
system
• devolution impact on municipal government
information services
• digital elevation model
• digital mapping
• digital terrain model
• dispatch Information system
• ”Doomsday Map”
• economic development information system
• electronic data processing
• emergency response information system
• enterprise geographic information system
• environmental impact assessment information
system
• environmental information system
• environmental technical information system
• evaluating information system performance
• exemplary systems/best practices
• expert and knowledge-based information system
• facility management system
• financial information system
• fiscal impact analysis
• fiscal information system
• geocoding
• geodatabase structures
• geographic base file
• geographically-referenced data storage and retrieval
system
• geographic concepts defining GIS
• geographic information system (GIS)
• geographic knowledge system
• geomatics
• georeferencing
• geospatial technology
• geostatistics
• GIS planning and implementation
• GIS trends
• global positioning systems
• globalization impact on community information
strategies
• Google (street view, etc.)
• hazard information systems
• health information system
• housing information system
• human resources management information system
• imaging systems
• impact assessment principles/practices/techniques
• indexes and other metrics for
evaluating/grading/measuring performance
• informatics
• information and knowledge bases for decision-making

11. Domains Discussed in URISA Conference Proceedings:
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations
• Information interchange protocols
• information management systems
• information research services
• information science
• information society
• information system architecture
• information system functionality
• information system performance
• information systems and critical/essential
infrastructure
• information system trends
• informational activity criteria
• informing and listening to the public
• infrastructure management and maintenance
information system
• in-house/out-source principles and practices
• institutional and organizational factors
• institutional maxims and conditions
• integrating land records databases
• integrated municipal information system
• integrated system development
• interactive GIS
• interdependent infrastructures and information
systems
• intergovernmental information system
• internet GIS
• land information system
• land market information system
• land parcel information system
• land records information system
• land registration information system
• land/structure/occupancy database
• land use classification systems
• legacy systems
• legal issues
• LiDAR
• management information system,
• measuring information system return on investment
• mental health data system
• metadata
• methods and techniques of spatial analysis
• metropolitan information system
• mobile LiDAR
• motor vehicle accident records information system
• multi-jurisdictional geographic information system
• multimedia systems and applications in local government
• multipurpose cadastre
• multi-purpose land information system
• municipal information system
• national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI)
• natural resources information system
• needs analysis – data

12. Domains Discussed in URISA Conference Proceedings:
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Past Foundations
• needs analysis – information
• needs analysis – policy information/knowledge bases
• object-oriented database
• online mapping
• open systems and architecture
• pedestrian-sensitive intersection traffic safety system
• plan, program, budget information system
• planning and evaluation information system
• planning information system
• planning research information system
• police management information system
• policy objective, formation, and evaluation system
• policy research information system
• privatization impact on public sector information
services
• productivity measurement
• project performance information system
• property assessment information system
• property inspections information system
• property standards by-law enforcement system
• prosecution management information system
• public participation geographic information system
• public policy and IS/GIS/LIS inputs
• quality assurance for GIS
• quality control procedures and systems
• real estate information system
• regional management information system
• relational database-management system,
• remote sensing systems
• residential appraisal information system
• resource allocation models
• return on investment principles and practices
• routing systems (vehicles, utilities, etc.)
• school districting information system
• social indicators information system
• spatial analysis for business
• spatial analysis techniques,
• spatial data infrastructures
• spatial data transfer standard (SDTS)
• spatial data warehouse
• standard of care information obligations
• street addressing
• topology
• traffic management information system,
• transit planning information system
• transportation information system
• water and wastewater information system
• urban data models
• urban development information system
• urban information system
• zoning information system

13. A personal reflection: Dr. William Bunge
Author:
Theoretical Geography
The Fitzgerald Project
The Nuclear War Atlas

14. Dr. William Bunge at Wayne State University

15. URISA and the development of geospatial society:
 URISA’s 50th Annual Conference – GIS-Pro 2012
 URISA Journal – Academic Indexing
 The GIS Professional – Practitioner based articles and
news
 Specialty Conferences: Addressing, Assessing, Transit,
Public Health – plus Caribbean Conference
 24 day long workshops plus weeklong URISA Leadership
Academy
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Present Contributions

16. URISA and the development of geospatial society:
 29 regional chapters
 International affiliation: SSSI in Australia and New Zealand
 Founded the GIS Certification Institute (GISP Program)
 Initiated the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO)
 Instrumental in development of the US DOL ‘Geospatial
Technology Competency Model’ (GTCM)
 Development of the USDOL ‘Geospatial Management
Competency Model’ (GMCM) in progress
 Developed the URISA Municipal GIS Capability Maturity
Model (GISCMM)
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Present Contributions

17. URISA and the development of geospatial society:
URISA’s GISCorps
 Volunteer based support to emergency relief,
humanitarian, health, and environmental projects around
the world
 1,600 volunteers
 100+ Projects
 2012 Presidential Award
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Present Contributions

18. URISA and the development of geospatial society:
Washington Chapter of URISA (www.waurisa.org)
 2012 Washington GIS Conference – 7-9 May 2012 (300
attendees expected)
 The Summit – Washington State GIS Newsletter
 Summit Award – Annual Award for GIS contribution
 Dick Thomas Student Paper Competition
 Educational Workshops
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Present Contributions

19. A Personal Reflection on URISA’s Influence:
 East Bay Municipal Utility District – GIS Supervisor:
 GIS planning & Implementation
 Water & Wastewater Information Systems
 King County GIS Center:
 Centralization vs. Decentralization Issues
 Data standards and data sharing protocols
 Health information systems
 Return on Investment
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Present Contributions

20. A New Approach to Performance Management
King County AIMS High and Social Equity
20

21. URISA and the future of geospatial society:
 URISA Proceedings & URISA Journal online and searchable
(project in progress – but additional financial support
needed)
 URISA Listserv – closed communications amongst URISA
members – a virtual GIS ‘silicon valley’
 URISA Connect webinars – allowing delivery of education
worldwide
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Future Vision

22. URISA and the future of geospatial society:
The URISA GIS Management Institute:
 URISA GIS Management Body of Knowledge
 URISA GIS Capability Maturity Model
 URISA Geospatial Management Competency Model
 URISA Accreditation of Educational Programs
 URISA GIS ROI Methodology
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Future Vision

23. URISA and the future of geospatial society:
The URISA International Initiative:
 Existing SSSI (Australia & New Zealand) affiliation
 Proposed semi-annual Canada GIS Conference
 New URISA-UAE Chapter
 Request to form URISA-Poland chapter
 Other possible URISA chapters (Turkey, Singapore)
 Other possible URISA affiliations (Taiwan GIS Society)
 Re-establish URISA affiliation with BURISA
The Development of a Geospatial Society:
Future Vision

24. Dr. Chih-Hong Sun
Dep. Of Geographic NTU Professor
Chairman ofTaiwan GIS Center
Research
Geographic Information Systems
Spatial Decision Support Systems
Hydrologic Modeling
Remote Sensing
Natural Hazards Mitigation
Sustainable Development
Introduction to Taiwan GIS
Center

25. 25

26. Knowledge
Platform
Sensor Web
學術界的知識與Model
政府與產業界的資料與資訊
或學術界的分析模式
Knowledge-Oriented
Cyberinfrastructure
TIEOS – Intelligent Taiwan Project

27. GIS ROI Documentation Study
New Zealand

28. GIS ROI Documentation Study
New Zealand

29. Consultant Team from UW Evans School of Public Affairs:
 Prof. Richard W. Zerbe
 Danielle Fumia & Travis Reynolds
 Pradeep Singh & Tyler Scott
King County GIS ROI Study

30. “The most conservative estimate presented
finds that the use of GIS has produced
approximately $775 million in net benefits over
the eighteen year period from 1992 to 2010.”
“Thus a reasonable estimate of total gains is
between $180 million and $87 million in 2010.”
KCGIS GIS ROI Study Results

31. King County,
Washington
Population (2010 USCB): 1,931,249 (14th most populous US county)
Area: 2130 square miles (sea level to 8,000’)
39 incorporated cities
Viable agricultural and private forestry areas
Remote wilderness & watershed lands
Dr. Costis Toregas at United Nations Conference on GIS - presentation titled
“Geography as a Municipal Asset”
“Geography has always been a major integrative element in municipal
administration. Many points of municipal policy concern are debatable,
but geography can be said to be constant and decisive. The location of a
tree or a city block cannot change, nor be the topic of a debate. For this
reason, the spread of Geographic Information Systems (or GIS) has been
rapid and dramatic in state and local government institutions. “
 Microsoft
 Boeing
 Paccar
 Nordstrom's
 Amazon
 Starbucks
 Port of Seattle
 Weyerhaeuser
 Univ. of Washington
 Google
 Skype?

32. URISA – The Association for GIS Professionals
 GIS-Pro – URISA’s Annual Conference

33. Greg Babinski, MA, GISP
URISA President
Summit Chief Editor
Finance & Marketing Manager
King County GIS Center
201 South Jackson Street, Suite 706
Seattle, WA 98104
206-263-3753
greg.babinski@kingcounty.gov
www.kingcounty.gov/gis
URISA - The Association for GIS Professionals www.urisa.org
The Summit
www.waurisa.org/thesummit