GIS Newsletter September 2024
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1. Recap: Esri User Conference 2024
The 2024 Esri User Conference (UC) was held in San Diego, California from July 15-19. The 44th ?annual event saw Esri customers, partners, developers, employees, and guests from more than 130 countries gather to share and learn from each other how they are meeting some of the world’s most difficult challenges with GIS technologies, with thousands more joining in with livestreams of key sessions streamed all across the world.
?This includes the Plenary session (the keynote address on the first day of the conferences that recognises achievements in GIS and highlights new products and features in the ArcGIS suite of products) and a host of technical sessions which either provide an introduction to key products or demonstrates new functionality.
?With so many sessions available, sifting through all the available session recordings, deciding what is valuable for your particular organisation, and implementing these GIS technologies (or even just getting started) is undeniably daunting. This artcle simplify this by summarising the key sessions, sorting the sessions by product and activity type, and providing additional resources to help you achieve your GIS goals.
Plenary Session
The Plenary session on Day 1 is typically the highlight of the UC, delivered by Esri founder and President Jack Dangermond along with guest presenters. The technical content is usually reinforced in the related technical presentations throughout the week, but the Plenary session is the best place to see the influence of GIS in solving global challenges across climate change, conservation, urban planning, economic development, transportation, utilities, emergency and disaster management, and a whole range of industries at a local, state, national, or international scale.
2024 Esri UC Plenary Session: Part 1
?In the first session, Jack Dangermond welcomes attendees and highlights some of his favourite maps and scenes across this broad section of industries submitted by ArcGIS users, and recognises the valuable work of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, City of Raleigh, and USAID.
?The conference theme this year is “Uniting Our World”, and Jack speaks to the importance of using maps visualise and express geographic data as a visual language. The key takeway here is that, ‘Maps reveal patterns, relationships, and systems, helping us think differently.’ This philosophy underpins a lot of the activity that happens at the UC – you can gather professionals from many different industries, and they all have to account for each other in some way. For example, city planners and economic developers need to consider environmental and sustainability goals when designing new infrastructure. It’s incredibly valuable to see how different users with access to the same technology can collaborate to achieve sometimes differing goals but working towards a better future for humanity.
?The second half of Part 1 features some impressive ArcGIS product demonstrations, starting Miami-Dade County’s deployment of ArcGIS Enterprise to integrate spatial and BIM data to create a 2D and 3D digital record of their district, deploy dashboards, display road closures with the new ArcGIS Road Closures product, and deploy disaster response strategies.
?While the Plenary session is a showcase of fully mature GIS solutions and less focused on the technical how-to, what makes the Plenary session worthwhile is Jack’s undeniable passion when talking about what GIS means and not only the potential it has to address future challenges, but the way that the technology is being used right now by organisations at all scales. It’s also one of the best events at highlighting exactly why GIS is a combination of art and science.
2024 Esri UC Plenary Session: Part 2
?The second session of the day features a more comprehensive look at the ArcGIS products and workflows that buildthe types of digital assets seen in the first session. This session will appeal to anyone interested in a more technicalapproach to product demonstrations, but at a high enough level to get a feel for a wider range of products than anysingle technical workshop. For the time-poor user, this is probably the most valuable session of the three parts from a technical perspective.
2024 Esri UC Plenary Session: Conclusion
?The final session of the day is a mixture of the first two sessions, with technical demonstrations interspersed with user stories about what GIS enables them to do. The highlight of this section is the keynote address by Governor Tim Walz, the 41st ?Governor of Minesota. The Governor recounts his time as a high school geography teacher through to his rise to Governor, but never losing his passion for geography and belief in GIS as a tool to solve many of the challenges his administration faces. A key takeaway from his speech is the use of GIS to support a universal school meals program which had a positive effect not only on children, but particularly for lower- and middle class women who saw the program as both financially and socially beneficial for them.
Technical Presentations
?While the Plenary session is the highlight of Day 1, there are many technical presentations held across the week.These sessions cover almost all ArcGIS products and technologies, and aimed at a wide variety of audiences from new beginners finding their feet. As mentioned earlier there are hundreds of sessions that conference attendees can register for, but not all of them are recorded for the digital access users.
There are a host of recordings available right now, and there are far too many to go into depth individually, however the list below groups each session by its technology or usage type, and provides high-quality Esri resources that can help you grow your journey with the ArcGIS platform.
Note: An Esri User Conference account registered for Digital Access is required to view the UC2024 resources.
UC2024: Mapping & Visualisation
UC2024: ArcGIS Enterprise
?UC2024: Data Management
UC2024: Field Operations
UC2024: Developer Technologies
UC2024: Real-Time & Dynamic Data
UC2024: 3D Visualisation, Imagery, and Remote Sensing
UC2024: Spatial Analysis and Data Science
UC2024: Web Apps
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2. The Role of AI in Modern Urban Planning
Urban Planning is a technical and political discipline focused on use of land, the design of built spaces, transportation and infrastructure, population distribution, and facility accessibility. The Urban Planning process is driven by a complex set of requirements and expectations, including sustainability, zoning and land use mix, diversity, population distribution, resident and guest experience, equal access to public resources and green space, as well as the preservation of culture, history, and tradition.
?What defines a great master plan?
In essence, a truly great master plan requires both functionality and aesthetic appeal; a successful master plan proposal requires the perfect balance between function and form comprising of both:
a robust, functional concept that meets the requirements outlined by policymakers, and realistic architectural detail impressions and compelling visuals that convince people of the envisioned livability on a human scale.
?Why is it challenging to create a master plan?
Creating a great master plan is a challenging process because of the many actors and software tools required to solve the highly complex urban design problems involved. Typically, a team of urban planners first define goals, regulations, functions, typologies, and massing of a master plan, and then it may be refined by a team of urban designers (architects) and/or visualizers (ranging from watercolor painters to 3D rendering artists).
There is also one important aspect that neither the planner nor the designer need to consider: the geography. Understanding the location and surroundings of a master plan, either at plan-scale or city-scale, is crucial to making the right functional and aesthetic decisions about what is being proposed.
Within the ArcGIS platform we have two focused applications, ArcGIS Urban and ArcGIS City Engine
The combination of these two tools bring together the unique master planning capabilities of Urban with the “magical” generative urban design capabilities of CityEngine. This integration merges urban planning and design workflows that should always be executed together. It empowers a city planner to envision a master plan down to the human scale on the ground level.
?ArcGIS Urban can empower the planning department with a comprehensive set of tools and functionalities, enabling them to streamline the urban planning and development process, improve efficiency, and create sustainable and visually appealing neighborhoods. It can optimize the design process, ensure compliance with environmental regulations, and enhance stakeholder engagement.
Why AI in Urban Planning?
By harnessing the power of AI, urban planners can now make more informed decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of population growth trends, intricate traffic patterns, and potential environmental impacts. This data- driven approach allows for the development of urban spaces that are not only more efficient but also significantly more sustainable in the long run.
?Urban planners play a crucial role in shaping our cities, and their efforts to gather comprehensive socio-economic data are truly commendable. By meticulously collecting census data, conducting surveys, and analysing economic reports, these dedicated professionals gain invaluable insights into the unique characteristics of each area they work on.
What is generative design AI?
Generative design AI is the application of generative AI that focuses on using artificial intelligence algorithms to generate and optimize designs.
Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence), refers to a class of algorithms and models designed to autonomously produce content, such as text, images, music, or other forms of data, by learning patterns and structures from vast datasets.
Generative AI models learn the patterns and structure of their input training data and then generate new data that has similar characteristics. It uses algorithms and machine learning techniques to explore a range of design possibilities to find optimal solutions based on given constraints and objectives. Designers, engineers, and manufacturers can input design goals and constraints, and the AI system generates multiple design options that meet those requirements.
Generative AI emerges as a transformative force, reshaping the landscape of urban planning and propelling us towards a future of sustainable development. Using deep learning techniques, the AI "learns" to generate numerous design options that meet the specified criteria, often surpassing human-created designs in terms of efficiency and sustainability.
Applications of Generative AI in Urban Planning
Optimising Traffic Flow: One way that generative AI can be applied in urban planning is by optimizing traffic flow. This entails enhancing the flow of traffic in metropolitan settings, such as by lowering congestion and delays. By analysing real-time traffic data and predicting traffic patterns, generative AI can aid in this process.
OptimisingUrbanDevelopment:
By creating designs that balance different criteria,including population density,transit infrastructure, and environmental effect, generative AI can be utilised to maximise urban development. Forinstance, AI may produce plans for mixed-use buildings that include residential, commercial, and and transportation infrastructure to make cities more livable and sustainable. This can assist cities in accommodating population increase while reducing their negative environmental effects and preserving a good standard of living for their citizens.
Enhancing Public Space Design:
Generative AI can be used to enhance public space design by generating designs that prioritise vital factors such as accessibility, safety, and user preferences.
?Streamlining Building Permitting:
Building permitting is a complex process that involves obtaining approvals from various city officials and departments. Generative AI can be used to streamline the permitting process by generating digital 3D models of proposed buildings that can be quickly reviewed by city officials. This can reduce the time and resources required to obtain building permits, speeding up the development process and reducing costs.
What is a Massing Generator?
A massing generator is a digital tool used in urban planning and architecture to create preliminary volumetric representations of buildings and structures. These representations, known as massings, are essential for understanding the spatial impact of a proposed development within its context. Massing generators simplify the initial stages of design by providing quick and versatile models that can be adjusted and iterated upon rapidly.
?With the advancements in AI, particularly GPT-4, these tools can now be utilized in specialized applications for generating massing, akin to having a digital architecture colleague
The Significance of Generative AI in Urban Development:
Now, imagine this technology applied to urban planning:
Sustainable Designs
Buildings optimized for energy efficiency, with passive cooling, natural lighting, and renewable energy integration.
Resilient Infrastructure
Urban layouts designed to withstand natural disasters and climate change impacts.
Improved Traffic Flow
Smart transportation networks that minimize congestion and pollution.
Livable Public Spaces
Parks, plazas, and green spaces designed for community interaction and well-being.
Enhanced Accessibility
Designing inclusive spaces that cater to the needs of all residents, regardless of age or ability.
Approaches in using Generative AI in Architecture and Urban Planning Rule-Based Systems
One approach to using AI Generative design in architecture and urban planning is to use rule-based systems. These systems rely on a set of predefined rules and parameters to generate distinct designs or models. While rule-based systems can be effective in generating simple designs, they may not be able to handle complex design problems that require a more nuanced approach.
For example, in architecture, a rule-based system could be used to generate designs for standard residential buildings. The system would follow predefined rules and parameters, such as the number of bedrooms, washrooms,and living halls/areas, to generate designs that meet these requirements. However, when it comes to more complex designs, such as those for large commercial buildings or public spaces, rule-based systems may not be sufficient.This is because these designs require a more nuanced approach that takes into account factors such as accessibility, sustainability,and user preferences.
3. ArcGIS Enterprise users! Exciting news
ArcGIS Urban is available on Enterprise for the first time with the release of ArcGIS Enterprise 11.3
ArcGIS Urban enables planning teams to visualize 3D models of cities, towns, and regions to create and analyse future development scenarios. With the ArcGIS Enterprise 11.3 release, ArcGIS Urban can be deployed within your ArcGIS Enterprise.
ArcGIS Urban on Enterprise for Windows and Linux offers a secure and compliant solution for organizations to extend the use of their GIS for urban planning. Whether it’s analysing the impacts of zoning regulation changes or tracking projects in the development pipeline, ArcGIS Urban provides a comprehensive suite of features to support data-driven planning decisions.
Advantages of ArcGIS Urban on ArcGIS Enterprise
Deploying ArcGIS Urban on Enterprise leverages your organization’s performance and scalability capabilities, while providing planning teams with an easier way to access and use GIS data. You can also connect to your own user- managed data sources to be used in ArcGIS Urban.
?For more information about the benefits, see ArcGIS Urban on ArcGIS Enterprise 11.3.
https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/urban/design-planning/introducing-arcgis-urban-on-arcgis- enterprise/?srsltid=AfmBOorFCFGPlLTvV6FK7R7Vk7H9ZxbOdbmyc8gH5t022JgV5KOXOXVy
ArcGIS Urban API
The ArcGIS Urban API enables programmatic access to ArcGIS Urban in unique and advanced ways. Learn how to use the Urban API to retrieve data, automate your workflows, create integrations, and extend the functionality of ArcGIS Urban.
?Why GraphQL
The ArcGIS Urban data model is relatively complex and highly hierarchical.
?We chose GraphQL because it offers much more flexibility to the clients, when working with complex and hierarchical data models. With GraphQL you can precisely define the data you need, which is a powerful advantage over traditional REST API endpoints. GraphQL allows you to replace multiple REST requests with a single call to retrieve specific data.
For more details:
Introduction to Deep Learning Studio
Deep Learning Studio is a web app available in ArcGIS Enterprise that allows the deep learning process to be completed in ArcGIS Enterprise by enhancing deep learning workflows through intuitive experiences. These experiences allow you to collect training samples, train models, and use inferencing tools in fully integrated workflows for deep learning analysis.
?For more details
4. Esri Publications
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Thanks for sharing the updates.
Key Account Manager at Kanoo IT, Bahrain
2 个月Thanks for sharing MicroCenter Gulf