ArcWatch: GIS News, Views, and Insights

December 2013

Helping Hearts

By Rachel Ankersen, GISi and Karen Richardson, Esri Writer

Find out where cardiovascular disease is prevalent in the United States using the new Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke mapping application from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Built by GISi and the CDC using Esri ArcGIS software, this application lets you see where death and hospitalization rates for heart disease and stroke are high and low. You can also compare that data, down to the county level, to poverty rates, education levels, and other determinants of health. Read the article.

Use the atlas to compare data by county such as percentages of poverty to death rates from heart disease. Do any patterns appear?

Tip of the Month

Customize Your Basemap in ArcGIS Online

The basemap gallery in ArcGIS Online offers nine great basemap choices including the World Topographic Map and the Light Gray Canvas Map. But there will be times when another basemap will better suit your needs. You can use the ArcGIS Online map viewer to find and launch alternative basemaps. Read this tip.

Connect with ArcWatch

ArcWatch is published monthly by Esri and contains GIS news, practical advice, and updates about the company's software and events. To submit article ideas, e-mail editor Carla Wheeler at arcwatch_editor@esri.com.

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The Headlines

Be an Esri UC Early Bird

They say the early bird catches the worm. Proverb translated: Act early, and you will be rewarded. See the benefits if you register for the Esri International User Conference between now and January 17, 2014. United we map!

Make Maps Geo-Aware

Developers can now use Esri's ArcGIS Geotrigger Service to make their apps geo-aware and send location-based messages to their users. It’s free while it’s in beta, too! Read this blog and watch the video.

Shop for Apps and More
In the market for apps and data? ArcGIS Marketplace offers a growing selection, including apps for analyzing gas pipeline locations, tracking zoning and annexation changes, and responding to emergencies. Read the article.

News Bytes

New in ArcGIS Online

More analysis tools. Easier ways to create apps. Get the story on what you will find in the latest update of ArcGIS Online.
Web Mapping Arrives at Edmonton International

Edmonton International Airport in Canada used Esri technology to share infrastructure information during a $1.1 billion airport expansion. Read the article.
Mapping Historic Sites in Bulgaria

Esri Bulgaria used ArcGIS to create a web mapping application for tourists visiting Asenovgrad, Bulgaria. The application helps them find historic sites such as churches and monasteries. Work with the app (in English, Bulgarian or Russian) and read the article.
Consumers Energy Outage Map

See where Consumers Energy customers in Michigan are experiencing power outages using this new Esri ArcGIS powered outage map.
Mapping Tornado Damage

Use the swipe tool in this Esri web mapping application to see the damage wrought by recent tornados in Illinois.
What’s the Buzz?

Esri is now on Buzzfeed—home to the hottest, most social content on the web. Esri brings you stories and story maps you will want to share with your friends.
The Value of Location Analytics

Location analytics is more than dots on a map. Read the article.

Centerpoints

Designing Resilient Cities

Hear stories of how geodesign is being used around the world at the Geodesign Summit, January 29–30, 2014, in Redlands, California. Read the article. Listen to this interview with Tom Fisher, geodesign advocate and dean of the University of Minnesota College of Design.

Geodesign for Europe

More than 200 scholars and design professionals met in the Netherlands to talk about many aspects of geodesign relevant to Europe, including using geospatial technologies as part of the design process to plan livable, sustainable communities. Read the article.

Bring Your City to Life

Do you have data to contribute to the Urban Observatory, which compares and contrasts population, climate, and other data among cities. New contributors include Perth, Australia, and Prague, Czech Republic. Learn how to participate and see the Urban Observatory in action.

Technical Talk

Create, Customize a Story Map

The Geography of Horror

See how he did it

A New Frontier for Map Apps

Rev up to start building new map-based apps! Register today for the Esri Developer Summit, March 10-13, 2014, in Palm Springs, California.
Free Training for Developers

Want to use HTML5 and JavaScript in ArcGIS? Join Esri for an online seminar on January 23, 2014, to learn how.
Attribute Assistant to the Rescue

Overwhelmed with having to maintain far too many fields in attribute tables? Help is here!
What is a GIS Service?

Paul Trevillion from Esri defines a GIS service and demonstrates how to create one. Watch this technical workshop.
Intro to ArcGIS Network Analyst

Need logistical solutions? ArcGIS Network Analyst extension saves time, lowers labor and fuel costs, and improves customer service. Watch the technical workshop.
Make Your Own Ring Map

A Python tool was recently developed to walk people through the process of creating a ring map. Read the tutorial and get the sample data to make one.

Et cetera

A Map Tour of America’s Scenic Parks

Watch what’s happening this minute at 43 US national parks and monuments using The National Parks—Live Esri Story Map embedded with web cams.
Discover Patterns, Trends

Learn to create, visualize, and share information about your customers, competitors, and market opportunities by taking this new course, Market Analysis with Esri Business Analyst.
World Topo Map Updates

The World Topographic Map just got better, with updates for Kuwait, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read the blog.
A Bloody Battle Revisited

Go back 150 years and follow the course of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg using this Esri story map. See how geography played a role in the rout of Confederate soldiers by the Union Army. Read the blog.
Try ArcGIS for Free

Get a free trial to ArcGIS 10.2 for Desktop with 10 extensions, including ArcGIS 3D Analyst, ArcGIS Network Analyst, and ArcGIS Geostatistical Analyst.
Steve Palmer, GIS Storyteller
Santas Around the World Story Map

Endpoints

A Map Bio of JFK

This Esri story map looks back at the life and death of President John F. Kennedy. The map includes embedded videos of Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday Mr, President, and Kennedy’s Ich Bin Ein Berliner speech. And watch a video that shows a 3D GIS reconstruction of Kennedy’s assassination.

Remote Sensing Textbook

Teach your students the value of image analysis to solve problems with Making Spatial Decisions Using GIS and Remote Sensing. ArcGIS, Landsat imagery, and data are used with the exercises to explore key remote sensing concepts. Take a look.

Hardware Offer

Esri offers ArcGIS for Server pre-installed on Cutting Edge servers available on both Windows and Linux. Optional database servers pre-loaded with Microsoft SQL or PostgreSQL are also available.

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