Special Displays

Attendees strolled through the Map Gallery’s Special Displays area and enjoyed viewing the diverse and intriguing presentations. This compelling collection of large displays communicated some of the ways GIS is being used as a valuable tool in today’s world.

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Analyzing Urban Poverty

This book describes how to analyze urban poverty in developing countries to improve understanding of the complex social and physical relationships prevalent in squatter developments.

In studying such areas, the use of GIS tools for manipulating and processing physical and social variables indicates that underneath an apparent mess lies a network of social and physical values. These values are often hidden under complex urban forms and can become significant elements in creating improvement proposals.

In the developing world, sustainability of improvement projects is directly related to preserving valuable community elements. Our approach gives special credit to residents’ efforts to build their habitat, and advocates processing the community’s efforts as significant urban data.

Seven years of experience working with squatter developments provided us with an understanding of how best to overcome the perception gap between technicians and communities. This understanding is achieved by combining the facts about urban poverty with the proven practical availability of GIS technology, previously considered mainly as a tool to address complex urban problems.

Our research demonstrates that GIS is an ideal tool in helping improve the lives of thousands of individuals residing in squatter developments.

Department of the Interior Map Display

The Department of the Interior (DOI) map display is a special display reflecting the fact that DOI was among the very earliest ESRI users and also one of the most experienced.

DOI staff has a fascinating display and also some very interesting demonstrations of the latest ArcGIS software that will surely challenge you.

Department of Homeland Security iCAV Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Integrated Common Analytical Viewer (iCAV) Map Gallery exhibit at the 2008 ESRI International User Conference showcases a mixed-media display, providing ESRI UC attendees with the opportunity to discover the different applications within the DHS iCAV program.

GIS Day Tenth Anniversary

Since the inaugural 1999 GIS Day celebration, GIS users around the world have shared with their communities the importance of GIS and geography. Wednesday, November 19, will mark the tenth annual GIS Day celebration.

Visit the special display to reflect on the remarkable contributions GIS Day participants are making in our world.

GIS for the Next Generation: Kids and Maps

What better way to encourage kids to learn about GIS than through hands-on experience? At ESRI Kids Camp, bright young minds will get an opportunity to explore their world through GIS by learning the elements of a map and basic mapmaking skills.

Children in 2nd–4th grades will map potential landing sites on Mars.

5th–8th grade students will create maps of Mars’ geography as if its ice caps were melted.

9th–12th grade students will make fly-through videos of Mars' terrain using ArcGlobe.

NASA/JPL—This World and Others: GIS at NASA

The NASA/JPL special display provides examples of current GIS-related activities at the lab as well as highlighting space-based datasets that are currently freely available to the public and of interest to the GIS community.

The National Academies
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

At the request of president Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Congress chartered the National Academy of Sciences to provide independent, objective advice in service to the nation. Today, the National Academies enlist the nation's top experts to volunteer their time to study specific concerns. The resultant peer-reviewed consensus reports have many significant impacts.

This exhibit features studies on climate change, energy, the environment, agriculture, disaster preparedness, and national security.

National Geographic Maps

National Geographic’s 2008 UC map exhibit will display the supporting GIS databases and the resulting cartographic products and interactive web applications. National Geographic Maps and NatureServe have teamed up to create the definitive online conservation atlas, designed to inspire and inform increased land and water conservation across the country. We have also expanded our support for programs such as the California Education and Environmental Initiative and dedicated the last year to developing state-of-the-art global GIS databases to support all mission-related projects.

Global GIS Cartographic Databases—For over 100 years National Geographic has been producing world-renowned cartography of the highest quality. The painstaking and time consuming process generated one-off atlas plates, sales and supplement maps. Over the last three years we have seamed this wealth of GIS data into nine global DBs with consistent schemas. Over the last year we have synchronized all named features in these databases, which can now provide the framework for all traditional cartographic products and future location-based information and services. We are currently working on expanding the geospatial services we offer to the remainder of the Society and beyond.

LandScope America—National Geographic and NatureServe have teamed up to create the definitive online conservation atlas and guide to the US, designed to inspire and inform increased land and water conservation across the country. LandScope.org will launch in late 2008 and will provide an interactive resource for conservationists and the public to explore places, understand issues and priorities, and take action to conserve important places. It will include a powerful but simple map viewer to create engaging maps of any area that display wildlife and ecosystems, parks and protected areas, and conservation priority areas, along with potential threats such as projected development and climate change. The site will also feature compelling photos, video, and stories about America’s natural places and the people and organizations working to save them. The stories, photos and video will be accessed through the map viewer and vice versa, creating a rich and highly interactive multimedia atlas experience.

California Education and the Environment Initiative (California EEI)—California’s Education and Environment Initiative was established in 2003 calling for the development of the State’s first-ever Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&C). California’s EP&C were developed with the participation of over 100 scientists and experts from state agencies, universities, business, industry, and non-governmental organizations. California’s academic content standards and the EP&C form the instructional foundation of a Kindergarten—12th grade instructional program for California schools. To further enrich these content standards, the National Geographic Society created a series of 12 maps focusing on the interactions and interdependence of human societies and natural systems.

The Nature Conservancy

The scale of environmental challenges facing our planet demands the involvement of government agencies and the private sector in developing solutions for a sustainable planet. The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Working together with partners, we develop, analyze, and use the best available science to achieve tangible, lasting and measurable conservation results.

GIS helps us to achieve our goals to leverage conservation partnerships regionally and globally and to strengthen our capacity for sharing data, information, and knowledge. This year, we will highlight several case examples of ways in which our data and information are helping partners set priorities for land and water use and conservation.

We invite you to stop by our booth to explore how our data, information, knowledge, tools, and experience can be integrated to advance sustainable development and conservation within your industry or agency.

Past Award Recipients and Keynote Speakers Honored

During the 2008 User Conference, ESRI will recognize its past recipients of the Presidential Award and Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the conference’s former keynote speakers.

For the first time ever, a special display will honor these noteworthy and celebrated individuals and organizations. The display will resemble a timeline, indicating the names that have received special recognition during previous ESRI UC events. This unique display will be available throughout the conference week in the Ballroom 20 Foyer.

San Diego Host Committee

San Diego’s public agencies display their work and provide information about the region. Emphasis this year will be on the GIS response to the 2007 firestorm.

The United Nations Showcase: One UN

A strong GIS community within the United Nations (UN) System with more than 50 agencies and departments around the globe is using GIS to support efforts for humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping, environmental management, education, and other key sustainable development activities. Many of these organizations participate in the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG)—visit www.ungiwg.org.

UN agencies and departments will share and highlight key GIS applications, models, maps, and datasets derived from their work to improve our world and achieve the Millennium Development goals.

• Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• United Nations Department of Field Support (DFS)—Cartographic Section
• United Nations DESA—Statistics Division (UNSD)
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
• United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG)—Remote Sensing Task Group
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT)
• United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC)
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

URISA’s GISCorps

URISA’s GISCorps coordinates short-term volunteer GIS services to underserved communities worldwide.

Since October 2003, GIS Corps has attracted more than 1,200 volunteers from 62 countries. To date, GISCorps has deployed 80 volunteers to 31 missions around the world. These volunteers have contributed more than 6,000 working hours in emergency and nonemergency response missions.

Where in the World?

Come take a look at the QuickBird satellite scenes located in the Ballroom Foyer. Guess the location of these scenes and test your geographic knowledge.

Complete the entry form with the location (city or place) of each of the 12 scenes displayed. The winner will be the person with the most correct answers. In the event of a tie, one winner will be randomly selected from the pool of most correct answers.

The World Is Our Garden

Dr. Peter Raven, described by Time magazine as a "hero for the planet,” is one of the world's leading botanists and an ardent advocate for the conservation of plants worldwide. For this work, he has received the National Medal of Science, the highest award given in the United States for scientific accomplishment, as well as numerous other awards and prizes.

For the past three decades, Dr. Raven has been the director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, a world-class center for botanical research, education, and horticultural display. In his research, writings, and scientific papers, Dr. Raven speaks for the plants, championing the protection of biodiversity and sustainable environments around the world.

In this special display, together with the leadership of the American Public Gardens Association, Dr. Raven will share with you the beauty and value of the world's plants and the special role that botanical gardens fill in their communities, helping people develop a "sense of place" and connect deeply to the natural world.

GIS specialists from zoos and botanical gardens will be on hand to explain how you can help your local garden or zoo by sharing your own expertise with the new Alliance for Public Gardens GIS.

Youth Community GIS

Youths and students engaged in service learning projects that integrate GIS technology are making a positive difference in their communities.

Young people become active citizens as they identify and evaluate community needs while working side-by-side with local professionals to plan, develop, and implement community projects. In turn youths become empowered and involved in community change as they engage GIS technology in their learning, develop leadership skills, and take their places as valuable, decision-making members of their communities.