{"id":773073,"date":"2026-05-11T10:50:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T17:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcuser&p=773073"},"modified":"2026-05-11T10:55:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T17:55:48","slug":"mapping-the-past-and-the-future","status":"publish","type":"arcuser","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/mapping-the-past-and-the-future","title":{"rendered":"Mapping the Past\u2014and the Future"},"author":6921,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[348072],"tags":[276232,493472,157412,491682,241],"arcuser_issues":[493467],"class_list":["post-773073","arcuser","type-arcuser","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-letter","tag-arcnews","tag-arcuser-spring-2026","tag-data","tag-generative-ai","tag-gis","arcuser_issues-spring-2026"],"acf":{"short_description":"The final issue of ArcUser revisits popular articles, examines how geography illuminates our past, and covers how GIS drives the future.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"If the spring 2026 issue of ArcUser <\/em>seems nostalgic, that\u2019s no coincidence\u2014it\u2019s the publication\u2019s final issue. Monica Pratt founded ArcUser<\/em> in 1998 to keep Esri\u2019s user base informed about product updates, best practices, and the exemplary work of the GIS community. Since then, that community has evolved, and we\u2019re evolving with it.\r\n\r\nThe media landscape is radically different from what it was at the publication\u2019s inception nearly 30 years ago. Because of this, we want to ensure that the information you need to do your best work lives alongside the most inspiring and compelling GIS stories from across the globe. Therefore, Esri\u2019s ArcNews<\/em> publication will take on an expanded role, incorporating aspects of ArcUser<\/em> to maintain a focus on GIS developers, managers, and experienced professionals. Subscribers to ArcUser<\/em> will soon begin receiving ArcNews<\/em>, which will be reimagined as part of the transition to a single publication.<\/em>\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, the final issue of ArcUser<\/em> is the perfect opportunity to revisit old hits. \u201cGNSS Accuracy Unlocked\u201d and \u201cMake Maps People Want to Look At\u201d are new versions of two of the most popular articles published in previous issues.\u00a0 In them, familiar concepts get necessary updates for 2026.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s also a good time to examine how geography can illuminate our past. \u201cA Cartographer\u2019s Quest to Map US History\u201d covers the importance of GIS to Ken Burns\u2019s The American Revolution<\/em>. \u201cGIS Protects the Past from Wildfire,\u201d shows how geographic data safeguards archaeological sites. The issue\u2019s cover story, \u201cMaps Are Memory,\u201d details efforts to digitally preserve the vanishing architecture of West Africa.\r\n\r\nBut mapping isn\u2019t just about where we came from. It\u2019s about where we go next. In this issue, you\u2019ll find many stories about the transformative power of geospatial AI as well as how the ubiquity of these tools can change your work, as in \u201cGIS Governance in the AI Era.\u201d \u201cKeeping Utah Moving with a Solid Geospatial Foundation\u201d provides a road map for geospatial excellence, while \u201cWhat Does It Take to Build a Career in the Drone Industry?\u201d offers cogent advice for taking on one of the most forward-looking applications for GIS expertise.\r\n\r\nThe issue's final story, \u201cThe First Responder Who Aided Alaskan Villages She\u2019s Never Visited,\u201d aligns the past and future. This profile of an Alaskan government employee, who helped residents return home after being displaced by a typhoon, exemplifies the power of GIS to help.<\/em> Because that\u2019s what GIS is\u2014the use of geographic data to make our lives better. Sometimes that means cleaning our streets, letting people know what\u2019s being built in their neighborhoods, or giving us a better understanding of ourselves. Sometimes it means bringing us home.\r\n\r\nThanks for reading, and see you in ArcNews.<\/em>"}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nMapping the Past\u2014and the Future<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The final issue of ArcUser revisits popular articles, examines how geography illuminates our past, and covers how GIS drives the future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/mapping-the-past-and-the-future\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mapping the Past\u2014and the Future\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The final issue of ArcUser revisits popular articles, examines how geography illuminates our past, and covers how GIS drives the future.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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