{"id":561862,"date":"2023-01-19T06:06:27","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T14:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=561862"},"modified":"2024-03-05T16:22:49","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T00:22:49","slug":"nyc-economic-value-parks","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks","title":{"rendered":"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC"},"author":671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","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":[],"tags":[1291,386232,241,321],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[483332,487812],"esri_blog_department":[478222],"class_list":["post-561862","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-conservation","tag-economics","tag-gis","tag-parks","esri-blog-category-parks-and-recreation","esri-blog-category-top-10-posts","esri_blog_department-conservation-and-environment"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"The Trust for Public Land used GIS to analyze the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"A team of economists, GIS specialists, and researchers examined recreational, environmental, and public health data through a geographic lens to identify the vast benefits that parks offer to New York City residents and visitors.\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Key Takeaways<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The Trust for Public Land analyzes the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The first report of its kind, <em>The Economic Benefits of Parks in New York City, <\/em>uses location intelligence to quantify the contributions of the city\u2019s more than 30,000 acres of parks.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Findings reveal the billions of dollars of benefits, justifying further investments in parks.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat is common to the greatest number gets the least amount of care,\u201d Aristotle stated in 350 BCE. In 1968, ecologist Garrett Hardin expanded on this idea, coining it \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tragedy_of_the_commons\">the tragedy of the commons<\/a>.\u201d Hardin argued that, when it comes to using earth\u2019s natural resources, individuals will always act in their own best interest.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trust for Public Land (TPL) promotes the benefits of the commons, combating the defeatist sentiment of Hardin's statement that all shared spaces are overused. TPL passionately works to catalyze communities to be healthier, more livable, and more connected through parks and public lands.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the tragedy of the commons may help explain some negative results of modern life\u2014unsustainable development, air pollution, carbon emissions, depleted water supply\u2014TPL uses data to show how parks and public lands not only mitigate these harmful outcomes but also create shared, positive outcomes. TPL uses conservation economics in a recent report to prove that public parks\u2014an often underfunded public good\u2014provide a myriad of benefits that have monetary value.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To publish <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/economic-benefits-nyc\"><em>The Economic Benefits of Parks in New York City<\/em><\/a><em>,<\/em> a team of economists, specialists, and research partners used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/what-is-gis\/overview\">geographic information system (GIS) technology<\/a> to measure the fiscal impacts of city, state, and federal parks within New York City. The report explains how parks lower health-care costs for people who exercise there, provide natural air and water filtration, increase property values, and promote tourism while serving as a place for people to connect with nature.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":561892,"image_position":"right","orientation":"vertical","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/economic-benefits-nyc"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report\u2014the first of its kind to study the city\u2019s integrated park system\u2014reveals that policy makers have extraordinary financial incentive to increase funding for the creation, protection, and maintenance of public parks, because parks provide an economic engine for the city.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Choosing the Right Tool<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TPL is a national nonprofit that works with communities to create parks and protect land. For more than 10 years, TPL's\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/parkscore\">ParkScore index<\/a>\u00a0has used information about access, amenities, investment, acreage, equity, and a GIS model to rank how well the 100 largest US cities are meeting the need for parks. Currently, 99 percent of New York City\u2019s nearly 8.5 million residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ParkScore measures accessibility, but TPL needed a way to measure the intangible benefits that come from park proximity. An understanding that the economy, social systems, and the natural environment are intertwined prompted team members to ask\u2014How can the public health advantages be quantified? How can the benefits of the natural environment be valuated?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a growing global interest to put a value on ecosystem services\u2014the many life-sustaining benefits we receive from nature\u2014but nobody had made these calculations across New York City's urban park system.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe wanted to make sure people understand that, in addition to having a nice place to play and a break from the urban experience that a park offers, there are other indirect benefits in relation to air quality, stormwater management, and wildlife habitat. We wanted to prove that we can make the most of limited funding and meet multiple needs with parks, because they\u2019re a big part of what makes a community healthy,\u201d said Mitch Hannon, TPL GIS program director.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project was no small task. New York City maintains more than 48,000 acres of parkland across the city\u2019s five boroughs, making parks a valuable public asset and a critical part of the city\u2019s infrastructure. New York State also maintains important recreational assets like Shirley Chisholm State Park; the National Park Service oversees iconic places like Liberty Island and Grant's Tomb; and there are many multi-jurisdictional parks like Governors Island and Hudson River Park. \u201cValuing ecosystem services and outdoor recreation is a challenge because the information can be so dispersed,\u201d said Jennifer Clinton, TPL senior parks and conservation economist.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[561912,561942,561902,561992]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To analyze and appraise such a vast resource, Clinton, Hannon, and their partners looked to geospatial tools, such as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-business-analyst\/overview\">ArcGIS Business Analyst<\/a>, which provided location-driven market insights. Business Analyst contains data on consumer behavior, leisure, and business activities in a geographic context, which helped the team estimate how recreation spending contributes to the local economy.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOn a local level, Business Analyst is an obvious tool because of its ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/0dc218cb1ff74e45b9d6413d8ee585a1\">analyze market potential<\/a>,\u201d Clinton said. \u201cIt gave us a way to figure out how residents were spending their money, how often they\u2019re participating in certain activities, and the estimates of spending in different categories. We were able to articulate data in a way that allowed us to speak to local policy makers in a way we hadn\u2019t been able to before.\u201d<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[568092,568102]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Adding Up Billions in Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The\u00a0 three sections of TPL\u2019s report\u2014human health, nature\u2019s services, and economic impact\u2014outline billions of dollars in benefits and savings that New York City parks give residents, businesses, and visitors each year. Some of the most impressive figures include the $9.1 billion in recreational value, $2.43 billion in avoided stormwater treatment costs, and $17.9 billion in tourism spending that the New York City park system generates.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEven though we believe these values are present in our work, we\u2019re always a little blown away by the valuations we find in some of these reports. Billions of dollars are reflected in the work of conservation. It\u2019s a lot more than people would imagine, in terms of environmental services and economic impact,\u201d Hannon said.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For policy makers, the report is timely. The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020 and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and the introduction of the Community Parks Revitalization Act in 2022, show that parks are a national priority. Communities are well-positioned to use federal funding to reduce the effects of climate change, improve collective health, and boost their local economies by maintaining and creating parks.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The TPL report provides a framework that TPL will replicate elsewhere to quantify the vast potential benefits of parks as well as inspire imagination and motivation to continue and expand park funding.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":561972,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/state\/new-york"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because the report\u2019s analysis was limited to the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, it serves as a conservative baseline. The TPL team knows that there was a substantial rise in park use in 2020, because they were among the few places people could escape to. Clinton is hopeful that the increase is sustained and continues to generate value and engagement with nature.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Establishing a Framework for the Future of Parks<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the months since its publication, <em>The Economic Benefits of Parks in New York City<\/em> has influenced policy makers\u2019 short- and long-term funding decisions. \u201cOur most immediate need was securing short-term funding for cleaning and maintaining parks that saw record use during the pandemic. But to meet long-term goals of park equity and climate resiliency, we also need to build and maintain new parks. The big structural challenge is finding strong and dependable funding for parks,\u201d said Carter Strickland, TPL's vice president for the mid-Atlantic region and New York State director.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York City mayor Eric Adams pledged to devote one percent of the city\u2019s budget to funding public parks and broke ground on 104 previously paused park projects in March. In addition to connecting residents to nature, parks appeal to tourists and give business leaders a reason to establish an office or storefront nearby.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere\u2019s a dual benefit to parks\u2014they help bolster the economy and they\u2019re essential for residents\u2019 quality of life,\u201d Strickland said.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strickland, Hannon, and Clinton are optimistic about the role of parks in economic recovery, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Appraising the often unseen but important benefits of these spaces provided a critical foundation for their creation, protection, and maintenance. Hannon said this analysis couldn\u2019t have been done without GIS.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s so powerful to look at a map and see where you need to work,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just theoretical. You\u2019re there\u2014right there.\u201d<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read more about how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/public-works\/focus-areas\/grounds-public-facilities\">GIS helps plan and maintain parks and open spaces<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Ensuring Public Parks for All<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When considering park accessibility, policy makers and planners must prioritize equitable distribution. <em>The Economic Benefits of Parks in New York City <\/em>finds that communities of color in New York City have 33.5 percent less park space per person compared to white communities. Members of low-income communities have 21.2 percent less park space per person. These communities also suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York City\u2019s green strategic plan, prioritizes equity explicitly. GIS can help ensure that vulnerable populations\u2014which are often impacted by unfair, historic city policies\u2014are thoughtfully integrated into planning and policy development. Maps layered with data about people and natural amenities can reveal inequities in access to green space, which supports new park initiatives in underserved communities.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of its ParkScore index, Trust for Public Land staff used GIS to identify which communities are underserved by parks and determine who can reach them. This effort led to the creation of a New York park equity plan that calls for 70 new parks in the Bronx, Queens, South Brooklyn, and Staten Island to ensure that all New Yorkers are within a 10-minute walk to a park. Playgrounds at schools offer places ripe for redevelopment\u2014and are plentiful in the largest school system in the country.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By targeting the creation of parks, New York City has reduced the stress of underserved residents and improved neighborhoods while making the city more resilient to the climate crisis. Newly planted trees, gardens, turf, jungle gyms, gazebos, and picnic tables, among other amenities, give students and residents a place to play and rejuvenate while fostering connections to nature. Now schools provide an oasis of green in asphalt-heavy neighborhoods, expanding park access to the 1.1 million low-income students who had little access to close-to-home parks.<\/p>","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Economic Value of Parks: NYC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Trust for Public Land uses GIS to analyze the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.\" \/>\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\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Trust for Public Land uses GIS to analyze the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Esri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-06T00:22:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Ice-Skating-dreamstime_m_52266907_826.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Esri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks\",\n\t            \"name\": \"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2023-01-19T14:06:27+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2024-03-06T00:22:49+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The Trust for Public Land uses GIS to analyze the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Esri\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Esri Newsroom\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/8ad23580b2658589de4ea5107d75cb52\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Matt Ball\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Author-photo-2024-768x768.jpg\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Author-photo-2024-768x768.jpg\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Matt Ball\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"description\": \"Matt Ball is the editor of the Esri Blog and writes about applications of geospatial technology for all its departments. With nearly 30 years of reporting on GIS technology, he has chased future-forward user stories and watched as wild ideas, innovative tools, and enterprise-wide geographic approaches have become common practice. Prior to Esri, he edited GeoWorld magazine, organized the GeoTec Event, founded V1 Media, and launched Sensors &amp; Systems and Informed Infrastructure magazines. He\u2019s thrilled to be closer to GIS users, and at a company that pushes what\u2019s possible.\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/author\/mball\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC","description":"The Trust for Public Land uses GIS to analyze the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC","og_description":"The Trust for Public Land uses GIS to analyze the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks","og_site_name":"Esri","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/","article_modified_time":"2024-03-06T00:22:49+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Ice-Skating-dreamstime_m_52266907_826.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@Esri","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks","name":"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-01-19T14:06:27+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-06T00:22:49+00:00","description":"The Trust for Public Land uses GIS to analyze the benefits and fiscal impacts of public parks and open spaces in New York City.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/nyc-economic-value-parks#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Economic Value of Parks: NYC"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/","name":"Esri","description":"Esri Newsroom","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/8ad23580b2658589de4ea5107d75cb52","name":"Matt Ball","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Author-photo-2024-768x768.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Author-photo-2024-768x768.jpg","caption":"Matt Ball"},"description":"Matt Ball is the editor of the Esri Blog and writes about applications of geospatial technology for all its departments. With nearly 30 years of reporting on GIS technology, he has chased future-forward user stories and watched as wild ideas, innovative tools, and enterprise-wide geographic approaches have become common practice. Prior to Esri, he edited GeoWorld magazine, organized the GeoTec Event, founded V1 Media, and launched Sensors &amp; Systems and Informed Infrastructure magazines. He\u2019s thrilled to be closer to GIS users, and at a company that pushes what\u2019s possible.","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/author\/mball"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/561862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/561862\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561862"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=561862"},{"taxonomy":"esri-blog-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esri-blog-category?post=561862"},{"taxonomy":"esri_blog_department","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esri_blog_department?post=561862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}