Geospatial and GIS Trends to Watch in 2025
Profound changes are on the horizon.
The GIS and geospatial sectors are undergoing significant disruption, and evolving trends are reshaping the field. Traditional funding from governments is facing instability, impacting broader institutions, while advancements like map-centric GIS, geographic modeling, and geospatial embeddings are driving innovation. The emergence of Geography as a Service (GaaS) and real-time geospatial data on demand highlights the integration of geographic concepts into AI and the information ecosystem. These changes promise a future where time, space, and real-time data are central to geospatial systems, paving the way for new applications and improved decision-making.
Investments in GIS and Geospatial: This year is set to bring significant disruption to the GIS and geospatial markets. Governments and regulated industries have historically been the primary funding sources for GIS. However, instability within the U.S. federal government is expected to impact spending at the national level, creating a ripple effect that will extend to state and local governments, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations.
MapCentric GIS: Originally conceived as a Geographic Information System, GIS evolved significantly with technological advancements in the 1990s. These innovations introduced tools that made applications more user-friendly and accessible through intuitive front-end design. GIS was adapted by centering the user experience around maps. For instance, commercial GIS solutions from ESRI were shaped by professionals with landscape architecture and urban planning backgrounds, emphasizing a map-centric & human-centric perspective. The transition from the command-line-based ARCINFO to the more modern ArcGIS marked a pivotal shift, transforming the geographic approach into a map-centric methodology. 2025 will see those constraints and limitations dissolved. This will open the door to innovations in geographic modeling and science.
Maps anchor us to a specific place and moment in time.
Time and Space: Maps are time-bound. From traditional paper maps to modern web maps, they capture a snapshot of the world as it exists in that instance. The idea of intelligent or smart maps introduced attributes and connectivity, enriching their functionality. As we transition toward geographic systems, time will no longer be ignored—it will become a core component embedded within the data, models, analyses, and outcomes.
Geospatial as Embeds: Machine Learning (ML) models require abstraction into mathematical equations. Early work has begun translating spatiotemporal objects into embeddings, allowing robust geographic models to bring geographic principles to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Geography as a Service: Geography as a Service (GaaS) represents the next frontier in the field of geography. With the rise of Cloud-Native Geospatial technology, geographic objects, and relationships are becoming integral components of the broader information ecosystem. This evolution paves the way for a future where geographic concepts such as "Near," "Route," "Overlay," "Downstream," "Buffer," and "Flow" are as seamlessly integrated and universally understood as fundamental data operations like "Sum," "Sort," and "Relate."
Geography is a fundamental force that influences every aspect of our world.
Geospatial Data on Demand: Today, we rely on devices like sensors, satellites, cameras, drones, and smartphones to gather vast amounts of data. These extensive data repositories are made available as vendors market their data products. However, GaaS will revolutionize this process in the future by enabling real-time, on-demand data collection. Specific fields like epidemiology, reliability studies, and ecosystem research will require data spanning time. In contrast, others—like river flooding, outage management, disease outbreaks, or disaster management—will depend on immediate, up-to-date information.
AI integrates data and technology, making this vision possible.
These trends are redefining the future of GIS and Geospatial, with times of turbulence often acting as a catalyst for change. While such periods may bring resistance and uncertainty, they also inspire hope and anticipation. We are uniquely positioned and well-prepared to navigate and embrace these shifts as a community. I plan to explore each of these trends in greater detail and would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and examples. Our shared vision and diverse experiences can drive meaningful change that benefits everyone.
What changes are you anticipating in 2025 and beyond?