Geospatial Stagnation: A Detriment to All of Us

Geography is critical. Why are we not harnessing it?

Risk, growth, community, well-being, and even memory are inherently tied to geography and place. Geospatial technology is uniquely designed to bring this critical factor into decision-making at all levels. With innovations in data capture, database technology, hardware breakthroughs, sophisticated models, neuroscience, and the disruption of AI, we increasingly possess the capability to leverage geography to affect change. Think outside the box → think outside the map.

Here are a few examples in the turbulent insurance industry:

Automatically alert a vehicle about an impending hailstorm that will move over it in 5 minutes. The car can proactively relocate itself (or be driven) to a safe haven, which it already calculated while parked. A fire suppression system at a home automatically deploys when a wildfire approaches. These scenarios exemplify the untapped potential that geospatial technology has yet to fully explore.

The urban planning world is full of potential, yet we get excited that we can see buildings in 3D. Here are some more ideas:

Adjust street lighting, signs, roads/paths, community spaces, and amenities based on time of day, weather conditions, and events. Or provide personalized evacuation routes to people based on where they are located at the time of an emergency with adjustments as needed in real-time.

As I ponder the breath and changes in the broader technology, business, and social/human communities, I wonder why geospatial technology is not playing a major role in the shifts we are seeing today. While satellite imagery is becoming more available/affordable, it is still searching for a big win (outside of defense.) GIS, on the other hand, is stagnant. We get excited by small wins and keep paying our fees & ELA bills hoping that vendors will reinvent themselves.

It is time to stop hoping. It is time to demand/support the change that the world needs.

Why are we not taking action now? It's because the necessary components are isolated in their own separate worlds, fiercely protected by: 1. those who benefit from the status quo, 2. those resistant to change, 3. those unable to afford change, and 4. those blind to the shifting dynamics. When you are taught a 'truth' in college and are subsequently rewarded for adhering to that 'truth' in your career while influential figures reinforce it, you become blind to the potential for new possibilities. You simply can't know what you don't know. While this may still work for the current leadership, times change and many of the well-paying jobs are vanishing.

What needs to change? Open-minded experts from each discipline need to come together and rethink geospatial. The new generation of geospatial experts needs training and knowledge beyond current technology boundaries. I believe they will demand innovation. Let’s not leave them them behind.

Tear down the silos. Industries are created. It is typically businesses and academics who create them with funding from the government. We need to break down the barriers that were created to solidify and formalize an industry. This includes specialized educational programs, entrenched dogma, clubbiness, carefully crafted laws/earmarks, job titles, conferences, and other programs that make the group feel "special" and therefore manageable. How many times are we told, "You and your work are going to save the planet?" Seriously, look at our planet. Polluters and bad guys use geospatial too! 🤔

Why should I care? Geospatial is stuck. It is viewed as siloed or niche by the outside world and therefore irrelevant. At the same time, geospatial is being reinvented by AI companies, big data solutions, mapping startups, infrastructure engineers, and data platforms... the list grows every day. At the same time, we are excited that our deleted data now goes into a recycling bin. As we stare inward, we have lost perspective.

To actually save the world, we as GIS/Geospatial Professionals need to move out of our comfort zone and take the bold step to go beyond our current paradigm. We need to push boundaries and invest in the future.

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how (or if) we can do this. Where can we discuss new ideas that break the status quo? Can we think outside the map? Should geospatial stay as a niche (we are special) to provide room for geospatial innovation in other spaces?