URISA 2006 Pre-Conference Workshops

Pre-Conference Workshops

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Note the new schedule for 2006…workshops on Tuesday; opening reception on Wednesday night

For over forty years, URISA has been the center for information exchange among professionals dealing with urban and regional issues. The annual conference workshops have been and are considered some of the best real-world and practical learning experiences for attendees.

Attendance at one pre-conference workshop is included in your full conference registration (normally a $195 fee). Workshops are designed to be classroom experiences and are limited to 40 attendees each. Registrations will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis, so register early! Brief descriptions follow:

Four NEW workshops are being introduced at URISA 2006…all others have undergone a significant yearly review and update.

3-D Geospatial: Best Practices and Project Implementation Methods (WK-1)

Note: This course includes hands-on activities and participants are encouraged, but not required, to bring a laptop computer.

The convergence of new technologies and business requirements is fostering a new wave of 3-D geospatial applications. Implementing these systems in local or regional governments requires a new set of skills and knowledge that most professionals have yet to develop. This course is a great way to get started or expand your 3-D know-how. A wide range of users may create, navigate, and analyze entire metropolitan regions or a single city block within these systems. Urban governments are using complex 3-D data and visualization tools to support emergency preparedness, urban planning, public involvement, tourism, and many other business practices. This course introduces the data, systems, and processes to be considered when implementing 3-D applications. Using structured project management methodology and extensive case studies, attendees will learn how to navigate the dizzying array of options and prepare for a sustainable 3-D geospatial practice.

Instructors:
Tim Case, Parsons Brinckerhoff, New York, NY
Do-hyung Kim, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

GIS Program Management (WK-2) FULL TO CAPACITY -NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Today, most government organizations have some type of GIS program in place or are considering GIS implementation. This workshop is designed to provide insights and guidelines for managing public agency GIS programs. It will look at the various organizational and technical issues program managers must address in order to develop a successful GIS program. The course material will cover all aspects of GIS project and on-going program management including such areas as: strategic and implementation planning, budgeting and financial management, business case development and cost-benefit evaluation, team building and human resources, important technical management issues, product/service procurement and vendor/contract, management and important legal and policy issues for GIS project and program management. The workshop will focus on practical issues and challenges faced by GIS managers. It is structured to allow adequate time to discuss important topics and for attendees to asks questions and present their own experiences.

Instructors:
Peter Croswell, GISP, PlanGraphics Inc, Frankfort, KY
Susan Johnson, City of Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

GIS Enterprise Architecture & System Integration (WK-3)

The objective of this workshop is to examine both GIS enterprise architecture and the integration between various systems (GIS included) in an organization. Workshop instructors will examine the past, current, and future of GIS within an enterprise context, and apply the experience, discipline, and future direction of the Information Systems (IS) profession to Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This workshop will provide GIS professionals with an understanding of some of the complex technical and specific technical management issues that must be addressed when developing a corporate GIS.

Instructors:
Tom Pattison, ESRI, Redlands, CA
Karen Stewart, GISP, Township of Langley, Langley, BC

Asset Management: Planning, Strategy, and Implementation (WK-4)

Public and private agencies face continuous challenges to accomplish more with less as increases in demand, regulatory requirements, infrastructure deterioration, and political and economic forces have significantly outpaced increases in capital and operating budgets. Many of these agencies are turning to Asset Management to cope with these challenges and improve business performance and effectiveness. This workshop will focus on several aspects of developing an asset management system that could help improve performance, reduce long-term costs, and maximize return on investment in infrastructure assets.

Instructors:
Jason Amadori, Data Transfer Solutions, Orlando, FL
Allen Ibaugh, Data Transfer Solutions, Orlando, FL
Gary Outlaw, GISP, Merrick & Company, Aurora, CO

eGovernment – Planning, Policy and the Portal (WK-5)

eGovernment initiatives are expanding exponentially in all levels of the public service. This workshop is a must to understand the full scope of what eGovernment is and to assess the role that technologies such as GIS need to play. The workshop will focus on planning towards implementing enterprise eGovernment services, policy considerations, and the various elements that go into the eGovernment portal as the key electronic service delivery mechanism.

Instructor:
Jury Konga, GISP, Town of Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill, ON

An Overview of Open Source GIS Software (WK-6)

Open source software offers access to source code, and the process of development in addition to the software itself. Open source GIS products are widely available, usually as free downloads. The difference in the development model, however, makes decisions about this kind of software more complicated than comparing price tags. This workshop is designed to help you think through your options. It will give an overview of current developments from technical and management perspectives. Selected packages and their applications in various projects will be demonstrated and discussed.

Instructor:
Sara Yurman, Spatial Focus Inc, Decatur, GA

Best Practices for Developing Geographic Information Models (WK-7)

Even with decades of experience, effective design of a GIS database remains a combination of art and science. This workshop shows how you can build on your existing data and skills to take advantage of the latest generation of GIS tools and practices for database design. After an introduction to the fundamental concepts of GIS database design, we will present and discuss case studies of GIS databases designed for managing land parcels, inventorying municipal facilities for emergency preparedness, and automating a permit application. In the exercises you will develop portions of conceptual, logical, and physical data models. Through these case studies of successful and effective systems, you will gain a better understanding of the issues you can face, as well as the tools and processes you can apply, in developing many other kinds of systems.

Instructors:
Douglas Adams, Baltimore County, Towson, MD
David Arctur, ESRI, Austin, TX

NEW – LiDAR Concepts, Principles and Applications (WK-8)

LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) has become widely accepted tool to generate accurate terrain models used in a variety of GIS applications. This workshop will provide an overview of this exciting technology. A history of this advanced mapping tool will be discussed as well as a review of current and future trends. The workshop will describe potential applications and will provide case studies of how this data has been used by agencies throughout the United States. Specific topics will include: LIDAR technology summary and how it works, mapping workflow and processes, quality control and potential error, and future trends. Current case studies will also be examined.

Instructors:
Bill Emison, Merrick & Company, Aurora, CO
Brian Raber, Merrick & Company, Aurora, CO
Mark Romano, Merrick & Company, Aurora, CO

NEW – Transportation Spatial Database Design (WK-9)

Although almost all data maintained by transportation agencies may be considered as spatial, the data used by GIS applications are generally separate from those used by the mainstream applications of the agency. The workshop will show the student how to develop an integrated multimodal database design for transportation agencies that not only serves to break down cross-functional barriers but also offers a foundation for true enterprise-level spatial databases. Such a design offers the opportunity for GIS to come out of the backroom and be a viable real-time agency management tool. Note: In the printed program grid, this was listed as a half-day workshop, but it is a full-day 8 hour course.

Instructors:
Al Butler, GISP, Butler & Butler LLC, Orlando, FL
Ken Dueker, former URISA President & URISA Journal Editor in Chief, Kirkland, WA

NEW – Introduction to Object-Oriented Spatio-Temporal Data Modeling (WK-10)

No matter what kind and where you get your time series data, the management of this data is a difficult issue that affects multiple levels of information modeling. The simplest questions are how to store, retrieve and display this data, but handling spatio-temporal data can become quite complicated depending on your application requirements. While mathematical theory and object-oriented concepts can be used to integrate space and time in a seamless manner, practical case studies are not yet in great abundance. This workshop presents the current state of knowledge in developing a spatio-temporal data model. This workshop is designed to provide fundamentals of spatio-temporal data modeling; a case study of urban applications at the county level; various issues related with modeling such as how to structure, store, query, and display time series data.

Instructors:
David Gallaher, City of Boulder, Denver, CO
Ale Raza, ESRI, Redlands, CA

NEW – Integrating Civil Engineering and GIS/IT Disciplines (WK-11)

The integration of GIS technology into civil engineering has seen a dramatic increase in recent years. Solutions have become more sophisticated as the usefulness of GIS has become increasingly apparent to civil engineers. GIS and related information technologies are now being used by civil engineers in many aspects of project development and infrastructure management – from preliminary studies thru final design and for day-to-day operations, facilities maintenance and asset management. Specific topics will include the following: engineering industry trends and opportunities for integration, GIS and the infrastructure lifecycle, CAD interoperability/integration, GIS fundamentals (in engineering terms), modeling and simulation, and asset and maintenance management

Instructors:
Kurt Lebo, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, Downers Grove, IL
Jacob Merriman, HNTB Corporation, Cleveland, OH
Jeff Siegel, GISP, HNTB Corporation, Chicago, IL

Database Development and Conversion (WK-12) - CANCELLED

Internet GIS: State of the Art (Off-site Workshop – requires an additional fee of $79) (WK-13)

The objective of this hands-on workshop is to offer an introduction to theory, technology and applications of Internet geographic information systems (Internet GIS). This workshop will focus on the understanding of the fundamentals of Internet GIS, the assessment of different Internet GIS technologies including the pros and cons of each, and the applications of Internet GIS. The workshop includes hands-on exercises.

Instructors:
Joseph Ferreira, M.I.T, Cambridge, MA
Zhong-Ren Peng, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee WI

Online Registration is now closed.
If you would still like to register please print the downloadable pdf (download the pdf here)
and bring it to the Registration Desk onsite.