Please note: the conference schedule is hosted by Sched.org which allows you to search within the schedule, and filter the schedule to show sessions only occurring on a certain date or within a track. Some presentation slides have been provided for your reference. Use the custom filter tool on the right to search for "Slides Available" or click here: https://nearcfall2016.sched.org/audience/Slides+Available
ABSTRACT: GIS was once the best kept secret in government, but forces like the iniquitousness of the web, easy to use applications, mobile devices, abundance of data and higher expectations have combined to changed that. Policy makers have discovered the power of GIS to inform policy making and better communicate with constituents. Government leaders now realize that GIS can transform big data and can visualize it and make it easier to understand. Which can then drive evidence based decision making and help evaluate policy impacts by geography. In the U.S., both the White House and Congress now use GIS to shed light on the nation’s most pressing challenges. Issues like spending, labor, healthcare, energy, environment, and border security all have geographic components and affect citizens everywhere, maps help communicate these issues in an interactive way. More and more, maps provide the bridge connecting policy makers with the public, and open data efforts are fueling the creation of more impactful maps than ever before.
