UC GIS Week

Comparing GIS-Based and WUDAPT Approaches for Local Climate Zone Mapping: A Case Study in Denton County:

The Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification scheme offers a standardized framework for characterizing the local thermal environment, revolutionizing urban climate studies by moving beyond the traditional urban-rural dichotomy. This method classifies the landscape into 10 built types and 7 land cover types to provide a better representation of the urban fabric and morphology. While machine learning approaches using satellite imagery have gained tremendous popularity in LCZ mapping, they often require high-quality training samples and can introduce uncertainties depending on model performance and data quality.

In this study, we applied a GIS-based approach to map LCZs in Denton County, TX at a 100-meter resolution. Utilizing 1-meter resolution land cover data and LIDAR-derived products, we extracted key indicators such as building height, building surface fraction, and impervious surface fraction, as outlined in the LCZ framework. Our approach highlights the benefits and trade-offs of using selective indicators to optimize the mapping process. This work contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of LCZ classification and further benefits urban climate research.

Assessment of Multivariate Drought Impacts on Agriculture in Central Chile for the Enhancement of Sustainable Adaptation:

Over the past decade, Chile has suffered under “Mega-drought” conditions placing significant pressure on agricultural production. In response to the crisis, the Chilean government has moved to promote sustainable agricultural practices to increase agricultural resilience in a changing climate. This research focuses on multivariate drought impacts on agriculture in Chile’s Región Metropolitana de Santiago and Región O’Higgins in order to spatially characterize priority areas for sustainable adaptation based on overall vulnerability to drought. To address this topic, I pose the following sub-questions: 1) How have meteorological conditions, streamflow levels, and vegetation conditions in agricultural areas changed from non-drought years (2000-2009) to drought years (2010-2020)? 2) Based on meteorological, streamflow, and vegetation condition factors, which agricultural areas are most susceptible to drought conditions and where should Chilean sustainable agricultural development be focused? The Palmer Drought Severity Index, the Standardized Streamflow Index, and the Vegetation Condition Index were used to calculate changes in meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural drought severity respectively from 2000-2020 derived from the Catchment Attributes and Meteorology for Large Scale Studies, Chile Dataset and from Landsat 5, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Landsat 8 satellites in the Google Earth Engine platform. Index values were compared by running a suitability analysis in ArcGIS Pro. Overall, the results suggest that high vulnerability agriculture is located primarily in the Región Metropolitana de Santiago and did not correspond to areas identified by the Chilean government as being in severe drought. This research will help improve our understanding of the potential of combining drought indices to determine agricultural vulnerability and inform the implementation of sustainable adaptation in Chile.

A Recipe For Health Disparity: Quality of Neighborhood Grocery Stores:

Access to fresh, healthy food is a crucial component of adopting and maintaining a healthy diet that may offset aging-related diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Supermarkets and grocery stores consistently serve as a mainstay for Americans’ main food source, particularly in urban settings. Classifying supermarkets and grocery stores based on factors such as cost and quality could be an important consideration in understanding health impacts across regions and within cities. This study offers classification of grocery stores and supermarkets across the United States based on the overall cost and quality of food. We performed network analysis within ArcGIS Pro to elaborate on access to these food sources by census tract in major urban areas. Regression models of many large urban areas across the United States showed positive associations between the presence of low-quality grocery stores and Type 2 Diabetes rates, whereas presence of higher-quality grocery stores was associated with lower Type 2 Diabetes rates. In many urban areas, these associations were still significant even after factoring in overall socioeconomic factors. Future analysis aims to further parse apart quality metrics, socioeconomic factors (i.e. income and vehicle access), as well as the impact of overall cost of these grocery stores and supermarkets. This study can offer insights into public health policy on reducing the incidence of aging-related diseases exacerbated by a poor diet and compounded by lack of access to higher quality, affordable food sources.

GIS and Remote sensing for Wildfire and Coastal Monitoring:

Dr. Bo Yang from UCSC will discuss the integration of multi-source remote sensing data, UAV mapping, and spatio-temporal modeling to monitor critical environmental changes. Covering applications from California wildfire tracking to coastal ecosystem assessment, this presentation highlights the use of drones, LiDAR, and high-resolution satellite data to enhance detection, prediction, and management of wildfire behavior and seagrass health. Discover how cutting-edge GIS tools and data fusion methods provide actionable insights, driving more effective environmental monitoring and resilience planning.

I can seed clearly now: A GIS triage protocol for prioritizing areas for seed collection efforts:

Climate change and wildfire are increasing, stressing limited reforestation seed supplies. Tree stands at low elevation and southern latitudes with hot conditions are potentially both at the highest risk and contain the most climate change-adapted seeds. We present a partially-automated GIS framework to guide seed scouting for tree species in California. Its intended use is to identify areas at the highest risk of extirpation and with the least representation in CalFire’s current seedbank.

We begin by creating new, highly-accurate species range maps (see my other presentation this week) and intersecting each with “seed zones and elevation bands” (SZEBs), used for cataloging the state’s seed lots and reforestation efforts. Next, we combined place-based climate change exposure, processed using principal components analysis in RStudio, and potential wildfire intensity indices to rank-order risk each SZEB’s range area. We combined three measures of priority for CalFire’s nursery operations—current inventory, target seed supplies, and areas of high seed demand—as an operational priority ranking, and combined this metric with the two SZEB risk metrics to identify overall scouting priority areas. We used summed road length in each SZEB as a measure of accessibility, but precise seed survey routes and annual assessments of seed production could provide more comprehensive information about accessibility over time.

The outputs from this workflow are then combined with outputs from the climate-adapted seed tool (CAST), which helps identify optimal climate-adapted seed mixtures by SZEB, and the mast inference and prediction tool (MASTIF), which attempts to predict optimal seed production seasons, to inform seed scouting and reforestation. The applied use of this framework is already underway in the state of California.

Fire in the Desert: A Study of Yucca Survival in Mojave:

Following the 2020 Cima Dome fire, see how the unique vegetation landscape of the Mojave National Preserve has changed over time. California is home to thousands of unique plant and wildlife species that can't be found anywhere else in the world. In effort to protect such amazing biodiversity, Mojave National Preserve is located in Southern California. When the 2020 Cima Dome fire burned 44,000 acres of Joshua tree forest woodland within the Preserve, it had a substantial impact on the ecosystem.

UC Riverside researcher Danelle Baronia will present an interactive StoryMap that showcases a comparison of pre- and post- fire photo documentation of the Cima Dome landscape. She will discuss the results of research from the Sweet Lab studying the recovery and resilience of desert plants, focusing on two species of yucca, the Eastern Joshua tree and banana yucca, within the ecosystem of the Mojave Desert.

Nearshore nutrient regimes link land use to tropical lagoon microbial communities:

Coral reefs provide coastal protection, subsidize food, and harbor biodiversity in coastal waters of tropical islands around the globe. Corals are sensitive to rising ocean temperatures, but other anthropogenic factors such as nutrient pollution (via, e.g., fertilizer runoff) interact with warming to impact coral bleaching. Here, we describe the results of a multiyear monitoring effort to uncover how terrestrial factors impact the nutrient dynamics and microbial communities in lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia. We combine in situ field sampling, remote sensing techniques, and geospatial analyses to connect watershed parameters on land with biotic variability in lagoons. We show that reefs that are close to shore and downstream of large, human-impacted watersheds have higher water column nutrients, and that algae samples in these sites have similarly elevated nutrient concentrations. Furthermore, nearshore, “fringing reef” habitats are home to unique microbial communities not found in lagoon sites that are more isolated from terrestrial human influences. This work demonstrates the importance of land-sea connections for coral reef ecology, and hints at broader pathways by which human impacts may drive change in tropical marine ecosystems.

Analyzing the Impact of COVID-19 on College Enrollment Rates Across California High Schools: A Geospatial Approach:

This study examines the impact of various demographic and socioeconomic factors on college enrollment rates among high schools across California, with a primary focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic altered these trends. By analyzing county-level enrollment data before and during the pandemic, we identified key patterns related to gender, race, and socioeconomic status. The research further investigates the correlation between the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and income levels, highlighting geographical disparities and pinpointing counties most affected by the pandemic. Data from the California Department of Education and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was utilized to perform a geostatistical analysis. A paired t-test was conducted to evaluate the significance of changes in enrollment rates across counties pre- and post-pandemic. Additionally, polynomial regression was employed to trace enrollment trends, assessing the overall significance of the pandemic’s impact. This study provides crucial insights into spatial disparities in college enrollment across California, particularly in the context of COVID-19, offering valuable implications for education policy and resource allocation.

Health Atlas: Visualizing Place-Based Data to Identify and Address Health Disparities:

The UCSF Health Atlas (healthatlas.ucsf.edu) is an interactive mapping website that helps users explore place-based characteristics and see how they relate at a population level across the United States. Health Atlas includes data from all 50 states in the U.S., the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The tool visualizes data at the census tract, ZIP code, congressional district, county, CBSA, PUMA, and state level. Health Atlas is built upon a curated database of over 120 nationally available variables including data from the American Community Survey (e.g., demographics, socioeconomics), CDC PLACES (e.g., health and health care), EJ Screen (e.g. environmental exposures), and other sources (e.g., structural racism, income inequality, built environment).

GIS data for Land-use planning: the PlanSearch tool and California Zoning Atlas:

Plans and zoning maps are often sequestered on the individual webpages of local jurisdictions, complicating efforts to assess planning outcomes in aggregate, compare plans for inspiration in drafting updates, or monitor ongoing promises. Ultimately, adopted comprehensive plans commit the local government to long-term zoning, financing and development goals that guide the fortunes and health of the jurisdiction for the next ten to forty years. The lack of easily accessible data and oversight often causes even the loudest advocates of plans and planning to sometimes lament that the plan as a document is ineffectual. Nevertheless, their content represents years of considerable community input through participation in advisory committees and public meetings. Plans can also legally obligate local jurisdictions to act. To empower communities to make more informed plans and provide greater accountability for created plans, this talk showcases new planning data infrastructure throught he California Zoning Atlas and PlanSearch (PlanSearch.caes.ucdavis.edu).

Plansearch allows users to search across 58 county and 482 city general plans in California. Users can note that while nearly every plan mentions the term “golf course”, the term “climate justice” is rarely mentioned. Such efforts open greater opportunities for natural language processing and rapid plan evaluation. Similarly, the National Zoning Atlas represents a multi-state effort to stitch together the zoning maps of local jurisdictions with the primary objective of understanding where single family zoning spurs segregation. Such efforts help provide accountability for local jurisdictions.

UC San Diego Campuswide Construction Alert: GIS Application:

Provide an overview of UC San Diego’s new Construction Alert Process. Easy-to-learn and use construction alert applications, within ArcGIS Enterprise, for use by Project Managers/Specialists in Construction Program Management and Facilities Management, were created. These GIS products provide the ability for PMs/Specialists to directly edit construction alert layers to facilitate:

• Improved efficiency for the campus construction alert process, as it pertains to geospatial layers/graphic creation/modification, and

• Standardization of campus construction alert maps for use by the campus community

Enhancing Campus Life: ArcGIS Indoors for Smart Space Management:

This presentation will introduce ArcGIS Indoors and its impactful applications in university campus facility management. ArcGIS Indoors offers a comprehensive platform for effective space management, enabling universities to optimize facility usage and track occupancy trends.

We will explore how its powerful data analysis tools enhance navigation and wayfinding for students and staff, while also improving asset management through monitoring. Case studies will highlight successful implementations, showcasing how ArcGIS Indoors fosters a more efficient, responsive campus environment. By leveraging this technology, universities can enhance operational efficiency and create a better experience for all campus users.

A Future Campus Map:

I am currently developing a GIS-based campus map to replace the current, non-spatially aware Concept3D platform. The goal is to create a dynamic, user-friendly map that enhances the campus navigation experience on a data-driven, spatially aware platform. The project is currently in the prototype stage, but we aim to incorporate key features such as interactive points of interest, wayfinding and directions, and precise ground-level layers. In addition, live transit information will be integrated through API connections, offering real-time locations of buses and campus shuttles.

This presentation will provide a look into the prototype, demonstrating how we will leverage GIS to improve the campus map experience. Looking forward, this will also pave the way for future integration of 3D and Indoor GIS.

NASA Lifelines Introduction:

This talk will introduce NASA Lifelines - a recent initiative to bridge the gap between geospatial data and humanitarian action.

Happiness is... GIS in Bhutan!:

UC Davis offers its LDA/ABT 150 (Upper division “Introduction to GIS”) course as a study abroad class in the mountainous Kingdom of Bhutan, which is also known as “The Land of the Thunder Dragon.” Dr. Karen Beardsley has taught this 4-week course four times since its inception in 2018, most recently in the summer of 2024. The class is open to students from all UCs and will be held again August—September of 2025. Together with IT Manager Carlos Barahona, Dr. Beardsley will present the course syllabus, teaching methodology, and experience with the final group projects. In addition, they will share some advantages (and challenges!) of teaching GIS in a culturally and biologically rich environment, at over 8000 feet in elevation.

GeoConnect: Centralizing Geospatial Resources Across the UC System:

GeoConnect is a group of Librarians and GIS staff from across the University of California system. We were awarded a two-year research grant from the Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC). GeoConnect will assess what GIS users on our campuses seek with regards to geospatial resources and support and to collaboratively organize these resources. We aim to examine our existing LibGuides to assess the current content, conduct a survey across the UC System to assess what patrons are seeking, and finally create a centralized resource hub to support the UC community. This presentation will discuss what has been done thus far and long-term goals for the project.

NASA Equity and Environmental Justice Introduction:

NASA’s EEJ program helps ensure Earth data can benefit everyone, regardless of race, color, national origin or income. We help communities across the U.S. make informed decisions about issues affecting them. The program also builds new partnerships to support community outreach, training, and information and tools that use Earth observations. We aim to create opportunities for people to support community empowerment with Earth observation information.

National Park Service:

This panel session is aimed at undergraduate students to learn more about opportunities to get involved with geospatial data while still in school. Hear from several colleageus about opportunities through the National Park Service, a County GIS Program, and more.

Solano County GIS:

This panel session is aimed at undergraduate students to learn more about opportunities to get involved with geospatial data while still in school. Hear from several colleageus about opportunities through the National Park Service, a County GIS Program, and more.

NASA Develop:

This panel session is aimed at undergraduate students to learn more about opportunities to get involved with geospatial data while still in school. Hear from several colleageus about opportunities through the National Park Service, a County GIS Program, and more.

Sky High Insights: Campus Facility Management with Drones:

This lightning talk will explore the integration of drone technology in university campus facility management. We will discuss how drone flights capture high-resolution images, enabling the creation of detailed 3D models of campus infrastructure. Leveraging advanced image processing and machine learning algorithms, these models facilitate enhanced data analysis for maintenance and planning.

Key benefits include enhanced accuracy in monitoring facility conditions, proactive maintenance strategies, and optimized resource allocation. Through case studies, we will demonstrate how to prepare for drone flights and illustrate how the integration of drones with AI and machine learning can transform facility management, fostering smarter and more sustainable campus environments.

Building accurate range maps for California’s 104 tree species:

Biogeography is the study of the distribution of biota across space. In this way, it can inform every kind of ecological study. So, if we’re going to study biota across space, including predicting where those biota might be in the future or how they could respond to external pressures, we need a good estimate of where those biota are now. In essence, we need a good species range map.

The last major effort to systematically map tree species ranges in California was done by Griffin and Critchfield (1972) of the U.S. Forest Service, over 50 years ago. Since then, thousands of studies have been completed with coordinates for trees, and many thousands more civilians have collected GPS points in public repositories for citizen science, advocacy, or enjoyment. After vetting for accuracy, this data can significantly enhance existing range maps. Also, recent high-quality vegetation mapping efforts by public agencies can provide both additional “presence” data to expand range maps beyond existing known boundaries and “absence” data in the sense that they can be used to subtract out unlikely range area within existing known boundaries.

In this presentation, we’ll discuss the partially-automated GIS workflow we’ve developed for building the most accurate and comprehensive range maps for California’s 104 tree species, from creating the highest-quality-ever digitization of the Griffin and Critchfield (1972) range maps to collecting, processing, and incorporating hundreds of additional datasets to subtracting out non-range areas. We’ll also discuss how we’re using these state-of-the-art maps to assess the climate exposure, fire risk, and operational priority (seed demand) of each tree species to inform seed collection efforts for reforestation, as well as examples of how the actual map-building process can be used to address some fundamental questions in biogeographical theory.

Hand-drawn historic maps: Utilization and conversion of unique features into Geographic Information Systems (GIS):

The GIS Center at the University of California, Merced provides research services to faculty and is responsible for managing and maintaining a geospatial collection for our students and researchers. We support Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software for over 500 users yearly and provide workshops and consultations. GIS Center technical research staff have provided consulting services to researchers and direct project support. Through four case studies, we will detail our processes for converting historic maps into GIS products that contribute to research publications and data sets. Specifically, we will discuss the technical demands and research benefits of georeferencing and vectorizing digitized historic maps utilizing various methods including machine learning and heads up digitizing and sharing that data via ArcGIS Online and other cloud-based applications. We conclude with recommendations for others embarking upon this type of work.

Digitize, Demystify, Democratize: Exploring the National Zoning Atlas Map Viewer:

The National Zoning Atlas (NZA) is a publicly-available database that aims to collect and standardize all zoning codes across the U.S. into a single, easy-to-read format. It allows the public to assess zoning in their area, advocate for policy reform, and keep politicians and public administrators accountable. It can also be a powerful tool for researchers.

In this workshop, we will begin by reviewing the GIS and attribute data collection methods used by the UC Davis Center for Regional Change to build the California Zoning Atlas, the largest component of the NZA. Then, we will walk through how to use the NZA map viewer and compare jurisdictions within California and between states. We will conclude with an open discussion of policy implications, advocacy outcomes, ongoing challenges, and possible research questions. Attendees only need to use the NZA Map Viewer; there are no software or hardware requirements to participate.

Test-driving the first-of-its-kind California Zoning Atlas: Using zoning patterns in rural and agricultural counties to inform regional land-use policy:

Land use laws influence quality of life; they directly impact access to housing, transportation, education, employment, and even food. Zoning, which dictates land use on a jurisdictional level, tells us what can be developed in any given area (and its permitted dimensions). Unfortunately, because every jurisdiction in the U.S. has its own zoning, there is little existing literature on how zoning affects land use patterns across regions and how these patterns change over time.

The National Zoning Atlas (NZA) is a publicly-available database that aims to collect and standardize all zoning codes across the U.S. into a single, easy-to-read format. It allows the public to assess zoning in their area, advocate for policy reform, and keep politicians and public administrators accountable. The UC Davis Center for Regional Change, in partnership with the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, led the California branch of this effort, collecting nearly twice the amount of data of any other state atlas and training a cohort of nine undergraduate GIS zoning analysts.

In this presentation, we will share preliminary findings from the first study to use data from the California Zoning Atlas, focusing on single-family zoning, the most restrictive form of land-use ordinance, at the parcel level. Our novel questions include: How do zoning patterns differ between urban and rural areas? How can zoning patterns inform conservation policies like California’s 30x30 Initiative, which aims to conserve 30% of land in the state by 2030? How do single-family, multi-family, mixed-use, and non-residential zones vary between incorporated and unincorporated areas?

Migration and Structural Transformation: The case of Mennonites in Latin America:

Using novel geospatial data on Mennonite colonies in Latin America and satellite night lights data, I study the effects of the introduction of the colonies on structural change in a host country. I find that on average, colony establishment attracts increased growth nearby, and de-growth far away from colonies. The results suggest that the colonies, which present persistent shocks to agricultural productivity, may induce a reallocation of human and economic activity in the host country.

(In)Visible Urban Geographies: Cartographic Approach to Visualizing Anti-Homeless Topography in Venice, CA:

Using Venice, CA as a case study, the lightning talk will cover the ways our urban environment is shaped to exclude unhoused people from public spaces. First, examples of physical additions to the urban topography—through the use of sleep-deterrent benches, sidewalk planters, fences, and illegally painted red curbs—will be shown to exemplify the easily visible cases of anti-homeless methods of exclusion. Next, the talk will cover a case study of Venice, CA, and its proliferation of parking restrictions that deliberately restrict overnight parking and parking of oversized vehicles through the Los Angeles Municipal Code 80.69.4. This will use the results of a mapping project conducted with volunteer field data collectors to visualize the ways the urban topography is being cultivated to increasingly exclude unhoused people from communities through invisible legal barriers that penalize those in poverty. The talk will end by emphasizing the importance of using cartographic methods to make visible the components of the urban environment targeting unhoused peoples that are often invisible to housed members of the community.

The Homelessness Hub at UC San Diego: Using GIS to understand a complex issue:

The Homelessness Hub at UC San Diego’s mission is to advance collaborative, equity-focused research, education, and policy on housing and homelessness. Our GIS/Data Team includes post-doctoral fellows and undergraduate students. The portal is powered by Esri’s ArcGIS Hub with a focus on supporting and assisting policymakers and researchers using spatial data, maps, and analysis. We started in early 2020 with a small grant and expanded in 2022 with private funding to become a research lab. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the Homelessness Hub and highlight a few of our GIS-focused efforts. These include the creation and maintenance of the Hub data and mapping portal, data collection for a homeless encampment spatial model, and the process to create an interactive dashboard that includes over 10 years of monthly counts of people living on the street, in tents, or in cars in Downtown San Diego.