Google Earth Imagery Updates and Curiosities

I just noticed a Google Earth imagery update for the Smith College campus area.  Great new imagery and quite different from the springtime orthophotography I usually work with.  These images are full of plump tree canopies and appear to be taken during the summer.  Closer inspections indicates the imagery is of a  09/18/2011 vintage.  As […]

2009 Orthophotography

Take a look a sneak preview of the 2009 Orthophotography courtesy of MassGIS, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and a buddy of mine at PVRPC. In the Google Maps overlay, check out: — * the kayakers on Paradise Pond * Nat Fortune’s “house” on Burton Lawn * blankets and students on Chapin […]

What does your policy look like?

Back in February 2007 I asked one of my student assistants to generate a new map for the mystery map series.  At that time I was very interested in visualizing administrative policies manifestation on the landscape.  All too often, policies are created and enacted without any insight as to how they will overlay on the […]

Watering the rain

photo taken June 09 2009 Seeing the sprinklers water the lawn after 0.3″ of rain the other day got me thinking there has to be a better way. I’ll admit that I don’t know how or when the sprinklers are set to water, but this is 2009 and we are Smith College!! Why not have […]

Springtime on Campus

What a great time of year. A time to relax, reflect, and smell the springtime flowers. Oh, and yes, there a plenty of opportunities to take in that pesticide residue smell… 🙁 Note: photos are geotagged. Download this Google Earth file (pesticides2009.kmz) so you can plan ahead, or around, if you like 😉 ——————————————————————————————————–

Another good mapping opportunity missed

Which do you think is more effective? The “official” announcement shown below or a shiny new map? Maybe both? Official Announcement -> Notice of construction activity from Facilities Management Park House: On Tuesday, May 26, the contractor will be setting up construction fencing around Park House and the one-way drive behind Park House will be […]

New – 2005 – Orthophotos are available

he 2005 Massachusetts Orthophotos are now available for Western Massachusetts. Visit the MassGIS webstie for details. All orthophotos are available in the SAL on GEO. Just connect to: Geodatavolgisdataus_stateseastusamaImagesOrthophotos2005 and start viewing gorgeous imagery.

15 minute USGS maps

We now have historic 15 minute USGS maps for Massachusetts in our Special Collections data library. These maps were acquired from the Harvard GeoSpatial Library which is a great resource for mappers and historians alike. You can now access these maps “locally” from our server – geogisdataspecial_collectionsma_15min_quads Enjoy….

Digital USGS Topographic map sheets for entire US available

tarting in January, 2006, you will have access to all USGS topographic map sheets from within ArcGIS. National Geographic’s TOPO! Professional Suite for ArcGIS will be installed in the Spatial Analysis Lab during Interterm. Instructions and demonstrations will be scheduled soon. Special thanks to the Library (especially, the Science Library) for purchasing the software and […]