GEOSPATIAL FRONTIERS
A Publication by Project Geospatial
LOOKING BEYOND
THE MAP
Geospatial Frontiers, a new publication from Project Geospatial, brings together leading voices and experts from across the geospatial ecosystem to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. Through in-depth articles and discussions, Geospatial Frontiers aims to explore innovative solutions and spark critical conversations that will shape the future of geospatial technology and its applications.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Adam Simmons
Keith Barber
Fred Woods
Matthew Husted
Chris Vaughan
The Emergency Management Market Isn’t a Fit: Until It Is
The emergency management market is often dismissed by tech founders and investors as a "slow" and "bureaucratic" sector. However, as disasters become more frequent and expensive, this $137 billion "sleeping giant" is rapidly evolving into a mission-critical landscape. This article explores the shift from outdated "boots-on-the-ground" processes to high-velocity geospatial analytics and AI-driven assessments that shorten the gap between a survivor's worst day and their first recovery check. Learn why readiness matters, how to achieve true product-market fit in a crisis, and why the "unattractive" EM market is the only one that truly matters when the sirens start.
The Rise, Power, and Uncertain Future of America's Open Infrastructure Data
For two decades, the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD) Open portal was the bedrock of U.S. disaster response and community planning—a free, authoritative map of the nation's most critical assets. Now, it's gone. This in-depth article explores the profound impact of the recent shutdown of HIFLD Open, from its origins in the wake of 9/11 to its vital role in responding to hurricanes and wildfires. Discover what made this curated government data uniquely powerful for emergency managers and researchers, and why its disappearance leaves a critical void that commercial and crowdsourced maps cannot fill. We examine the consequences of this decision for national resilience and the uncertain future of open data in America.