Since 1940’s, aerial imagery has been a staple resource for the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
In 1998, the city made its first digital acquisition and in addition to updating its aerial photography every 3 to 4 years, it relied on a range of local and national sources.
But as our city and landscape evolved, it became increasingly difficult to find data that could keep up with community needs. As the Civic Analytics Manager for the city, I knew we were impatient imagery users and the imagery could never be current enough.
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Then entered, Nearmap, a global technology company that provides easy, instant access to up-to-date and historical geospatial data. Nearmap proactively captures wide-scale urban areas in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand multiple times each year, with patented plane-mounted camera systems that provide superior detail.
For us, the value of Nearmap extends beyond the frequency and quality of the imagery. MapBrowser, the cloud-based web application by Nearmap, allows the city to instantly stream imagery on any device — from anywhere they are. For my colleagues who work with customers all day, it is vital for them to be able to review imagery quickly and easily.
Easy integrations with leading CAD and GIS applications, like Esri’s ArcGIS Pro, means decision-makers from the city and county can access the same source of truth, from public works to elected officials and professional engineers and assessors. While 3D Urban models of proposed buildings are useful, combining them with the Nearmap 3D mesh gives people a true understanding of a project.
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Over the years, Nearmap has made it clear they are committed to meeting our needs. The company’s strong emphasis on building one- on-one relationships with its customers has given me and my team the flexibility to enhance our GIS capabilities. Recently, we asked Nearmap to capture the city’s landfill. Even though it’s a few miles west of town, Nearmap was able to provide the imagery for analysis.
Nearmap has a very one-on-one approach with us, which has helped us expand the reach of the images we use. They are always agreeable and open to requests or suggestions. As the technology continues to evolve, the city is looking forward to continued growth — and innovation — from the partnership.
In the near-term, our Civic Analytics Analysts who specialize in land records will be collaborating with the planning team to use ArcGIS Urban as part of the review process for proposed construction projects. Using Nearmap 3D textured mesh as the base layer within Urban will help us unlock a more detailed perspective into how a project will fit within existing site conditions.
We also plan to use this 3D textured mesh within Urban as a citizen engagement tool — enabling the public to better understand a new proposal and provide feedback. Viewing surrounding landmarks and vegetation the way we see them in reality instead of just as simple icons on a screen will help orient users and encourage them to understand the context and provide feedback.
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