News Roundup – May 2026
What’s new in the latest version of the NG9-1-1 Data Model? Can AI accurately extract planning data from zoning by-laws? What should newcomers to ArcGIS Pro keep in mind as they start their journeys with the platform? All this and more in the May 2026 News Roundup from Esri Canada.
Feature Stories
Third version’s the charm: NG9-1-1 GIS Data Model FAQ
The third version of the NG9-1-1 GIS Data Model standard has been published! It has undergone considerable changes, with special attention given to addressing Canadian concerns and considerations. It will be used to support the implementation of geospatial call routing in Canada, and will impact 9-1-1 authorities, local governments, and the GIS data providers and aggregators that support them in their efforts to prepare NG9-1-1-compliant GIS data. In this blog post, we’ve answered a list of frequently asked questions about this new version and its impact on key participants in Canada.
Operationalizing hotspot policing—from analysis to field action using ArcGIS
Hotspot policing is grounded in decades of research showing that crime is not evenly distributed—it concentrates in a small number of locations. These micro-locations, or “hotspots,” generate a disproportionate share of calls for service, victimization, and harm. Identifying hotspots is an important first step, but analysis alone does not reduce crime. A hotspot map that lives in a briefing deck may inform, but it does not drive action. Hotspot policing creates value only when analysis translates into consistent field activity, when agencies capture what was done on the ground, and when outcomes are measured over time. This evolution—from analysis to action—is reflected across three Ontario police services.
Part 1: Can AI extract planning data from zoning by-laws accurately?
Big tech often markets their AI products in a way that makes life easier and more efficient. But building trust in AI requires approaching them critically as a tool. In this three-part series of blogs, Jocelyn Tang will explore AI tools for extracting planning data from zoning by-laws, and share what works, what doesn’t and how you can approach these technologies with confidence and critical thinking.
“Smart Public Works”: Modern operations in mid-sized Canadian municipalities
What does “smart” truly look like in public works operations for mid-sized Canadian municipalities? In this blog post from Esri Canada’s Todd Hurley, discover how to deliver big, on medium-sized budgets.
4 tips to help you embark on your ArcGIS Pro adventure
Just getting started with ArcGIS Pro? Using the right approach, you can develop ArcGIS Pro skills faster than you might expect. In this blog post from Esri Canada certified ArcGIS instructor Oscar Andrade-Rios, discover four powerful strategies for getting comfortable working with ArcGIS Pro.
Esri News
Esri Recognizes Partners for Innovation, Excellence and Long-Standing Contributions to the Geospatial Community
April 27, 2026
Resources
ArcUser: A model for urban resilience
Australia’s most populous city faces a worrying outlook: heat-related deaths in Sydney could rise by up to 444 percent under current warming trajectories, according to Australia’s first-ever national climate risk assessment, released in September 2025. In response to this escalating threat, the City of Sydney partnered with Western Sydney University to conduct the most detailed analysis of urban microclimates ever undertaken in the city. With more than 100 sensors deployed across diverse urban landscapes in 2023 and 2024, the project leveraged tools like ArcGIS Velocity and ArcGIS Pro to transform temperature and humidity measurements into actionable intelligence for protecting vulnerable communities.
ArcNews: Customized Esri Training Helps Utility Modernize Workflows
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority reached a milestone in its GIS journey in 2024. With guidance from Esri experts, the Water Authority began its migration from a legacy ArcMap technology-based geometric network model to ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Utility Network, the modern solution that helps utilities unlock new GIS capabilities for data accuracy, infrastructure modelling and operational efficiencies. The Water Authority’s migration went beyond technology replacement: training from Esri played a pivotal role in the organization’s successful transformation.
WhereNext Magazine: Giving Data a Voice at Swarovski
For a company founded before the invention of the airplane, Swarovski is still catching the eye of “pop luxury” buyers worldwide. A look at the spatial analysis behind the glamour.
Video: San Francisco International Airport
“One little hiccup can impact the entire airport.” At the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), there’s one system behind everything that sees it all. Discover SFO’s digital twin, the “digital heartbeat” of the airport where teams converge and communicate around a single common picture.
Video: Safety in seconds: Calgary Airports innovates with interactive maps
You work at a major international airport in Canada, but all your floor plans are in unsearchable PDFs—so how are you supposed to quickly figure out where to send the fire department in an emergency? In Calgary Airports’ Integrated Operations Centre (IOC), dispatchers had to spend long minutes rummaging through static, unsearchable PDFs to help emergency response personnel navigate the airports every time an alarm went off. Fortunately, Stefan Kutac’s Spatial Data Services team knew exactly what they needed: an interactive, searchable geographic information system (GIS). Now, with easy-to-use maps powered by ArcGIS technology, dispatchers can pinpoint where to send responders in seconds, rather than minutes.