Rethinking GIS: From maps to business outcomes

Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) leads in geospatial maturity among public sector organizations in North America. Explore how the organization transformed its approach to applying geographic information system (GIS) technology—from traditional mapping services to rapid, outcome-driven solutions that support innovation across HRM's communities. From smarter emergency response to open data access, HRM is setting the standard for smart cities in Canada and beyond. Because of this, its transformative approach to GIS has been recognized with the Esri Special Achievement in GIS Award: https://resources.esri.ca/news-releases/halifax-regional-municipality-receives-esri-special-achievement-in-gis-award Chapters: 0:00 Halifax’s urban and rural challenges 0:48 Rethinking GIS from maps to business solutions 1:06 Integrating technology in emergency response 1:12 The 2023 wildfire: a turning point 1:39 Activating the Esri Disaster Response Program 2:22 Field mobility and geotagged data collection 2:28 Lessons learned 2:36 Expanding field apps for city-wide use 2:58 Advice for other teams Explore GIS in government: esri.ca/government