Utilizing Geospatial Analysis for United States Embassy Site Acquisitions
Disciplines
Data Science | Geographic Information Sciences | Spatial Science
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Ideal locations for United States embassies abroad must strike a delicate balance: they must be conveniently located to maximize their utility for Americans abroad, but also meet rigid national security standards. In conjunction with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) within the U.S. Department of State, a team of five student researchers, led by Professor Uli Ingram, have been working diligently to find how the use of geospatial analysis can assist in locating suitable parcels of land to serve as sites of future United States embassies around the world. The team has sought to analyze the conditions of a provided list of cities of interest that spans several nations by gathering data on criteria set forth by the OBO. Using both quantitative analysis tools in ArcGIS Pro and qualitative analysis through Google Earth, Google Maps, and local government websites, the team has been able to narrow the scope of site acquisitions searches from entire cities to individual city blocks or parcels. The compiled data for each city has been exported to interactive, searchable web applications through ArcGIS online, providing a convenient means for the OBO site acquisitions team to examine the suitability of any parcels they consider in the future, leaving a lasting impact after the student research is complete. Through biweekly progress updates and demonstrations of geospatial analysis tools, the student researchers have helped guide the OBO's efforts to implement GIS workflows into their current site acquisition process.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Geography & Anthropology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Ulrike Ingram
Utilizing Geospatial Analysis for United States Embassy Site Acquisitions
Ideal locations for United States embassies abroad must strike a delicate balance: they must be conveniently located to maximize their utility for Americans abroad, but also meet rigid national security standards. In conjunction with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) within the U.S. Department of State, a team of five student researchers, led by Professor Uli Ingram, have been working diligently to find how the use of geospatial analysis can assist in locating suitable parcels of land to serve as sites of future United States embassies around the world. The team has sought to analyze the conditions of a provided list of cities of interest that spans several nations by gathering data on criteria set forth by the OBO. Using both quantitative analysis tools in ArcGIS Pro and qualitative analysis through Google Earth, Google Maps, and local government websites, the team has been able to narrow the scope of site acquisitions searches from entire cities to individual city blocks or parcels. The compiled data for each city has been exported to interactive, searchable web applications through ArcGIS online, providing a convenient means for the OBO site acquisitions team to examine the suitability of any parcels they consider in the future, leaving a lasting impact after the student research is complete. Through biweekly progress updates and demonstrations of geospatial analysis tools, the student researchers have helped guide the OBO's efforts to implement GIS workflows into their current site acquisition process.