The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is a

non-profit association A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

of professionals using

geographic information system A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...

s (GIS) and other information technologies to solve challenges at all levels of

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

. URISA promotes the effective and ethical use of spatial information and technology for the understanding and management of urban and regional systems.

History

URISA was formed in 1966, evolving from a loosely associated group of professionals with a common interest in

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

information systems. The organization emanated from annual conferences held from 1963 through 1966, known then as the Annual Conference on Urban Planning Information Systems and Programs. URISA has since evolved into an international organization supporting professionals with interests in a variety of topics related to development and effective management of

s (GIS). URISA is currently headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, where professional staff handle the administrative functions of the association.

Activities

URISA is the founding member of th
GIS Certification Institute
which administers professional certification for the field. URISA is also a founding member of the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO), a coalition of organizations concerned with U.S. national geospatial issues. GISCorps is a URISA program that provides volunteer GIS services for underdeveloped countries worldwide. URISA's proposed GIS Capability Maturity Model (GIS CMM) provides the means for local governments to gauge their progress in achieving GIS operational maturity against a variety of standards and measures. URISA promotes data sharing by government organizations, and has approved policy to reflect those values. URISA hosts a number of conferences each year including GIS-Pro: URISA's Annual Conference for GIS Professionals; the GIS/CAMA Technologies Conference, co-sponsored by the International Association of Assessing Officers; the URISA/NENA Addressing Conference, co-sponsored by the National Emergency Number Association; a biennial GIS in Public Health Conference; Caribbean GIS Conference; and the URISA Leadership Academy, a five-day GIS leadership program. URISA supports more than two-dozen chapters, primarily across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, with recent expansion into the Caribbean and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

. The ''URISA Journal'' is a quarterly, peer-reviewed, scholarly publication of the organization. It has a history of open access. URISA additionally maintains a growing publications library. Through an annual competition URISA encourages students to submit a paper for a special section of the ''URISA Journal''. URISA also recognizes achievements in the industry through a variety of awards, including Exemplary Systems in Government Awards (ESIG) the URISA GIS Hall of Fame, and the Horwood Distinguished Service Award.Directions Magazine, October 27, 200
Lyna Wiggins Receives URISA Horwood Distinguished Service Award
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Membership

URISA members are professionals in the

spatial data Geographic data and information is defined in the ISO/TC 211 series of standards as data and information having an implicit or explicit association with a location relative to Earth (a geographic location or geographic position). It is also call ...

industry working in local, regional, state/provincial, tribal and federal government, academia, the private sector, and non-profit organizations.

References

External links

URISA official website
{{Authority control International trade associations Non-profit organizations based in the United States Geographic information systems organizations Geographic data and information organizations in the United States Information systems Regional science

History

Activities

Membership

See also

References

External links