FedGeoDay 2024 | Lightning Talk - Josh Coutts

Project Geospatial

Summary Josh Coutts, a geographer with the US Census Bureau, discussed a new project to release census data using a standard grid. The aim is to make the data more accessible and interoperable across various applications and use cases. The current small area geographic units can be inflexible and challenging to integrate with other data sets, hindering temporal analysis and comparisons. Grids provide a stable and structured dataset for small area analysis and integration with different data sources. Highlights 🗺️ The US Census Bureau is working on a project to release census data using a standard grid. 🔄 Grids ensure data accessibility and interoperability across applications. 🌍 Small area geographic units can be inflexible and difficult to integrate with other datasets. 📈 Grids facilitate small area analysis and integration with various data sources. 📏 1-kilometer grid cells are a common unit used by national statistical offices globally. 🌐 1-kilometer grid cells are familiar and provide a human-scale perspective. 🚀 The project is currently in the research and development phase, with stakeholder outreach and feedback being sought. About FedGeoDay: FedGeoDay is the premier annual event for the open source geospatial community within the U.S. federal government. It brings together federal program managers, technology leaders, industry partners, and open-source enthusiasts to share ideas, showcase innovations, and foster collaboration around open geospatial technologies, data, and practices. FedGeoDay highlights the growing importance of open source in building resilient, efficient, and collaborative geospatial solutions for the federal government and beyond.