Project Goal
THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY MODELBusiness Problem Solved
EXPANDING RESEARCH, ACADEMIC AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ASU has ranked as the #1 most innovative university in the U.S. for 11 consecutive years, and is first in the U.S. for advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Designed to operate as “one university in many places”, ASU embraces its cultural, socioeconomic, and physical settings, removing geographic barriers to education and research. More than 13,000 users throughout university academics and administration have comprehensive access to ArcGIS software, advancing a unifying framework that connects data, people and place, allowing for shared spatial context that enables real-time operational insight, strong cross-disciplinary collaboration and partnerships at every scale. This inclusive approach to GIS and spatial thinking amplifies ASU’s institutional impact, shaping the outcomes of work ranging from campus planning to public health, and supporting ASU’s recent growth beyond $1 billion in annual funded research.
Technology Implemented
DEMONSTRATIONS AT ALL SCALES
Arizona State University leverages the full ArcGIS ecosystem to power its most innovative institutional objectives. ArcGIS Enterprise provides centralized data management, security, and scalable deployment, while ArcGIS Online expands access through cloud-based mapping and applications. ArcGIS Pro supports advanced analysis and data development. 3D capabilities via Scene Viewer and ArcGIS Urban enable digital twins and scenario planning. Real-time tools such as GeoEvent Server and ArcGIS Velocity integrate live data for operational awareness. ArcGIS Hub supports collaboration and public engagement, while StoryMaps communicates insights and teaches through narrative. APIs, automation, and GeoAI extend functionality. Together, these technologies create a flexible, accessible, integrated platform that supports applications in campus operations, education, research and community engagement, changing futures at every level, from the individual to the global.
Development Team Biography
ASU teams featuring outstanding uses of GIS technologies include:
AZ-1 Maricopa County Broadband Initiative, ASU Enterprise Technology
Business and Finance Information Technology
Central Arizona-Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research
Decision Theater
Facilities Management Services, Utilities & Operations
Geospatial Research & Solutions
Knowledge Exchange for Resilience, Knowledge Enterprise
ASU Library Map and Geospatial Hub
ASU Library Naturespace
ASU Next Lab
Rob Walton College of Global Futures School of Complex Adaptive Systems
School of Conservation Futures
School of Earth and Space Exploration, Ronald Greeley Center for Planetary Studies
School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning
School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, MASGIS Program
Spatial Analysis Research Center
Ten Across Initiative
Urban Climate Research Center
W.P. Carey School of Business Master of Real Estate Development
W.P. Carey School of Business Department of Information Sys
Company Overview
Arizona State University is a comprehensive public research university guided by its charter: measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed. As a New American University, ASU is committed to access, excellence and impact, advancing discovery for public value and assuming fundamental responsibility for the communities it serves. Shaped by dedication to place, the university engages the distinct assets, needs, environment and communities it serves in order to deliver greater access to education and to drive innovation, economic development and societal progress at every scale.
Return on Investment
PROACTIVE INVESTMENT FOR COMMUNITY AND UNIVERSITY BENEFIT
At Arizona State University, GIS delivers enterprise-scale returns by enabling the transformation of data into shared, actionable intelligence. Investments in geospatial infrastructure have increased efficiency in campus operations and reduced duplication. Unique assets like Decision Theater, Urban Climate Research Center and the Spatial Analysis Research Center accelerate decision-making with real-time insight. Inclusive, accessible spaces like the Map and Geospatial Hub have advanced the reach of GIS data and tools farther than was previously possible across the university and beyond, empowering students, faculty and surrounding partners and communities to co-create solutions that tackle society’s most complex and important challenges. For ASU, return on investment is measured not only in terms of conventional cost, but the scale, inclusivity and public value of the outcomes achieved.