What caught my attention most in the required videos and texts is how much work GIS can do to build a better community and help others. Being from St. Louis, whenever I hear or read about GIS it’s usually in the context of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and defense mapping so hearing about the positive side of helping people and communities is very assuring. Especially in the stories of Hurricane Irma and Harvey, it’s great to learn how planning and mapping resources can help mitigate and alleviate the pressures of natural disasters. Cities like Houston, Texas, and Miami Beach, Florida were allowed the upper hand in conducting relief responses with Cityworks software on their side. This shows how much of a positive impact GIS and Cityworks can have on populations. 

Another subject I found interesting was how GIS trickles down and affects everyone, as seen in the story of the Chicago Rockford Airport in Illinois. There, a transfer took place from paper to Cityworks regarding airport maintenance logs and FAA safety logs. The airport significantly cut back on delays and approved its overall efficiency, which impacted the travelers at the airport positively. In so many cases like this, the customer receives the positive result but does not always realize the effect GIS systems and Cityworks had on that positive result. GIS is connected to our everyday lives as society becomes more technologically advanced and it’s important to realize that impact as it will make us more efficient and cost-effective.