{"id":8080,"date":"2026-04-04T15:30:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T22:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/?p=8080"},"modified":"2026-04-04T15:35:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T22:35:50","slug":"mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n    \n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">April 4, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Each year, one of the most anticipated moments at the USC Spatial Sciences Institute\u2019s Los Angeles Geospatial Summit is the announcement of the winners of the ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition, sponsored by Esri.<\/p>\n<p>Students compete for awards in three categories: Most Innovative Use of Technology, Most Compelling Communication Using Maps, and Most Suitably Applied Methodology or Analysis.<\/p>\n<p>The 2026 Summit, held on February 27 at the USC Hotel in Los Angeles, brought together students, young professionals, and industry leaders to explore the frontiers of geospatial science. This year\u2019s competition carried a special distinction. For the first time, high school students from Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School in Glendale were invited to compete alongside undergraduate and graduate students. This expansion added a new \u201cBest High School Submission\u201d category to the program.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe\u2019re inspired by the ingenuity and innovation behind these students\u2019 projects,\u201d said Andrew Haglund, Esri\u2019s Higher Education Senior Account Manager. \u201cWe are encouraged to see the next generation taking on the challenge to better the world by leveraging geospatial science and technologies.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u201cMost Innovative Use of Technology&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Nicholas Mora<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8084 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/storymap-Most-Innovative-Use-of-Technology-Nicholas-Mora.png\" alt=\", Sidewalk Management: Walking the Walk by University of Redlands MGIS Candidate, Nicholas Mora\" width=\"1188\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/storymap-Most-Innovative-Use-of-Technology-Nicholas-Mora.png 1188w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/storymap-Most-Innovative-Use-of-Technology-Nicholas-Mora-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/storymap-Most-Innovative-Use-of-Technology-Nicholas-Mora-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/storymap-Most-Innovative-Use-of-Technology-Nicholas-Mora-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1188px) 100vw, 1188px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Infrastructure is often invisible until it fails and nowhere is this truer than the sidewalks connecting urban communities. This year\u2019s \u201cMost Innovative\u201d entry, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/19a60da39c234f3a819839289735fcd0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sidewalk Management: Walking the Walk<\/a><\/em> by University of Redlands MGIS Candidate, Nicholas Mora, tackled the challenge of sidewalk condition management through a spatially driven analytical framework.<\/p>\n<p>Using GIS tools to assess, prioritize, and communicate pedestrian infrastructure needs, the project demonstrated how geospatial technology can bring new rigor and transparency to the essential work of maintaining walkable cities.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u201cMost Compelling Communication Using Maps\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Khouri Evans-Dangerfield<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8083 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Compelling-Communication-Using-Maps-Khouri-Evans-Dangerfield.png\" alt=\"University of Redlands student Khouri Evans-Dangerfield\u2019s project, Gotham City Emergency Evacuation and Response Guide\" width=\"1188\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Compelling-Communication-Using-Maps-Khouri-Evans-Dangerfield.png 1188w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Compelling-Communication-Using-Maps-Khouri-Evans-Dangerfield-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Compelling-Communication-Using-Maps-Khouri-Evans-Dangerfield-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Compelling-Communication-Using-Maps-Khouri-Evans-Dangerfield-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1188px) 100vw, 1188px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Employing one of the world\u2019s most iconic fictional cities as a vehicle for very real planning principles, University of Redlands student Khouri Evans-Dangerfield\u2019s project, <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/a75ce51a43764268bb2ffd164cc77a7d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Gotham City Emergency Evacuation and Response Guide<\/em><\/a>, made emergency preparedness both accessible and memorable.<\/p>\n<p>By mapping evacuation routes, response zones, and resource distribution across a richly detailed urban environment, Evans-Dangerfield showed how cartographic storytelling can cut through complexity and engage audiences who might otherwise tune out a traditional emergency management report.<\/p>\n<p>The project was a standout demonstration, reminding attendees that great map communication is as much about the story as it is about the data.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u201cMost Suitably Applied Methodology or Analysis\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Brian Pidduck<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8082 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Applied-Methodology-or-Analysis-Brian-Pidduck.png\" alt=\"USC graduate student Brian Pidduck\u2019s Between Flames and Affordability \" width=\"1188\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Applied-Methodology-or-Analysis-Brian-Pidduck.png 1188w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Applied-Methodology-or-Analysis-Brian-Pidduck-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Applied-Methodology-or-Analysis-Brian-Pidduck-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/Storymap-Applied-Methodology-or-Analysis-Brian-Pidduck-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1188px) 100vw, 1188px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Few issues hit closer to home for Southern Californians than the dual crisis of wildfire risk and housing affordability. USC graduate student Brian Pidduck\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/d6d21d8e4e4f4666a168e9dfc7e3bf45\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Between Flames and Affordability<\/em><\/a> tackled both head-on. By applying rigorous spatial analysis to examine where fire hazard zones and housing cost pressures intersect across the region, the project illuminated the difficult trade-offs facing residents and policymakers alike.<\/p>\n<p>The methodological depth of the work, combined with clear visual communication, earned it recognition as this year\u2019s strongest analytical submission.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>&#8220;Best High School Submission&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Alexander Iknadossian and Charles Lamb<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8086 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-Best-High-School-Alexander-Iknadossian-Charles-Lamb.png\" alt=\"Best High School Submission: Alexander Iknadossian and Charles Lamb\" width=\"1188\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-Best-High-School-Alexander-Iknadossian-Charles-Lamb.png 1188w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-Best-High-School-Alexander-Iknadossian-Charles-Lamb-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-Best-High-School-Alexander-Iknadossian-Charles-Lamb-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-Best-High-School-Alexander-Iknadossian-Charles-Lamb-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1188px) 100vw, 1188px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In a fitting debut for the competition\u2019s newest category, two students from Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School submitted <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/1923a5e6295b43be9546b6e699cf1bf0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Clark Magnet Bus Optimization<\/em><\/a>, a project analyzing their own school bus network.<\/p>\n<p>Using GIS tools to model routing efficiency and identify opportunities for improvement, the team demonstrated that geospatial problem-solving skills don\u2019t have to wait for a college campus. It was a grounded and practical project that spoke directly to a real challenge in their own community.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>To explore all the StoryMaps submitted to the 2026 competition, <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/collections\/c71042c85e354aabbbc325d7566c96c3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit the entire collection<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":8090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition - Spatial Sciences Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Spatial Sciences Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-04T22:30:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-04T22:35:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1438\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Amy Kramer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Amy Kramer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/72d850d060f17f3b664ea727f240fbc9\"},\"headline\":\"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-04T22:30:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-04T22:35:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/\"},\"wordCount\":12,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/\",\"name\":\"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition - Spatial Sciences Institute\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-04T22:30:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-04T22:35:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/72d850d060f17f3b664ea727f240fbc9\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":1438},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/\",\"name\":\"Spatial Sciences Institute\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/72d850d060f17f3b664ea727f240fbc9\",\"name\":\"Amy Kramer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38e18cd27704cd78f75b8127826f235ad1f51b24402460c714144b280a28acdb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38e18cd27704cd78f75b8127826f235ad1f51b24402460c714144b280a28acdb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Amy Kramer\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/author\/ak_019\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition - Spatial Sciences Institute","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/","og_site_name":"Spatial Sciences Institute","article_published_time":"2026-04-04T22:30:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-04T22:35:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2500,"height":1438,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Amy Kramer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/"},"author":{"name":"Amy Kramer","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/72d850d060f17f3b664ea727f240fbc9"},"headline":"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition","datePublished":"2026-04-04T22:30:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-04T22:35:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/"},"wordCount":12,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/","name":"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition - Spatial Sciences Institute","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-04T22:30:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-04T22:35:50+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/72d850d060f17f3b664ea727f240fbc9"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2026\/04\/StoryMap-competition-2026.jpg","width":2500,"height":1438},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/2026\/04\/04\/mapping-what-matters-highlights-from-the-2026-la-geospatial-summit-arcgis-storymaps-competition\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mapping what matters: Highlights from the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/","name":"Spatial Sciences Institute","description":"USC Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/72d850d060f17f3b664ea727f240fbc9","name":"Amy Kramer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38e18cd27704cd78f75b8127826f235ad1f51b24402460c714144b280a28acdb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38e18cd27704cd78f75b8127826f235ad1f51b24402460c714144b280a28acdb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Amy Kramer"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/author\/ak_019\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8080"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8080\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8089,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8080\/revisions\/8089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/spatial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}