As we move further into the 21st century, Earth's functional processes are experiencing a steady shift, particularly in terms of climate and sea levels. Anthropogenic warming has accelerated the rise of sea levels and increased the frequency, intensity, and rainfall of cyclones and hurricanes. To investigate the impact of rising sea levels on storm surges in vulnerable areas, we utilized remote sensing and GIS technology to come up with an understanding of the influence land cover type has on flood intensity and assess the vulnerability of the Houston area based on storm surges from 2015 - 2022. Our findings underscore the critical need for urgent adaptation and mitigation measures to mitigate the risks associated with changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.

The purpose of this project was to identify the best market demographic in the South Florida area (Miami-Dade, and Broward County) for Fizgig. Fizgig a newly developed pet sitting app, is launching their app soon and we need to analyze market demographics to help aid with a successful app launch. Fizgig aims to connect certified pet sitters to pet owners with ease and affordability. Fizgig is not restricted to just cats and dogs, but all pets. Fizgig provides opportunities for those who are certified in pet sitting and want to grow there career in such disciplines. Furthermore, to analyze the capability of a successful launch we used Esri and Google Maps data of median household income, average annual pet spending, and pet sitting association data to pinpoint specific areas (hotspots) in South Florida to focus on the app launch. We concluded that Southeast Miami-Dade, Northwest Broward, and West Broward hotspots had the highest potential for pet sitting employment and app use due to highest pet expenditure in correlation to median income in there respective counties in addition to a high number of pet sitting associations within a close radius of these hotspots.

For our research project, we plan to use GIS remote sensing technology to locate and identify potential land plots for urban farming. The purpose of this project is to recognize and assist in the issue of food deserts in urban areas such as the DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) metroplex, NYC, and Los Angeles. A food desert refers to any area with limited or no access to affordable, nutritious food. This could include a lack of access to farmers’ markets, vegetable shops, or fresh produce. This project aims to recognize and assist in the issue of food deserts in urban areas with a particular focus on the East Fort Worth/Arlington areas in Tarrant County. Several relevant datasets including high spatial resolution commercial remote sensing and other relevant spatial (such as property appraisal datasets, soil data) and non-spatial datasets, and data analysis products (such as the proximity of the areas to fresh produce/major grocery stores) will be combined in a GIS environment to identify empty plots of lands that could be used for the purposes of urban agriculture and assess their potential for food growth.

Given the drastic rise in renewable energy investment across the US and globally, along with global sustainable development goals, it is important to develop techniques for renewable resource assessment. The study aims to identify the most suitable areas for renewable energy development in Texas by analyzing various geospatial factors that influence renewable energy production, such as terrain and land use. Resource-specific data such as surface direct normal irradiance (DNI) and wind speed and power density were used to ensure resource availability. Proximity to important infrastructure was also considered, access to infrastructure is an important economic consideration for utility-scale installation. Products generated use an integration of remote sensing data, geospatial analysis, and machine learning algorithms to develop a spatially-explicit multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) for solar and wind resources in Texas.

This study will develop (livable) suitability index for areas within Fort Worth with respect to the availability of various amenities (walkability, parks, etc.), public transport, proximity to fresh produce and entertainment (restaurants, etc.), and other relevant services. This is important as the City of Fort Worth has some of the lowest transit scores compared to major cities across the US especially with those having similar population as Fort Worth. Several spatial analysis techniques including proximity and overlay analysis will be undertaken using tools in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online to attain the objectives of the study.