Niagara University and LaBella Associates Receive Prestigious Award for GIS-Supported Strategic Planning Project in Niagara Falls

Niagara University and LaBella Associates received a 2024 Special Achievement in GIS Award in recognition of the outstanding use of geographic information systems technology to support a revitalization project that will improve the lives of residents in the Mid-city area of Niagara Falls, N.Y. The award was presented by the Environmental Systems Research Institute at its 2024 Esri User Conference in San Diego, Calif., July 15-19, 2024, and was one of only 197 chosen from more than 100,000 Esri clients worldwide.

The GIS-Supported Strategic Planning Project in Niagara Falls was undertaken by the Niagara Falls Neighborhood Evaluation Committee, a coalition of diverse organizations dedicated to creating a vibrant, equitable, and inclusive community in the City of Niagara Falls. The Levesque Institute at Niagara University partnered with the City of Niagara Falls Planning & Environmental Department, Niagara Orleans Regional Land Improvement Corp. (NORLIC), Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity, and Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) to spearhead the initiative.

Using GIS technology, a comprehensive data collection and web mapping effort gathered critical information on population demographics and household metrics, revealing factors contributing to environmental and socio-economic inequalities. The datasets and mapping tool have been shared with the community and stakeholders to promote collaboration, open data sharing, and data-driven decision-making. Moving forward, the data collected by this project will inform decisions on homeownership and future development initiatives, playing a crucial role in helping the city formulate a comprehensive revitalization strategy with actionable goals.

"This award recognizes the transformative impact of our collaborative work to revitalize the Mid-city neighborhood of Niagara Falls," said Dr. Karen Kwandrans, associate vice president of strategic and external relations at Niagara University. "The comprehensive information we collected will be essential in the creation of future development initiatives and policies. This project also gave Niagara University students the opportunity to conduct research, led by CIS professor Dr. Yonghong Tong, with the LaBella team."

The SAG awards are given to user sites worldwide to recognize exceptional work with geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Nominations come from vertical industry managers, U.S. regional offices, and international distributors, with finalists selected by Jack Dangermond, president and founder of Esri.