Jane Edwards
Esri has teamed up with the National Geographic Society to launch an initiative that aims to identify, link and protect natural resources and cultural places before development planning starts.
The company has unveiled a set of geographic information systems and data as part of the Green Infrastructure for the U.S. program in an effort to help local, urban and regional municipalities establish a network of parks, wildlife habitats and other open spaces, Esri said Tuesday.
“By using green infrastructure as a framework for growth, people can develop communities that are consistent and function in concert with the natural environment, instead of being at odds with it,†said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri.
The Green Infrastructure for the U.S. initiative features a national map of habitats, watersheds, cultural and recreational areas, as well as agricultural lands designed to help municipal planners and other public authorities identify which landscapes to preserve.
