PDX GIS Day 2025: Celebrating the Power of Community

Cfriedle — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 02:11:34 GMT

PDX GIS Day 2025: Celebrating the Power of Community

On November 19, the Portland Geospatial community gathered for the 13th Annual PDX GIS Day. Once again, Ecotrust’s Irving Street Studio provided a warm, welcoming space—it was the perfect setting for a night built around the geospatial community.

And what a community it is.

This year’s event drew a mix of around 350 geospatial professionals, students, educators, and map-lovers of all kinds. The energy in the room was unmistakable—lively conversations, animated reunions, new introductions, and the vibrant hum that always seems to fill the room when you put Portland’s geospatial world under one roof. Every year feels big… and every year somehow feels bigger.

A Night of Connection, Gratitude, and Lots of Maps

As always, our sponsors helped set a tone of playfulness and exploration. Attendees floated between tables hosted by:

PNW Geospatial Professional Network, Gartrell Group, PCC GIS Club , ASPRS, NV5, 3J Consulting, OregonView, Jarrett Walker & Associates, EcoNW, Cascadia Partners, Dymaptic, Greentop Planning Development & Research, PSU Geography & Urban Studies, Clean Water Services, and Metro.

From interactive map challenges to spatial guessing games, each table offered a chance to meet new people, try something hands-on, and spark conversation. And thanks to our sponsors, we enjoyed great food, plentiful beverages, and—this year—a truly impressive feat of dedication: 500 handmade cupcakes from Dymaptic CEO Mara Stoic.

Behind the scenes, a tireless planning team and a large crew of volunteers—mostly PCC students—kept everything flowing smoothly. Their work is the invisible glue of this event, and this year we felt their impact more than ever.

Keynote: Data, Intention, and Community

This year’s keynote speaker, Sachi Arakawa, partner at Cascadia Partners, brought the spirit of community planning to the forefront. With a background that blends urban planning, geospatial thinking, and public engagement, Sachi explored how data, games and creativity intersect to shape more livable places with Scenario Planning.

Her talk underscored exactly what the evening was celebrating: that the most meaningful work we do is rarely done alone. It is built with others, for others, and in deep partnership with the people whose lives and landscapes we aim to improve.

Raffles, Maps, and Celebration

Our annual raffle brought excitement back into the room, with prizes including:

Review copies of the 7th Edition Atlas of Design, donated by NACIS
A copy of Maps on Vinyl, courtesy of the Map Center in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Three ArcGIS for Personal Use licenses contributed by Esri

And for those who love to leave GIS Day with armfuls of cartographic treasure, the Washington Geological Survey and DOGAMI once again provided stacks of maps for attendees to take home.

A Community That Grows With Intention

Since the earliest days this event has grown not just in size, but in spirit. People return year after year, and new faces arrive ready to join in. Each person brings something unique, and each person helps shape what this gathering has become.

Community is what keeps PDX GIS Day thriving. It’s why we outgrow every venue. It’s why the room feels electric. It’s why people stay long after the formal program wraps up, still chatting, still connecting, still mapping out what comes next.

Until Next Year…

Thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored, volunteered, presented, baked cupcakes, donated maps, or simply showed up with enthusiasm. You make this event what it is.

We can’t wait to see where this community goes next—and we look forward to celebrating with you again next year.

https://www.christinafriedle.com/blog/pdx-gis-day-2025-celebrating-the-power-of-community (includes pics)

topic PDX GIS Day 2025: Celebrating the Power of Community in GIS Day 2025 Forum

PDX GIS Day 2025: Celebrating the Power of Community