Spatial Perspectives - October 2024; Conference Recaps, AI Tips, and an Iconic Map Reimagined

Welcome to Spatial Perspectives - your monthly go-to newsletter for all things geo! This month; conference season round-up, tutorials for getting started with AI and a modernized version of the famous John Snow map!

Highlights from the Spatial Data Science Conference, NYC

October’s Spatial Data Science Conference in NYC is one of the highlights of the CARTO calendar! This event brings together industry leaders from across geo to share the latest advancements in spatial analytics. 

Speakers across industries showcased real-world applications of spatial analytics, with topics including network equity, climate-sensitive investing, agricultural optimization, sports data science - and more! Watch all the talks on demand here! 

CARTO’s CSO & Founder, Javier de la Torre, opened with a keynote on breaking the GIS data silo, emphasizing the need to make geospatial insights accessible to all, including non-technical users. He shared the latest CARTO announcements, which included:

• CARTO AI Agents: An AI-driven tool for conversational spatial analysis, now in private preview, designed to simplify geospatial insights for broader audiences. Keep reading for a quick tutorial on getting started with geo AI!

• GeoParquet Integration with Google BigQuery: This geospatial format is now supported in BigQuery, improving the efficiency of managing and querying spatial data in cloud environments. Learn more about how you can leverage GeoParquet to supercharge your analytics here!

• CARTO for Databricks: The first geospatial integration for Databricks Lakehouse, streamlining large-scale geospatial workflows.

• Workflows Extension Packages: Launching in November 2024, these packages will allow users to extend the capabilities of our no-code tool CARTO workflows, such as by integrating Earth Engine datasets.

Learn more about these developments here - and check out the keynote below!

Spatial Showcase: Reproducing John Snow’s famous cholera analysis, the interactive way!

John Snow's (no, not THAT Jon Snow) analysis of the 1854 cholera outbreak in London is generally thought of as one of the foundational moments in geospatial analysis. By mapping cholera cases and linking them to a contaminated water pump in Soho, Snow used spatial data to reveal patterns in disease spread, demonstrating the power of geographic analysis and visualization. This work established the importance of geospatial analysis in epidemiology and set a precedent for using mapping as a tool for scientific investigation and evidence-based decision-making.

We’ve taken John Snow’s analysis and given it a modern-day twist, featuring an interactive map, dynamic widgets - and even Google Streetview pop-ups! 📌🗺️ John Snow's historic cholera analysis of Soho, now reproduced in CARTO! Explore the map here, and check out CARTO Academy for tips on how to recreate high-impact maps and dashboards. 

Quick-fire tutorial: Using CARTO AI Agents! 

For the last couple of years, if you work in data you can’t escape AI - but have you had a chance to actually use it in your applications yet? If not, here’s your chance!

CARTO AI Agents enables users to perform AI-driven spatial analysis directly within the CARTO platform. This tool, now in private preview and set to launch publicly in early 2025, is expected to enhance decision-making for non-technical users by providing advanced insights through conversational queries. 

If you’re a CARTO user (remember you can sign up for a FREE 14-day trial here!), you can reach out to your CARTO representative or support@cartodb.com to enable AI Agents in private preview. From CARTO Builder, you will now have access to the AI Agents panel! From here, you can enable an Agent for your end users and provide map context and prompt suggestions. Check this out in action below!

On the road

Looking to sharpen your spatial skills and network with the geo community? There’s no better way than joining a geospatial event. Whether it’s virtual or in-person, we’ve got you covered with our round up of what’s coming up soon: 

• Snowflake World Tour, Chicago: November 4th. Come and say hi to our team on the “Snow row” to learn how you can leverage the power of geoAI!

• Spatial Data Science Bootcamp, London: November 13th. Level up your spatial skills on the modern data stack!

• AWS Re:Invent, Las Vegas: December 2nd-6th. Don’t miss our Geo Party at the Venetian Resort Pool Deck on December 4th! 

Nothing happening in your area? We’ve got you covered with our huge catalog of webinars available to watch on demand, like our most recent webinar GenAI to GeoAI: Using  LLMs in Geospatial Analytics. 

That's all from us this month - make sure you subscribe to get your monthly round-up of what's new in Spatial Data Science!

By Helen McKenzie - Geospatial Advocate @ CARTO