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New federal mapping initiatives are bringing our landscapes into sharper focus—but technology is only part of the picture. Imagine being able to look at a piece of property and see more than what appears on the surface. Instead of simply viewing an aerial photograph, imagine examining a detailed three-dimensional representation of the landscape—its hills, valleys, drainage patterns, and subtle changes in elevation. What once required extensive field measurements to visualize

From runway reconstruction to airfield safety, new federal investments highlight the engineering, surveying, and planning that keep America's airports moving. The next time you look out an airplane window while waiting for takeoff, consider everything happening beyond the aircraft. Runways stretch into the distance. Taxiways connect terminals to departure points. Service vehicles move across the airfield. Drainage systems manage runoff, lighting guides aircraft, and countless

When it comes to keeping floodwater out of buildings, the simplest solution might already be sitting in your toolbox. For generations, sandbags have been the familiar first line of defense against rising floodwaters. But new research from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom suggests that a much lighter, less expensive alternative may offer better protection against certain types of flooding: tape. Yes, tape. The findings offer an interesting reminder that effective e

October 2026 | Abbie Jones Consulting, PSC Accurate information about the shape and elevation of the land is fundamental to successful engineering and land development projects. A new tool from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is making it easier to track when updated elevation data may become available. On September 30, 2026, the USGS announced the release of its 3D National Topography Model Data Acquisition Project Tracker, an interactive resource designed to provide infor

October 2026 | Abbie Jones Consulting, PSC Airports across the United States are receiving new federal investment to improve infrastructure, support aviation safety, and modernize aging facilities. On September 3, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced $481 million in Airport Infrastructure Grants for 191 awards across 36 states and two territories. The funding includes a significant investment in Kentucky aviation infrastructure. Kentucky Among the Grant R

October 2026 | Abbie Jones Consulting, PSC Kentucky's public-use airports have a new process for submitting airport improvement project requests, marking an important administrative change for airport managers, consultants, and infrastructure planning teams across the Commonwealth. Beginning in September 2026, the Kentucky Department of Aviation (KDA) introduced the use of its online portal for airport project requests. The system is intended to provide a centralized method f

A new building may begin with an architect's concept, a developer's vision, or even a sketch on a piece of paper. Turning that idea into something that can actually be constructed requires many professionals—and the civil engineer plays a critical role. Civil engineers design the infrastructure that connects a development to the world around it. While architecture focuses primarily on the building itself, civil engineering addresses many of the systems and site improvements t

Commercial real estate transactions can involve significant financial investment and significant risk. An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is one tool commonly used by buyers, lenders, attorneys, and title companies to better understand a property before a transaction closes. An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is performed in accordance with nationally recognized standards established by the American Land Title Association and the National Society of Professional Surveyors. These surv

For years, surveyors have known that one of the biggest changes to the nation's coordinate system was coming. Now we can actually start working with the tools that will support it. On September 15, 2026, NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey announced the public beta release of the core products and tools that will support the modernized National Spatial Reference System, or NSRS. NGS is specifically encouraging surveyors, engineers, GIS professionals, mapping agencies and software

For many property owners, flood risk seems like a simple yes-or-no question: “Am I in a flood zone?” Unfortunately, the real answer can be considerably more complicated. An Associated Press investigation published September 29, 2026, examined gaps between flood risk and flood-insurance participation across the United States. According to the AP's analysis, approximately 2.4% of U.S. properties carry federal flood insurance while about 8.4% face severe flood risk. The article

What happens to a property line when two generations, two governments, and more than sixty years separate the people who claim ownership of the same land? It is a question that could someday become very real in Cuba. A recent BBC News report examines a group of prominent Cuban-American business leaders in South Florida who are already discussing what economic reconstruction of Cuba might look like in the event of major political change on the island. Their plans involve inves

There is a new date Lexington developers, property owners, contractors and design professionals should know: May 1, 2026. Projects initiated after that date are subject to Lexington’s new 2026 Stormwater Manual and 2026 Procedure Manuals, while earlier projects may continue under previous versions depending on when their improvement plans were initiated. That may sound like a technical change buried in a municipal manual, but stormwater requirements can affect a project from

Flooding does not always stop neatly at a line on a map. On September 24, 2026, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a major expansion of its experimental Flood Inundation Mapping, or FIM, system. The tool, which previously covered approximately 60% of the country, is now available to nearly 100% of the U.S. population. Unlike a traditional river gauge that tells users how high the water is expected to rise at a particular location, Flood Inund

Modern projects are more connected than ever. Surveyors, civil engineers, architects, planners, utility designers, contractors, and owners may all be working from different software platforms and different types of data—but every part of the project still has one thing in common: It has to be in the right place. That sounds simple, but maintaining consistent real-world location information across an entire design team can be surprisingly complex. This week, Autodesk announced

Most of us use GPS without thinking twice about it. We use it for driving directions, smartphones, deliveries, aviation, agriculture, construction—and, of course, surveying. Professional surveying, however, depends on something far more demanding than simply knowing approximately where something is located. Surveyors may rely on satellite positioning to determine locations to the centimeter level. That makes the integrity of the signal extremely important. Earlier this month,

Finding a safe, affordable place to live can be challenging—especially when renters are also trying to sort through outdated listings, changing availability, and potential online scams. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government recently launched a new partnership with City Wise Software to make that search easier. The new website, apartments.lexingtonky.gov, is designed to provide residents with a centralized place to search for both affordable and market-rate rental housing

For more than a century, New York City’s Park Avenue has been one of the most recognizable streets in America. But despite its name, the famous Midtown corridor has gradually become much more “avenue” than “park.” Now, New York City is working to change that. A recently updated plan from the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) would transform 11 blocks of Park Avenue, from East 46th Street to East 57th Street, into a greener, more pedestrian-friendly corridor

Most drivers traveling down Tates Creek Road probably do not spend much time thinking about what is underneath them. Civil engineers do. Beginning September 21, portions of the inbound lane of Tates Creek Road between New Circle Road and Dove Run Road are scheduled to close as work continues on Lexington's Merrick trunk sewer project. According to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the overall project will replace approximately 7,200 feet of sanitary sewer pipe al

If your property is located in or near a mapped floodplain, you may have encountered terms such as Elevation Certificate, LOMR, LOMA, or LOMR-F. These FEMA-related documents can affect everything from development and permitting to flood insurance requirements and property transactions. The process can also become complicated quickly. Accurate surveying, elevation data, mapping, and—depending on the project—engineering analysis are often critical to obtaining the information F

If you hear that every official latitude, longitude, and elevation in the United States is changing, it sounds as though the country itself is moving. In a sense, it is—but that isn't really what is happening here. The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), part of NOAA, is in the process of modernizing the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), the framework that provides the fundamental positioning information used throughout the United States. That means the numbers we use to