most offices can't afford GiS software, as ESRI is the autodesk equivalent of the GiS world, except they have a much tighter grip on the monopoly. conceptually it can useful at a very large scale as the data sets are usually pretty primitive. you can acquire your own data at any scale, but that is time consuming and expensive.

i've seen interesting demos of urban projects with modeled objects with metadata attached. you can generate some pretty data rich models this way. most cities now generate and sell GiS data to developers and others.

my knowledge is pretty basic on this stuff, but i've used arcmap enough to detest the software with a burning passion. powerful but a headache.

if you want to work for a gov't agency as staff or as a consultant, GIS is for you. If you want to design- then might as well start logging GPS data points and making your own polygons.

Back at Penn, there is typically a GIS studio each year with Dana Tomlin - they master the skilz, but the projects always are disappointing when they move beyond the analysis. Oh, that was McHarg's problem too.

I never bothered to use ESRI's wares. between CAD and Illustrator, I can approximate the layers and analysis (and it looks better).

There is opensource source GIS software for those interested, and its free check out: http://grass.itc.it/intro/general.php I have played with it on a few project, I find GIS very interesting... good luck using at as a (conceptual) Designer. - I love meta data

i've begun seeing gis folks ally themselves with landscape architects, sometimes renting desks within the office so that they can work sometimes independent, sometimes in tandem. seems like a good fit. would seem to be similarly suitable for urban design/planning offices, not so much for architecture offices.

GIS is wonderful...and treekiller...you are kidding yourself if you think you can fake GIS with CAD and Illustrator...maybe make it a little 'prettier' but there is nothing like pushing the scripting in ESRI tools and finding the resultant data only to throw it through some more iterations.

I am working on some abstract models to translate into serigraph prints...Ill post some work whenever I get it done.

I studied GIS in undergrad and now I'm doing a M.Arch. I rarely use GIS for my studio projects unless it is to do some demographic research or a quick figure ground.

It is very relevant in the planning realm, although I'm not sure if firms hire people specifically to do GIS. I would guess out sourcing that sorta work would be more appropriate.

bump. I've got the demo software for the basic Esri Suite, as well as City Engine to play around with for a month.

Has anyone here used the software in a firm setting? I'm trying to get my mind around this and what exactly I can do with it. Is it worth my time or should I just stick to using google earth to approximate / build city models?