Julia Pilarski on how Detroit is using drones, GIS, and high school pilots to transform economic development
Drones are increasingly showing up at the intersection of spatial analysis, regional planning and site selection. One of the leaders driving that integration is Julia Pilarski, Project Manager of Real Estate & GIS at the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP).
Julia Pilarski is the Project Manager of Real Estate & GIS at the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) and an FAA Part 107 Certified Drone Pilot. At the intersection of technology, economic development, and spatial strategy, Julia leads industrial site identification across an 11-county region while overseeing the Verified Industrial Properties (VIP) portal, GIS integrations, and drone aerial operations. In addition to teaching herself web design to build better digital tools for site selectors, Julia actively cultivates Detroit’s future tech pipeline through her work with the VIP x CODE313 Drone Pilot Program, empowering youth with hands-on drone skills and STEAM career pathways.
Julia sat down with The Drone Girl to discuss how aerial imagery transforms site selection, how Detroit is building an urban drone corridor and how self-taught skills shape high-level regional strategy.
