A mapping project at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is drawing international attention for how it explains a local problem.
UTC’s Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science (CAGDS) earned the Storytelling with Maps Innovation Award in the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition for “Mapping Chattanooga’s Urban Forests.”
The project was also named a finalist in the competition’s Environment category, placing it among the top entries from around the world.
The competition is cohosted by Esri’s ArcGIS StoryMaps and ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World teams. Esri is an international supplier of geographic information system software, web GIS and geodatabase management applications.
Created by GIS Director Charlie Mix, the StoryMap focuses on the Chattanooga Tree Project, a citywide effort to address tree canopy loss and rising urban heat. Working with the City of Chattanooga and local partners, UTC researchers are using geospatial data and artificial intelligence to identify where trees are needed most.
“It’s pretty cool to get recognized at such a high level,” Mix said. “I think it really reflects the Chattanooga Tree Project and the power of collaborations between UTC, the city and the nonprofit community to do something that can make a real difference.”
The work behind the StoryMap relies on aerial imagery, satellite data and machine learning to map existing tree canopy and measure heat patterns across the city. That information is used to create a heat risk index, which helps guide where new trees should be planted.
“It really shows the utility of this kind of work,” Mix said. “Something so complex can be used for something as simple as knowing where to put a tree in the ground.”
Part of what sets the project apart is how it’s presented. The StoryMap walks users through the data step by step, pairing maps with plain-language explanations so people outside the field can follow along.
“In academia, we want to be really technical, but we can miss our core audience,” Mix said. “If we’re not able to communicate what we’re doing to a broader audience, we fall short on actually solving the problem.”
The project traces back to early partnership work supported by the Lyndhurst Foundation, which helped UTC begin collaborating with the city on urban forestry efforts. That groundwork led to a $6 million U.S. Forest Service-supported initiative to expand tree planting across Chattanooga.
Mix said the recognition is the result of a group effort. Assistant GIS Director Nyssa Hunt, graduate student Michelle “Mimi” White and partners across the city and nonprofit community all contributed to the project.
“This isn’t something I’m doing on my own,” he said. “It’s really about telling the story of everybody involved.”
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UTC Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science
Mapping Chattanooga’s Urban Forests
