Charlie Mix, the GIS director of the Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science, conducts a GIS Day workshop in 2024. Photo by Angela Foster.
Chattanooga’s tree canopy, mountain biking trails, and Tennessee’s waterways are just a few of the projects on the radar of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science (CAGDS).
GIS Director Charlie Mix, Assistant GIS Director Nyssa Hunt and Geospatial Data Scientist Laura Lee work with organizations across the state and beyond to develop maps, analyze geographic data and help communities plan for the future.
Their projects also give UTC students opportunities to contribute to research and gain field experience.
Celebrating GIS Day on Nov. 18
CAGDS and the City of Chattanooga’s GIS Division will come together Wednesday, Nov. 18, for GIS Day, an international celebration of geographic information systems.
The free event will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the auditorium of UTC’s Multidisciplinary Research Building, 701 E. M.L. King Blvd. It is open to students, faculty, GIS professionals and the public.
This year’s keynote presentation, “Submerged Landscapes and Sunken Ships: Mapping the Underwater Cultural Heritage,” will feature underwater archaeologist Andrew J. Van Slyke.
Van Slyke, who previously worked with the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center and now directs research projects at UTC, will discuss how geospatial technology helps archaeologists locate, document and preserve historic shipwrecks and submerged cultural sites.
His presentation will highlight research in St. Ann’s Bay and Port Royal, Jamaica, along with underwater archaeological work in the Tennessee River near Chattanooga.
The event will also provide time for networking among students, researchers and GIS professionals.
Mix said the GIS community is close-knit, and the annual celebration offers an opportunity for people working in the field to connect and share their work.
Mapping Chattanooga’s tree canopy
A project that began in Chattanooga is now gaining international attention.
Through the Chattanooga Tree Project, CAGDS has worked with local partners to map the city’s tree canopy using GIS technology, remote sensing and artificial intelligence.
The data helps researchers and community leaders understand where trees are growing, where canopy coverage is limited and which neighborhoods could benefit from additional planting.
Esri, one of the world’s largest GIS technology companies, recently featured the project as a case study demonstrating how its deep learning tools can support community planning and environmental conservation.
Mix said the recognition has generated considerable interest among Esri employees, who have shared the project and praised UTC’s work.
“To me, it just kind of reiterates that what the Chattanooga Tree Project is doing is meaningful and forward-thinking for the city and the way that we’re using technology to build resilience in the communities,” Mix said.
The work is already finding new uses. Chattanooga’s recently launched GIS map viewer incorporates the tree canopy data, making it available through the city’s updated mapping platform.
The project has also opened the door to additional collaborations across Tennessee.
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A testimonial about the Chattanooga Tree Project by Esri Senior Industry Marketing Manager Michael Teruel:
This story is a big deal for my team because the work you guys accomplished is a powerful example of what’s possible with imagery and AI in ArcGIS. To date, I haven’t seen any other use cases where a customer applied deep learning tools as efficiently as you guys. Maybe that wasn’t your experience when you were heads down trying to problem-solve and figure out the tree canopy, but by the time the story got in front of me, you guys looked like the model of what our teams hope to see happen with these tools.
I feel super honored to have worked on this story and gotten to learn from each of you. In a time when the discussions around AI are complex and challenging, your work signals a clear message of optimism! I think the team and culture you guys are building is remarkable, and launching the story is only phase one of the promo work I want to do.
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Helping Tennessee communities address extreme heat
Building on the Chattanooga Tree Project, CAGDS received a $90,000 grant through the Tennessee Division of Forestry to study heat risks in 20 small communities across the state.
The project combines information about tree canopy coverage, average surface temperatures and populations that may be especially vulnerable to extreme heat.
By layering these datasets, researchers can identify areas where residents face greater heat risks and where additional tree coverage could make a difference.
Mix said four UTC students have contributed to the project so far. As part of their work, they have presented their findings to the communities they study alongside Ashley Kite Rowland, the state’s urban and community forester.
Two of those students have since secured GIS positions, including one in New York City and another as a cartographer with Tennessee State Parks.
The Tennessee Division of Forestry plans to make the project’s data publicly available through an online data hub, giving communities access to information they can use for future planning.
“An Adventure Guide to Mountain Biking in the Greater Chattanooga Area” pamphlet. Photo courtesy of Charlie Mix.
A new guide for Chattanooga mountain bikers
For Mix, one of CAGDS’ recent projects brought together his professional expertise and a longtime hobby—mountain biking.
When SORBA Chattanooga Executive Director Sunshine Loveless approached the center about creating a mountain biking trail guide, Mix was happy to get involved.
CAGDS partnered with SORBA Chattanooga, Outdoor Chattanooga and local design firm Tiny Giant to develop a free, pocket-sized guide to the area’s mountain biking trails. The Lyndhurst Foundation funded the project.
The center already maintains a regional trail inventory covering 16 counties, which provided a foundation for the maps.
SORBA developed suggested routes and background information, Tiny Giant handled the design and Mix created the maps.
The guide introduces riders to local trail systems, including their history and what each offers. QR codes connect readers to Trailforks, where they can access detailed route information on their phones.
Mix said the project took about 18 months to complete.
“It’s a marketing tool for SORBA and the city, but it’s also a resource for the community,” he said. “Now that everything is digital, I think it’s kind of refreshing to be able to hold something in your hand and read about it.”
The guides are available for free, with donations to SORBA encouraged, at participating locations including Velo Coffee Roasters and Suck Creek Cycle.
The partners hope to eventually develop similar guides for trail running, paddling and rock climbing if additional funding becomes available.
Charting Tennessee’s waterways
CAGDS is helping map a statewide network of 15 designated river routes through the Tennessee Blueways initiative.
Established through an executive order from Gov. Bill Lee, the initiative aims to improve public access to Tennessee’s waterways while supporting outdoor recreation and rural economic development.
CAGDS is working with Chattanooga-based Skytec LLC, Risora Consulting and the Tennessee Office of Outdoor Recreation to document existing river access sites across the network.
The team has developed digital applications that allow field crews to collect information about individual sites, including their locations and conditions. That information will help state officials identify opportunities for future improvements and manage existing access points.
UTC students have contributed to application development, database creation, spatial analysis, cartography and web mapping.
The resulting maps and other resources will be available through the Tennessee Office of Outdoor Recreation.
A screenshot from the Southeast Native Seed Network website.
Restoring the Southeast’s native grasslands
Native grasslands and prairies once covered large portions of the Southeast, providing habitats for plants and wildlife. Over time, development and changes in land management have significantly reduced these ecosystems.
Now, CAGDS is helping conservationists work to restore them.
In collaboration with Austin Peay State University’s Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) and the Southeast Native Seed Network, the center has developed a specialized ArcGIS web application to support native seed collection, production and distribution. Hunt and Lee have led CAGDS’ technical work on the project.
The application allows SGI and its network of partners across the Southeast to track native seed collections throughout their lifecycle, from field collection to eventual use in restoration projects.
The team also created an online GIS hub with information about the network, an interactive partner map and surveys for organizations interested in participating.
Additional mapping tools and internal applications help conservationists coordinate their work and manage seed inventories.
Some information will be publicly accessible, while sensitive data involving threatened or endangered plant species will remain restricted.
The project will help SGI and its partners coordinate restoration efforts across the region, making it easier to understand where native seeds originate and how they are distributed.
Bringing regional data together
CAGDS is collaborating with Thrive Regional Partnership, Georgia Tech University and New York-based design firm Studio 2263 to create an interactive geospatial data hub for the region.
The project, supported by a multimillion-dollar Appalachian Regional Commission grant awarded to Thrive, will bring together map-based resources that can help communities plan for growth.
Local governments, businesses and nonprofit organizations will be able to use the information to support decisions involving conservation, transportation and economic development.
The team recently completed a beta version of the platform.
The goal is to make regional data easier to find, understand and use, particularly for organizations working across multiple communities.
Protecting the Duck River
Just south of Nashville, the Duck River is one of North America’s most biologically diverse waterways.
CAGDS is helping inform efforts to protect it.
Through a grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), in partnership with the South Central Tennessee Development District, the center developed a green infrastructure plan for the Duck River Partnership.
The partnership, established by Gov. Lee, is responsible for developing recommendations to protect the river.
CAGDS staff and a graduate research assistant combined more than 20 datasets to examine water quality, wildlife habitat, recreation and agriculture. The resulting analysis helps identify areas where conservation and land management efforts could provide the greatest benefit.
Mix recently presented the findings to TDEC and Duck River Partnership members as they prepared recommendations for the governor.
Supporting transportation planning across Tennessee
CAGDS has partnered with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to improve how the agency collects and reviews information about transportation needs.
For TDOT’s Statewide Partnership Program, the center developed digital surveys, maps and applications that allow local stakeholders to submit proposed transportation projects.
Those projects include improvements to highways, bridges, sidewalks and bikeways.
The system allows TDOT staff to review submissions in one place, compare proposed projects and use the information to help prioritize transportation investments.
The survey received 90 submissions across TDOT’s four regions: Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Jackson.
CAGDS is also assisting TDOT’s Urban Transportation Assistance Program team with additional tools for tracking transportation-related development projects.
Tracking barriers to aquatic wildlife
CAGDS has contributed to a long-running collaboration with the Southeastern Aquatic Resources Partnership to study barriers that prevent aquatic species from moving through rivers and streams. The work focuses on structures such as dams and water diversions that can disrupt aquatic habitats.
Using GIS and remote sensing technology, UTC researchers help verify mapped locations of these barriers nationwide.
The information supports conservation planning and efforts to improve connections between aquatic habitats.
Identifying streams in need of restoration
CAGDS is working with Skytec LLC and the University of Georgia on a project to identify streams across the Southeast that could benefit from restoration.
The team is developing a mapping model to assess riparian corridors, the areas of land along rivers and streams that help protect water quality, prevent erosion and support wildlife.
Using satellite imagery, geographic data and other mapping tools, researchers will examine vegetation, land use and environmental conditions along stream corridors to identify areas that need attention.
The results will help the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service prioritize funding for stream restoration projects across the region.
Nyssa Hunt is the assistant director of UTC’s Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science. Photo by Angela Foster.
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