Case Study: Kenton County secures major transportation funding and strengthens planning collaboration with Esri ArcGIS Online

Visualization, Storytelling, and Collaboration Bring City Planning to Life

Kenton County’s Planning and Development Services (PDS), manager of the LINK-GIS regional system, needed to make 14 TB of planning and GIS data easier to analyze, visualize, and share with the public, elected officials, and partner agencies through its NKYmapLAB outreach program. To modernize its storytelling and mapping, PDS turned to ESRI’s ArcGIS Online capabilities, using Story Maps, basemaps (including the Firefly basemap), and related ArcGIS tools to experiment with 3D models, interactive apps, and new cartographic techniques.

Using ESRI technology, NKYmapLAB published monthly Story Maps and large-format displays to showcase projects—from mapping registered UAV owners to documenting traffic and corridor safety issues—enabling stronger collaboration across cities and agencies. The effort produced measurable outcomes: NKYmapLAB has completed 28 projects since 2015, helped secure $250,000 from the Kentucky legislature for roadway study and design, and contributed to KYTC awarding $1,800,000 for Stevenson Road improvements, while boosting awareness of LINK-GIS’s value.

Kenton County

Jude Hehman

Mayor of Fort Mitchell