Welcome to the 2026 GIS in Action Annual Conference hosted by the Oregon & SW Washington Chapter of the Geospatial Professional Network & Cascadia ASPRS.
Kittelson & Associates, Inc. worked with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Systems Forecasting & Trends Office to develop an ArcGIS Experience Builder site visualizing comparative statewide transportation performance measures and trends. The site houses several StoryMaps, including a highlight on FDOT’s America 250 initiative visualizing historically significant transportation milestones in Florida. This presentation focuses on how simple tools (Google Earth, ArcGIS Vector Tile Editor, StoryMaps, and WebMaps) were used to translate historical research into custom stylized spatial features. The presenter will discuss decisions around representing “lost” routes, developing clear visual hierarchy, and creating a cohesive, 508-compliant narrative. While the technical workflow behind the America 250 page was straightforward, the interpretive and design decisions were not. Team member JP Weesner, an urban planner hand-traced historic Florida transportation routes in Google Earth based on historical research, and these routes were then refined by and incorporated into WebMaps and StoryMaps designed for public engagement. Attendees will gain practical insight into how collaboration between planning and graphic design shaped the final product, and how thoughtful cartography and layout can elevate even the simplest GIS workflows into meaningful storytelling tools.
