{"id":746612,"date":"2025-04-16T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T18:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcwatch&p=746612"},"modified":"2025-04-25T08:08:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:08:47","slug":"a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training","status":"publish","type":"arcwatch","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training","title":{"rendered":"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9862,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10882],"tags":[35332,425592,170662,339072,326632],"arcwatch_issues":[491922],"class_list":["post-746612","arcwatch","type-arcwatch","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-esri-training","tag-arcgis-arcade","tag-arcgis-experience-builder","tag-arcgis-hub","tag-city-planning","tag-esri-partner","arcwatch_issues-april-2025"],"acf":{"short_description":"The city of Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Greenville, South Carolina, boasts a high level of walkability for a city its size. The city\u2019s downtown area\u2014with its abundant restaurants, greenways, shopping options, and vibrant workspaces\u2014makes every turn of a corner feel like a thread in a tapestry of experiences, meticulously designed for residents and visitors.\r\n\r\nThat is, in part, because it was.\r\n\r\nGreenville has been incorporating spatial data and analysis into development projects since the mid-1980s. As one of Esri\u2019s earliest customers, Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives. The results are widely touted as a city development success story by urban planning organizations, business and lifestyle publications, and other influential groups.\r\n

Planning and Development with GIS Technology<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nNow part of the city\u2019s information technology department, Greenville\u2019s GIS division supports many city departments, including public works; police; fire; parks, recreation and tourism; and\u2014of course\u2014planning and development.\r\n\r\nGIS technical manager and map enthusiast Carmen Durham joined the city\u2019s GIS division in 2003. Since then, she has witnessed firsthand how the city\u2019s GIS products have evolved\u2014from paper maps to web maps and apps to today\u2019s dynamic digital dashboards.\r\n\r\nDurham\u2019s team also manages the city\u2019s hub site<\/a>, created using ArcGIS Hub, where employees, businesses, and the public can access more than 140 GIS data layers and interactive maps and apps, including a popular app for finding parking garages and lots<\/a>.\r\n

Advancing Skills with Esri Training<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nTo help ensure that the city continues to reap the full benefits of GIS, Durham relies on training from Esri. Her team keeps its skills sharp and stays current with ArcGIS software capabilities using Esri Academy<\/a> web courses, learning plans, and massive open online courses (MOOCs<\/a>), as well as by attending in-depth instructor-led courses."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":746642,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"\u201cI strongly recommend Esri training courses to [understand] the big picture,\u201d Durham said, adding that she feels supported by a substantial annual training budget for the GIS division, which averages about $3,000 per employee per year.\r\n\r\nIt wasn\u2019t always like this, however. Durham recalled a turning point for the GIS division when the city\u2019s IT director attended the annual Esri User Conference<\/a>. The in-person experience illuminated his understanding of the impact GIS technology can make, and he became invested in the value of maintaining up-to-date GIS skills, Durham said. The training budget, which is set by the IT director, allows for flexibility when selecting training opportunities\u2014an advantage Durham is determined to maximize.\r\n\r\nNow, part of the annual training budget is allocated to sending one or two GIS division employees to the Esri User Conference, which Durham calls \u201cthe best big-picture training there is\u201d for GIS technology. She also invests in Esri Training Passes<\/a>, which, she said, provide flexibility in fulfilling the city\u2019s GIS training needs. Durham explained that the Esri Training Pass drastically reduces the administrative overhead required to train her team. By purchasing training days, only one invoice needs to be processed per year, instead of a separate invoice each time an employee takes a class.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe Training Passes have also been a great option to manage remaining training funds at the end of the fiscal year,\u201d Durham said. \u201cFor a city [with an approximate population] of 75,000 and seven GIS employees, this is a great benefit.\u201d\r\n

Getting Recommendations for Training<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nTo learn about new classes and plan for future training, Durham partners with Esri consultant Phillip Waldron, who provides training recommendations tailored to Durham\u2019s team.\r\n\r\nWaldron said Durham exemplifies a proactive approach to training across the city. \u201cShe collaborates closely with stakeholders to identify the most suitable training offerings,\u201d he said, \u201censuring that new and existing team members receive the best resources available.\u201d\r\n\r\nDurham encourages her team to regularly visit the Esri Academy website to find courses of interest. She also incorporates individualized training goals into employee performance reviews.\r\n\r\nTraining isn\u2019t always planned much in advance, however, and Durham knows the importance of adapting as needed. When one of her team members finds a useful course or webinar, Durham often directs everyone else on the team to complete the same training.\r\n\r\nDurham\u2019s partnership with Waldron provides her with insight on ArcGIS training options that are in development. This helps her plan for new projects. For example, when she learned about ArcGIS Arcade<\/a> and its ability to customize map labels and pop-ups and streamline data validation, Durham knew she wanted her team to leverage Arcade in their projects. With Waldron\u2019s assistance, Greenville\u2019s GIS team members were among the first to attend Esri\u2019s instructor-led Arcade course when it launched in early 2024.\r\n\r\n\u201cThey were immediately able to use what they learned, especially in ArcGIS Online,\u201d Durham said.\r\n\r\nWhen a big GIS-based project is planned for Greenville, Durham said, she attends training herself. For example, the city\u2019s GIS team needed to support an accessibility app with an ambitious release date for downtown visitors with disabilities. After attending Esri\u2019s Building Web Apps with ArcGIS Experience Builder<\/a> course, Durham created the AccessGVL web app<\/a>, which helps users find key information to navigate downtown Greenville more easily. The app highlights optimal routes, parking locations, and restaurant details such as bathroom access.\r\n\r\n\u201cThis course enabled me\u2014a manager who has a ton of other responsibilities\u2014to really refine and make that application what it is today. If I hadn\u2019t taken the Experience Builder course, I wouldn\u2019t have been able to finish that application in time,\u201d she explained.\r\n\r\nThe GIS team met the project deadline, and the app has become a valuable and widely praised tool for visitors. In 2024, Greenville and the app were recognized at the Esri User Conference with a Special Achievement in GIS Award<\/a>."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":746622,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Mapping the Road Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nGreenville has become a great example of a small city that uses GIS technology to support businesses and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors, and Waldron is impressed by the work that Durham and her team have accomplished.\r\n\r\n\u201c[Durham] is instrumental in positioning the city as a center of GIS excellence,\u201d Waldron said. \u201cHer commitment to continuous learning and professional development fosters a culture of growth and innovation.\u201d\r\n\r\nLooking forward, Durham expects more GIS projects that will support the city\u2019s needs. She hopes to expand the city\u2019s hub site to make it more user-friendly and include more in-depth information for businesses.\r\n\r\nTo accomplish these goals, training will again play an important role in preparing the team and filling knowledge gaps.\r\n\r\nDurham also wants the team to dive even deeper into Arcade, which has proved useful for enhancing the city\u2019s web maps.\r\n\r\n\u201cEverybody will be taking that course,\u201d she predicted.\r\n\r\nFor more information about Greenville\u2019s GIS program, contact Durham at cdurham@greenvillesc.gov<\/a>."}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nA South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The city of Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The city of Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Esri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-25T15:08:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0425-A-South-Carolina-City_826x465.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Esri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t \"@graph\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training\",\n\t \"name\": \"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\"\n\t },\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2025-04-16T18:59:00+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2025-04-25T15:08:47+00:00\",\n\t \"description\": \"The city of Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives.\",\n\t \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training#breadcrumb\"\n\t },\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training#breadcrumb\",\n\t \"itemListElement\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 1,\n\t \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 2,\n\t \"name\": \"ArcWatch Articles\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 3,\n\t \"name\": \"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"Esri\",\n\t \"description\": \"Esri Newsroom\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t \"target\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t },\n\t \"query-input\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t }\n\t }\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/6f5608aea77aae4f1e67ff4c1ed99067\",\n\t \"name\": \"Brian Cooke\",\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/briancooke.jpg\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/briancooke.jpg\",\n\t \"caption\": \"Brian Cooke\"\n\t },\n\t \"description\": \"Brian Cooke is a writer and contributing editor for the Esri Publications team. He helps readers stay informed about ArcGIS technology and tells compelling stories about how Esri partners and users apply Esri technology. Brian has worked as a marketplace researcher, an enterprise technology analyst, a technical writer and editor, and an environmental science writer for clients such as the US National Park Service and the US Forest Service. In addition to a bachelor's degree in science writing from Lehigh University, he has a master's degree in natural resource stewardship and a certificate in conservation communications\u2014both from Colorado State University.\",\n\t \"sameAs\": [\n\t \"www.linkedin.com\/in\/bcooke1\"\n\t ],\n\t \"gender\": \"male\",\n\t \"jobTitle\": \"ArcWatch Editor\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/author\/bcooke\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training","description":"The city of Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training","og_description":"The city of Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training","og_site_name":"Esri","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/","article_modified_time":"2025-04-25T15:08:47+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0425-A-South-Carolina-City_826x465.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@Esri","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training","name":"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-04-16T18:59:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-25T15:08:47+00:00","description":"The city of Greenville has used GIS technology in many facets of its downtown revitalization initiatives.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/a-south-carolina-city-leverages-gis-technology-training#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"ArcWatch Articles","item":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"A South Carolina City Leverages GIS Technology, Training"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/","name":"Esri","description":"Esri Newsroom","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/6f5608aea77aae4f1e67ff4c1ed99067","name":"Brian Cooke","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/briancooke.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/briancooke.jpg","caption":"Brian Cooke"},"description":"Brian Cooke is a writer and contributing editor for the Esri Publications team. He helps readers stay informed about ArcGIS technology and tells compelling stories about how Esri partners and users apply Esri technology. Brian has worked as a marketplace researcher, an enterprise technology analyst, a technical writer and editor, and an environmental science writer for clients such as the US National Park Service and the US Forest Service. In addition to a bachelor's degree in science writing from Lehigh University, he has a master's degree in natural resource stewardship and a certificate in conservation communications\u2014both from Colorado State University.","sameAs":["www.linkedin.com\/in\/bcooke1"],"gender":"male","jobTitle":"ArcWatch Editor","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/author\/bcooke"}]}},"sort_order":"1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/arcwatch\/746612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/arcwatch"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/arcwatch"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9862"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/arcwatch\/746612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=746612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=746612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=746612"},{"taxonomy":"arcwatch_issues","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/arcwatch_issues?post=746612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}