Thrive Regional Partnership and Georgia Institute for Technology to create an interactive data platform to support government and industry leaders in making informed infrastructure decisions at the community and regional level in greater Chattanooga.
Thrive Regional Partnership (Thrive), an organization that builds public/private partnerships for responsible growth in greater Chattanooga, is collaborating with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) on a research project to understand freight capacity and explore multimodal freight transportation in the tri-state region.
The data platform, called the Greater Chattanooga Freight Hub (GCFH), will be the first of its kind to integrate information from across three states (Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee) that are critical corridors of the southeastern supply chain network. The resulting research will be a resource to several sectors in the 16-county region (and beyond), including the logistics and manufacturing industries, public leaders, and educational institutions that have supply chain and transportation professional programs.
“Called the heart of Freight Alley, this region is a critical logistics hub that supports our local industries and consumers. But, there’s a lack of centralized data that highlights how freight movement in one state or sector impacts quality of life in another. This research partnership will provide planners, businesses, and elected officials open access to the information they need to make well-informed decisions that encourage safe and efficient transportation of people and goods.”
Additionally, this research will parallel environmental priorities determined in Thrive’s Cradle of Southern Appalachia regional conservation blueprint. By layering transportation needs and projections alongside environmental priority areas, planners and leaders can make decisions that support an array of stakeholders.
“Geospatial data not only underscores ‘what’ the issues are, rather, it pinpoints ‘where’ they occur. We are pleased to partner with Thrive on this transportation and mobility data hub, which, especially when layered with environmental research, will be a valuable tool for government and industry leaders to understand the impacts of infrastructure decisions at the community and regional level and in various contexts.”
“An objective data source to understand the transportation trends across state and county lines will be a valuable tool in infrastructure decisions and policies in all levels of government.”
The research resulting from this collaboration will be extremely helpful in identifying key corridors and potential projects that could potentially benefit from funding from the recently passed federal infrastructure bill, as well as prepare the region’s students for careers in logistics and the supply chain.
About Thrive Regional Partnership (Thrive)
Thrive Regional Partnership inspires responsible growth through conversation, connection, and collaboration across the tri-state greater Chattanooga region.
About the Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization (CSPAV)
The Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization (CSPAV) is a division of the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development at Georgia Tech. CSPAV develops and applies geospatial technologies to help communities prepare for economic, social and environmental uncertainties. CSPAV is at the forefront of collaborative, interdisciplinary research for local, state, national, nonprofit and private entities across the country and the world. For more information, visit www.cspav.gatech.edu.
About the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD)
The Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) at Georgia Tech is dedicated to the study, dissemination, and implementation of ideas and technology that improve the theory and practice of quality growth. Through research projects, presentations, and academic publications, CQGRD evaluates and advocates for policies, planning practices, and technologies that foster quality growth. For more information, visit www.cqgrd.gatech.edu.