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Esri demonstrates ‘story maps’ to Loma Linda council, offers demographic tools and data access
Summary
Esri account manager Natalie Carter showed the City Council how interactive “story maps,” infographics and a forthcoming Business Analyst integration could highlight local art, trails and businesses; Esri said the city will have access to Business Analyst "in the next month or two."
Natalie Carter, an account manager at Esri, demonstrated "story maps" to the Loma Linda City Council, saying the interactive maps can combine images, video and demographic infographics to showcase local art, trails and city assets. Esri's technical counterpart, Jin He, joined the presentation to show mapping tools and technical capabilities.
Carter told the council the city would soon have access to Esri's Business Analyst data "in the next month or two," allowing staff to pull census and consumer analytics into story maps. She suggested practical uses such as an art-tour story map that lists artists and pieces, 3‑D trail maps that indicate difficulty, and an online data hub displaying parcel maps and demographic snapshots that could support business recruitment and visitor information.
"We're really excited to talk with you about some of the tools that you guys have access to now," Carter said, and she offered follow-up training and meetings with city staff. Jin He described the technical side of the story map and how the city can embed interactive surveys and localized layers.
Council members asked several technical and data questions. One council member asked whether Esri's demographers include the university student population; Carter said she would "take that question back and see what they actually include in that and get back to you on that" so she would not give a wrong answer on the spot. Another council member referred to a slide showing "676 total businesses" and asked how businesses were counted; Carter explained business counts were typed by address and could reflect multiple entries for complex institutions with multiple addresses.
City staff, including Henry and Andy (referenced by Esri), were identified as points of contact for getting access to the hub and arranging training. Esri said the city's data hub link is on the main city web page and that staff can schedule calls or tutorials as needed.
The presentation highlighted potential uses for economic development, tourism and resident information. Carter and Jin He closed by offering help tailoring maps and infographics to the council's priorities and by noting Esri's willingness to meet with staff for deeper data dives.
