Last year I presented Kentucky’s transition from legacy data distribution methods to a cloud-native platform using the AWS Registry of Open Data. By converting our aerial imagery and lidar collections to Cloud Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs) and Cloud Optimized Point Clouds (COPCs), we laid the foundation for a more accessible and scalable way to deliver Kentucky’s geospatial data.

This year, I will share what we’ve accomplished since completing that transition and how our users are beginning to take advantage of these new capabilities.

One of our most significant additions has been the deployment of STAC (SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog) and TiTiler services. While these technologies are becoming increasingly common within the geospatial community, implementing them has allowed us to expose Kentucky’s imagery and elevation data in ways that were not possible with traditional download portals. Users can now efficiently discover datasets, preview imagery, and access only the data they need without downloading large archives.

These services have already enabled new applications. One example is the KyFromAbove Catalog Explorer, a single-page web application that allows users to select any location in Kentucky and immediately view, preview, and download all available imagery and elevation products for that location. The application integrates both the STAC and TiTiler APIs to provide a streamlined experience for data discovery and access.

Beyond user-facing applications, we continue to evaluate cloud-native architectures for delivering geospatial services. This includes experimenting with AWS Lambda, Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL, EC2, and other managed services to determine the most effective balance of performance, scalability, operational complexity, and cost. Some approaches have proven highly successful, while others have highlighted important limitations and tradeoffs.

This presentation will provide an overview of these ongoing efforts, demonstrate how cloud-native geospatial services are improving access to Kentucky’s aerial imagery and elevation data, and share practical lessons learned that may benefit other organizations considering a similar transition.