Our landscape is constantly evolving — from new urban skyscrapers to sprawling rural development. All this change has us curious as to the what, where, and why. Over the past year we’ve captured the entire country, complete with millions of images, yet select locations were searched on MapBrowser far more than others. What are the top spots?
Let’s dive into the 15 most viewed locations of 2022 and the reasons behind their popularity.
15. Denton, TX
The city of Denton, TX launched the U.S. 380 Improvement Project last April. Commonly referred to as the Super Street Concept, the project intends to improve mobility, increase capacity, and reduce congestion in an area that has undergone incredible growth throughout the previous decade. The project is also set to enhance pedestrian access to local businesses and schools in the corridor while advancing roadways to meet current standards.
14. Orange County, FL
Orange County, FL was one of the handful of areas heavily impacted by Hurricane Ian this past September. Government leaders have since implemented recovery efforts, offering Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance and debris removal. To date, Orange County has collected an estimated 90,000 cubic yards of debris.
13. Harris County, TX
Harris County, TX has five community plans to help either revitalize or develop their community. Plans include transportation, housing, community facilities, public health services, and more. County leadership believes that its community-based approach to growth is key to stimulating private investment in the area’s most underserved neighborhoods.
12. LaGuardia Airport - Flushing, NY
LaGuardia Airport, one of the nation’s busiest, underwent an $8 billion transformation — making it the first new major airport built in the United States in the last 25 years. The renovation brought with it a brand new Terminal C that serves Delta Airlines. The expansive Delta terminal is almost double the size of the ones it replaced, consolidating 37 gates into a single facility complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, modern technology, and concessions that serve locally-sourced products.
11. Clark County, NV
Clark County, NV has a lot of excitement happening outside of the famous Las Vegas Strip. New development throughout the community, including affordable housing projects and completely rebuilt roadways are on the horizon. “The Golden Rule Senior Apartments,” is a recently announced housing project that will provide 60 rental units for low-to-moderate-income seniors. Also, residents in five Laughlin neighborhoods will see their roads completely rebuilt following the approval of an $8 million improvement project.
10. O'hare International Airport - Chicago, IL
Global Traveler’s Best Airport in North America, O’Hare International, recently completed a $1.2 billion expansion and renovation of their Terminal 5 concourse — the first major overhaul to the terminal since its original construction in 1993. The upgrades to Terminal 5 include 350,000 square feet of new floor space. With the added space and new improvements comes a 25% increase in terminal capacity and 10 additional aircraft gates. The expanded interior includes new retail space, dining options, passenger amenities, security lanes, and more.
9. Denver, CO
Denver, CO not only had one of the hottest real estate markets in 2022, the city also boasted one of the most active development schedules in the nation. The National Western Campus is the first of three planned Colorado State University buildings and is part of the development of a 250-acre site. The Colorado Convention Center is undergoing an expansion that’s estimated to generate $85 million annually in economic activity. Denver pledged $150 million to revamp its famous 16th Street Mall through improving the aging infrastructure. Lastly, The Flyway — a 32-acre project — is projected to attract regional and national retailers to northeast part of the city.
8. George Bush Intercontinental Airport - Houston, TX
Half-a-century old, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is set for modernization. The renovations will use a $40 million federal grant to update the airport’s Terminal A — adding new gates, upgraded security checkpoints, and improved baggage areas. Additional construction is happening at IAH to create a brand new international terminal, which is part of IAH’s $1.4 billion Terminal Redevelopment Program.
7. Travis County, TX
Travis County is undergoing a handful of projects to improve recreation, utilities, roadways, and housing. The Travis County Parks Department is constructing an inclusive playground that supports the cognitive, physical, sensory, visual, and auditory needs of all children. Austin’s Colony streets are in need of an update as they were built using pre ADA-standards. Further updates to the county include improvements to Kennedy Ridge’s wastewater system and an affordable housing development in McKinney Falls.
6. Bexar County, TX
As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Bexar County will receive $2.5 billion to fund key highway projects. The majority of the funds will be spent on expanding the northeast corridor of Interstate 35 — which connects San Antonio to Austin. The county will use an additional $40 million to widen FM 1516 to help ease congestion in the growing Converse suburb. Bexar County has also requested to expand the Amtrak rail service along the I-35 corridor to facilitate the transportation of a growing community.
5. Lee County, FL
Before being impacted by Hurricane Ian, Lee County approved the Kingston Project, a 6,676 acre development on Corkscrew Road. The agreed upon development includes 240 hotel units, 10,000 residential units, 700,000 square feet of commercial space, and 3,287 acres to be used for restoration, conservation, and flow away purposes. The Kingston Project has development conditions, such as open space, a coexistence plan between humans and the area’s wildlife, and a central irrigation system to enhance flood control capabilities in the Wildcat Farms neighborhood.
4. Dallas, TX
Dallas City Council has approved economic grants and tax incentives for four proposals that are geared toward developing the downtown area in the hopes of economic revitalization. The developments include a mixed-use community for Canton Street that will provide hundreds of urban homes to the area surrounding the University of North Texas at Dallas campus. A 47-story high-rise building is coming to downtown Dallas, and the North End project is adding even more mixed-use properties while also carving out business space that will serve as a major hub for Goldman Sachs.
3. Los Angeles International Airport - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the nation’s second busiest. In order to keep up with the foot traffic, LAX is undergoing a massive $15 billion project to build new terminals, consolidate its rental car center, and construct an automated people mover (APM). The APM has been under construction since 2019 and is set to connect three stations in LAX’s central terminal area with a new economy parking structure, a metro station, and the aforementioned rental car center.
2. John F. Kennedy International Airport - New York City, NY
The Governor’s Airport Advisory Panel of New York approved the Vision Plan, which is set to develop John F. Kennedy International (JFK) into a leading global airport. The Vision Plan provides the Port Authority with a strategic framework to completely redevelop, modify, and expand JFK’s existing infrastructure. Known as the JFK Redevelopment Program, the airport’s future includes a world-class customer experience, optimized land and airspace usage, expanded economic opportunities for the Queens borough, new jobs for city residents, and environmental stewardship of local wildlife and recreational preservation.
1. Newark Liberty International Airport - Newark, NJ
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is currently undergoing a $5.3 billion transformation with three major projects. The biggest upgrade to EWR comes in the form of a new Terminal A. Measuring over 1 million square feet, the state-of-the-art terminal is the largest design-build project in New Jersey’s history and represents the largest single investment in the state by the Port Authority.
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These locations are just a sample of those covered by us yearly. We survey 1,740 urban areas across the nation, covering more than 80% of the population up to three times per year — complete with orthographic, oblique, 3D datasets, and AI layers.
Learn more about our proactive aerial imagery program by visiting our Coverage page, or talk with our team to learn about how our aerial maps connect you to the truth on the ground.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the data and analysis in blog articles, this information is not to be relied on as professional advice. No endorsement or approval of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressed or implied by any information in the blog. Should you seek to rely in any way whatsoever upon this content, you do so at your own risk.