Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Urban Studies and Planning

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11.520: A Workshop on Geographic Information Systems

11.188: Urban Planning and Social Science Laboratory

Lecture 5a: More Census Data, Queries, and Spatial Analysis Examples

March 4, 2015, Prof. Joseph Ferreira

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Administrative notes:

• Homework #1 is due today on Stellar
• Homework #2 will be online tomorrow with Part I is due Wed. March 18 (and Part II on April 8)
• Lab Exercise #5 (Census data) started this week and is due Monday, March 16
• Lab Exercise #4 (Database aggregation and charting) starts next week and is also due Monday, March 16
• Optional, supervised lab times once again: Friday 1:30-3:30 and Sunday 7:30 -8:30 in 9-251
  • Tuesday, 6-7 pm in W31-301 is also a good time (during the last lab hour for my other class)

Today's Topics:

• Discuss Labs #1 and #2
  • Comments will be returned on Stellar shortly
• Review key elements of Census data structure and MS-Access usage
  • Basic concepts and links to detailed discussion
• Examples of GIS mapping services and spatial analyses
• MassGIS & Metro Boston "Data Commons"
• 'Heat maps' of transit access and walkability
• A recent PhD thesis: Mi Diao, "Sustainable Metropolitan Growth Strategies: Exploring the Role of the Built Environment"
• GIS marketing slides
• NYTimes map graphics from first day lecture notes

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Tutorials and training aides for MS-Access:

• Repeat of items in recent Census Data Lab #5:
• MS-Access 'recitation' notes by Lulu Xue and Shan Jiang: rec2_database_datafile.pdf
• Other useful online 'business skill' tutorials by http://www.GCFLearnFree.org
  • The Goodwill Community Foundation of East North Carolina provides these
  • The MS-Access tutorials are here: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/access2010
  • And, some useful pages on MS-Access query building are here:
    • http://www.gcflearnfree.org/access2010/8.2
• Links to Microsoft online tutorials for MS-Access
  • Get to know Access(45 min) http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/get-to-know-access-RZ006118141.aspx
  • Table that data(50 min): http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/table-that-data-RZ006149432.aspx
  • Get answers with queries(50 min): http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/queries-i-get-answers-with-queries-RZ001077757.aspx
• YouTube video clip: Tables and Relationships: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IarzvwTijwk&feature=related

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Examples of GIS mapping and spatial analysis

• MassGIS: http://www.mass.gov/mgis/
  • The State's official GIS agency
  • Many of the datasets we use in class are maintained and freely distributed by MassGIS

• Metro Boston data commons: http://www.metrobostondatacommon.org/
  • Boston'a metro area planning council (MAPC) maintains this community data commons

• A recent DUSP PhD thesis by Mi Diao
  • Sustainable Metropolitan Growth Strategies: Exploring the Role of the Built Environment
  • http://mit.edu/uis/theses/diaomi_dissertation_final_10sept.pdf
• See maps of vehicle miles travelled and neighborhood characteristics in metro Boston (by 2550x250m grid cells): Figures 1-9)

• 'Heat Maps' of transit and walking accessibility
  • Transit heat map (of one-hour access): http://www.transitheatmap.com/
  • Walkability Score: http://www.walkscore.com/MA/Boston
  
  
• Penn State video clips about the 'GeoSpatial Revolution' (i.e., location-based services): http://geospatialrevolution.psu.edu/episode1/complete

• Site Selection for Low Cost Grocery Store Chain
  • Powerpoint slides used by commercial firm to market site selection tools
    by Edens & Avant and RPM consulting
  • Who is the audience for these GIS services? What expertise do the consultants offer?
  • Why might firms contract out for these services rather than build in-house capacity?
  • Is the methodology or analytic scope overstated?
  • What considerations are omitted, shortchanged, badly measured?
  • From whose point of view is the siting service helpful or hurtful?
  • How might you do a different analysis for a different audience?

• From first day lecture notes:
  • The Geography of Government Benefits: NYTimes, Feb. 11, 2012
    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html
  • Mapping Poverty in America: NYTimes, Jan. 4, 2014
    http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2014/01/05/poverty-map/

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Last modified 4 March 2015 by Joe Ferreira

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