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Introduction to Midterm and Final Projects
In your midterm and final projects, you will use the skills
taught
in class to explore and
analyze a planning or policy issue
of your choice. Your issue should have a spatial
component that GIS can help you explore, display and analyze. Most
students focus on one issue for both projects. The midterm requires you
to explore and describe
the project area and
pertinent demographics while the final concentrates on a deeper
analysis of the issue.
You are required to turn in a proposal for midterm
and final projects on Friday of Week 4.
Midterm
Assignment: Project Area
Exploration and Working with Demographic Data
The midterm allows you to apply the skills you've learned in
the
tutorial and lab exercises to investigate issues in a spatial context.
In general, the midterm requires you to acquire geographic and
attribute data, assemble the data using ArcMap and produce
several layouts that display your interests. You must work
independently but are welcome to share datasets with students with
similar interests. For example, two students may analyze the City of
Carson for their midterms. Then for the final project, one student
may look at transportation issues, while the other analyzes social
services.
During the 6th
week of class you are required to make a brief presentation in
which you present your maps and describe the planning or
policy issue. As with other assignments, you will upload your
Powerpoint document
onto your web page.
Data Acquisition
First, select an issue and/or geographic area that you are interested
in
examining spatially. Consider what type of geographic scale is
appropriate for addressing the questions that interest you. For
instance, a neighborhood analysis could use block group level data. An
analysis of an entire region of Los Angeles County could use tract
level data.
Next, you will need to acquire geographic and attribute data which will
help you investigate the issues and geographic area you are interested
in. You will need to review the layout requirements below in order to
be sure you acquire data that is needed to create the required layouts.
You may choose to only use census-based data for the midterm, although
you may also use other data sources (you will be required to use
"original" data for the final).
You can acquire both geographic and attribute data from ESRI. In
addition, you may acquire this data from other sources, including
Internet sources listed on the links page.
Data Assembly
After acquiring the data for your midterm, you should assemble it into
an ArcMap project. Review the layout requirements below for creating
the required layouts. Here are a few helpful hints as you
proceed:
- File Size. Size down large geographic and
attribute files to the size you need. Try not to work with files that
are extremely large.
- File Management. Use naming conventions
for
your files and directories that are systematic and logical to you.
- Backup your Project. Create backup copies
of
your work, either on your computer and/or a flash drive.
- Create Separate Map Files for Each of Your Layouts.
This
will help to keep you organized.
Midterm Requirements
A Powerpoint presentation that briefly introduces the planning or
policy issue that you have chosen and includes between four and eight
different layouts using at least six of the skills described below. Each
layout should be somewhat distinct and
should display your data in a clear and uncluttered way. In addition,
each layout should include necessary titles, your name, a scale bar, a
north arrow and a legend. You are required to meet at least six of the
following requirements (6 requirements altogether, not 6
requirements per layout; one layout can use more than one
requirement):
- Inset map. Small
map indicating the location of your project within a larger area.
- Point or line graduated symbol. Displaying
of points or lines using symbols that increase proportionally (or
change color) depending on your data values. For
instance, points with low values could be displayed with small symbols
and points with high values could be displayed with large symbols
(merely graduated colored polygon layers will not be enough).
- Aggregating attribute fields. Combining
attribute fields in ArcMap or Excel to create a new attribute. Text at
the bottom of the
layout or in the write-up should indicate how the aggregated field was
derived, such as: "NWHite=Hispanic+Black+Amind+OtherAPI", this is not
to be confused with creating an index, below.
- Creating indices. Calculating and
displaying new values that result from the calculation of two or more
existing variables to create a new variable that describes a
phenomenon. You are free to invent and calculate new indices in ArcMap
or Excel, or
re-invent established indices such as "transit dependency", "racial
heterogeneity", "intact
families", and "needy". Text at the bottom
of the layout should indicate how the index was derived including what
weights were assigned to each of the variables. Combining all of the
age groups 65 or older to create a new variable "seniors" is not an
index but an aggregation of attribute fields. See above.
- Attribute sub-sets selections. Geographic
boundaries which have been selected out of a larger
shapefile using Select By Attributes in order to create a
smaller shapefile from a larger one. For instance, a major highway
theme could have been created from a streets file. Text at the bottom
of the layout should indicate how the new shapefile was derived, such
as "Majorhwys was derived by Querying la_streets for CFCC=A11 and A31
and exporting data to a new layer".
- Boundary sub-sets selections. Geographic
boundaries which have been selected out of a larger
shapefile using Select by Location in order to create a
smaller shapefile. For instance, a layer with census tracts for
Pasadena could have been created from the census tract file for LA
County. Text at the bottom of the layout should indicate how the new
shapefile was derived, such as "Tracts_pas was derived by selecting
tracts in the View from latracts and converting to shapefile".
- Distance. Using the measurement tool to
measure from
two significant points or boundaries. You could then use ArcGIS
graphics tools to draw a line from two points to show the distance.
This is distinct from using buffers to symbolize distance.
- Buffering. Creating a
buffer of specific distance(s) that demonstrate relationships between
your themes.
Consider displaying buffers as an outline or with a hatched or
semi-transparent fill pattern. Whenever possible, clip buffers to the
coastline.
- Geoprocessing. Creating and modifying
layers
using geoprocessing functions such as dissolving a theme based on
attributes, clipping one theme based on another, etc.
- Geocoding. Assigning geographic
locations
to attribute data, such as mapping the locations of hospitals in an
area using addresses.
- Charts, Graphs, or Images. Inclusion of a chart or graph that helps explain the map.
In addition, all layouts should experiment with various
shading and
symbology methods. Layouts should be formatted for presentation,
including proper layers and labels. For instance, percentages such as
".051-.083" should display on the map as "5%-8%". Maps should explore
various ways of representation and should not use one boundary file to
display five different attributes.
Lastly, you should include a slide that shows the skills that
you
used on each slide/map or subtlely document the skills on each layout.
Grading
Effective graphical representation of data seeks to inform an
audience in a clear, simplistic manner. Your layouts will be evaluated
on the basis of how well you convey fairly complex data into graphical
forms that are both aesthetically pleasing and informative.
Final Assignment:
Spatial Analysis of a Current Policy or Planning Issue
The purpose of the midterm is to test your advanced mapping
skills. The final project challenges you to effectively apply mapping
and data management skills to spatially analyze a planning or policy
issue.
Please plan ahead and submit a final
project proposal if your topic changes from your midterm.
Final Requirements
Organize your final project
around the planning or policy issue that you will present to the class
using a Powerpoint presentation. For the final, you will go more into
depth about the planning or policy issue. You are required to:
- Create
and display a minimum of eight layouts using 10 different skills (four
are required and six you may choose--including one of the advanced analysis tools)
- At least one layout
should include seven or more layers. (You will know whether you have met
this
requirement by looking at the number of check marks on your legend.
When you have this many layers on a map you will get a lot of clutter
if you do not distinguish among lines, points, polygons and labels.
Consider using different line widths, different symbols for points,
contrasting colors and different fonts. You also need to edit the
legend to keep it from being overly crowded.)
You are required to meet the following four requirements:
- Modeling. (at
least one is required) Creating a model can automate data
manipulation. The model diagram should be converted into a jpg by
making a screenshot of it after you run it. Include the jpg at the
end of the presentation in the notes section or following the layout -
whichever makes most sense.
- Metadata.
(at least one is required)
Your project must include at least one
metadata sheet for at least one of your original geographic layers or
elements. You should make a screenshot of the metadata sheet and
include it at the
end of your presentation.
- Measurement/Analysis. (at least one is required) To
integrate some measure of distance you could
create a buffer and/or concentric zones, or you could display elements
according to their distance from a central feature. You could also use
the graphics features of the software to add lines or circles which
display distance or proximity on your map. Using nearest neighbor
functions from ArcToolBox also qualifies.
- Original data. (at least one is required) One of
the ten elements of your project should be an original map layer. By
'original'
we mean a layer that is not a GIS ready dataset, created using data
from various sources such as an agency you are working with, an
internet source or your independent research. You will be required to
turn this original data into map layers through processes such as
geocoding, drawing new shapefiles using satellite imagery, rendering
x,y data, etc.
For the remaining six requirements should choose at least ONE of the following:
- Extracting information
from a
buffer
- Charts, graphs, or images: Charts or pictures can
make a
unique contribution to
explaining your layout and issue. Charts can be made in ArcMap or other
programs such as Excel.
- Hotspot Analysis
- Network Analysis
- Spatial Analysis
- Elevation
- 3-D Modeling
- Google Mash-Up
You should
incorporate skills listed for the midterm to fulfill the other six skills
Again, each layout should be somewhat
distinct and
should display your data in a clear and uncluttered way. You should
also vary your types of data elements (as possible) so that
your project does not use only one type of data. Also, every data
element should make some contribution to your project. Basically, don't
add non-informative background layers in order to meet the
requirements. Also, you should vary your layouts as much as possible,
so you shouldn't have
layouts that look exactly the same (e.g., 5 maps of LA county tracts in
graduated color with only a change of the fields displayed will not be
satisfactory). And finally,
each layout should include necessary titles, your name, a scale bar, a
north arrow and a legend.
Additional Requirements
1) Final
project proposal. If your final topic has changed from your
midterm, you must submit a final project proposal by the end of
the 8th week.
2) PowerPoint Presentation. Each student will present
their in class. In most cases, 8-12 exported images (jpegs) of
layouts should be sufficient for the oral presentation. Each Powerpoint
slide will should make a unique contribution to answering your
planning or policy issue. Make sure that your layouts are free of
clutter and confusing colors or symbols. Keep captions and titles clear
and direct. At least one map should be a descriptive map that provides
a general overview of your study area. Your additional layouts should
highlight for us the major points you want us to review when evaluating
your map-making skills. Your project should be posted to your web page
prior to your presentation.
3) Final write-up. The final project requires a write
up incorporating
your layouts.
Your write up should contain:
- a
brief introduction of your planning or policy issue
- references to relevant literature where applicable
- a description of each layout
- explanation of the formulation of your
research
- sources of your geographic and attribute data
- methodologies used to derive any indices or aggregated
fields
- a conclusion that summarizes your findings, evaluates the
usefulness of
using GIS to analyze your type of issue, and presents your
recommendations and/or solutions on the issue of analysis
You may also comment on the process of attaining and/or manipulating
data
and any other problems or difficulties you may have encountered.
4) Make your work known.
In your write-up, explain briefly the GIS
methodologies you used, e.g. “high poverty tracts were selected
through a table query using the following formula: persons in
poverty/tract population>0.25, and converted to a shapefile.” If a
description like this interferes with the flow of discussion use
footnotes or endnotes to provide these details.
5) Upload your final
project write-up to your web site
by the deadline. It must
be saved as a
Word document with the name "final". HINT: to keep your files sizes
under control, use the
Insert > Picture > From File process. Using Cut/Paste will
increase the size of the file.
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