Lab 3 GIS 1

Introduction

The goal of this lab was to create a map from found data. I used data from the U.S. Census. The lab walked me through making the first map, and the second map allowed me to try it out for myself with data of choice to compare with the first map.

Methods

      I went to the U.S. Census Data Finder and found Wisconsin County level population data from 2010. I opened the metadata in Excel and saved that as a new .mlx file so it could be usable on ArcMap. I loaded the metadata and the census data into ArcMap and joined the data together. I then changed the colors of the map to be more aesthetically pleasing and also represents the data better.
    After creating this map, I found some more census data to work with. I found U.S. Rural and Urban housing data. I downloaded the data, and there were 6 different data sets I could map. I chose the population of urban housing in Wisconsin by County. I went through the same steps as the first map which created the map on the right.
 I went into data view of the maps where I added the legends, scale bars, and north arrows. I then exported the map into an .ai file and opened it in Adobe Illustrator. This is where I organized the legends, scale, and added boxes behind the data and title text to make a presentable map that is easy to understand.

Results

The trends between urban housing and population seem to be similar. Madison and Milwaukee have the darkest areas on both maps, the only difference is there is less urban housing on the counties surrounding these cities. This means that the urban sprawl of Madison and Milwaukee is not very far. There may be more people in these areas, but it is not considered urban housing.

GIS 1 Lab 2

The purpose of this lab was to go through an ESRI training lab, "Getting Started with the Geodatabase."

The ESRI trainings are simple and user friendly. On the left inside the training lab there is a bar that has all of the checkpoints of the training and what kind of format it is in, whether that a video or step by step. I like using the ESRI training because on a dual screen monitor you can have both the training and ArcMap up and navigate between both seamlessly. Without a dual screen monitor this would have been more difficult.

This lab provided a great introduction to Geodatabases. The ESRI training was a great resource for learning about this new concept. In the training I created a new database and was able to add shapefiles and even CAD files to a name a few. A personal Geodatabase allows the user to take data and organize it themselves. An example would be that in the training, I added schools and college points to the geodatabase, and instead of schools and colleges I made them one file called All Schools. This is one of the many things you can do with a geodatabase.

Conclusions
I enjoyed working with geodatabases and the ESRI training was a big part of that. After this lab I have come to the conclusion that I prefer learning throught the ESRI training versus Mastering ArcGIS textbook. The instructions on ESRI training were very user friendly and not as tedious as working with the Mastering ArcGIS textbook.

Eau Claire Confluence Project - Lab 1.

Background
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is trying to reach out to the community and local businesses by creating a performance arts venue in downtown Eau Claire. This building would symbolize the confluence of UWEC and the community, situated perfectly on the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers. This venue would play host for various musical and theatrical events as well as add much needed housing for Eau Claire students. Adding such building to the downtown sector of Eau Claire is hoped to revitalize the historic downtown area and its businesses. The city is willing to give $3.5 million to the creation of this venue-- if the people of Eau Claire vote yes for it.


Methods
For all of the maps I used aerial imagery as the basemaps. For Civil Divisions I added the City, Town and Village boundaries and gave them each a different color. For Census Boundaries I added the census boundaries with a bold black line for the tracts. For the population per square mile I gave them a gradient color scheme. For PLSS features I added the PLSS Quarter Quarter and gave it a bright color to stand out. For EC City Parcel Data I added Parcel Area data with a hollow yellow outline and the centerlines of the streets data with a bright green line. For Zoning I added the zoning classes data and gave them all very different colors as to stand out from each other. I also added the centerlines so it would give it some context. For Voting Districts I added the outlines of the districs and labeled the number of the voting district. Every map has the proposed site filled in with red.

 

Results

 Sources: County and City of Eau Claire

   

 At further examinations of the Civil Divisions it appears as though the proposed site is in the heart of Eau Claire city divisions. Looking closer at the Zoning map, it appears this location is also in the heart of the Central Business District. It also appears that Census boundaries and Voting Districts are calculated very differently and PLSS Quarter Quarter are not calculated at all. The civil divisions map also shows how little of an area the proposed site takes up in the grand scheme of Eau Claire, it may be difficult to get the majority of Eau Claire to vote for this building if it not going to directly effect most people living in Eau Claire.

 

Sources

http://www.eauclairearts.com/confluence/

http://www.uwec.edu/News/more/confluenceprojectFAQs.htm

http://volumeone.org/news/1/posts/2014/01/21/6112_county_board_will_pledge_3_5m_to_confluence_if