GIS 1 Lab 2: Downloading Data

Introduction: The goal of this lab was to learn how to download data from the US Census Bureau website.  After downloading, we also had to learn how to modify, adjust, and map the data.

Methods: The first task was to search and locate information of Wisconsin on the US Census Bureau Website.  I searched for Population and Housing Units in the state of Wisconsin.  After locating the ones I wanted, I downloaded them and unzipped the files.  After unzipping them, I was able to look at the MS excel file of the metadata.  Doing this, I was able to see if the data would work well or not.  After adding the Excel table to Arcmap 10.1, and using a join with another states table, I was able to map the data.  Looking at my map then, I could change the symbology to show the data in a friendly way.  The resulting maps are shown below.

Results: As you can see from the data, Population and Housing units correlated as one would expect.  The higher the population, the more housing units you will get.  Near Milwaukee has the highest population and Eastern Wisconsin in general seems to have higher housing units and population. 

Sources: US Census Bureau Website.  Mapping done in Arcmap 10.1.  Tables edited in MS Excel. 

GIS 1 Lab 1: Base Data

      As an intern at Clear Vision Eau Claire, it was my goal to prepare base maps for the Eau Claire Confluence Project.  The Confluence Project is a new community arts center, university student housing, and commercial retail complex.  This new building is to be located at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers.  Along the way to reaching my goal, I learned about various spatial data sets that went along with land management, administration, and land use.  

    The methods I took to reaching my goal were very complex.  The first step I needed to do was get used to the data in the geodatabases.  The two geodatabases that I was working with were of the City and the County of Eau Claire.  My next step was to create my own geodatabase which would contain the proposed site for the Confluence Project.  In order to do this, I had to digitize the site and location of the project.  After digitizing, I saved the proposed site location to my new geodatabase, for easy access later on.  My next objective was to learn about how the Public Land Survey System worked.  This comes into play when I need to describe the location of the Confluence Project.  After I knew who the locating system worked, I was then able to find the legal description for the project.  In order to do this, I had to go to the City of Eau Claire Web GIS and find the parcels.  Once the parcels were found, I was able to click on them and look at the legal description.  After I knew a lot of the information on the project, it was now time to create base maps that would be relevant to the information needed on the project.  The first map was of civil divisions in Eau Claire.  The second map showed the Census boundaries of the project.  The next map showed the PLSS location of the map so it could be seen in a formal way.  The fourth map was of the parcels of Eau Claire, and the fifth map was of all the zones in the city.  The last map showed the voting districts of Eau Claire, and all the maps had the parcels where the proposed site was going to be.  

    

 Results:        

Figure 1.  Multiple base maps of the Eau Claire Confluence Project.  The proposed site is showed in two parcels of red on all the maps.  Data comes from the City and County of Eau Claire of 2013.

Results are showed on the map above.  As you can see, the project is located on the confluence of the Chippewa and the Eau Claire River.  The parcels of the project lie in the zones, divisions, voting districts, and census boundaries of Eau Claire.  

These data come from the City and County of Eau Claire Geodatabase of 2013. 

The City of Eau Claire Web GIS is found at:

http://www.eauclairewi.gov/departments/public-works/engineering/mapping-services