Storing & Tracking Your Life Using GIS Technology | Cheryl Hanewicz | TEDxUVU

Summary

This script delves into Geographic Information Systems (GIS), showcasing its vast applications in various fields. From predicting election outcomes and crime patterns to public health and real estate, GIS technology offers deep insights into spatial data. However, it raises concerns about privacy and the potential for misuse, such as gerrymandering and tracking individual behaviors. The speaker urges caution, emphasizing the importance of protecting personal data and ensuring technology serves to enhance, not homogenize, society.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, is a technology that uses large databases to capture, store, and analyze spatial information, allowing for inferences about individuals and communities based on lifestyle patterns.
• 🏢 Large organizations like the United States Census Bureau use GIS to create visual maps, such as the population density map of Utah, to understand demographic distributions.
• 🚶‍♂️ Population patterns are often visible along significant infrastructures like highways, as seen with the majority of Utah's citizens living along the I-15 corridor.
• 📊 GIS provides a visual and effective way to communicate aggregated data, as opposed to raw data in spreadsheets, making patterns and trends more accessible.
• 🏛 Politicians and political campaigns leverage GIS for strategy development, targeting specific areas, and understanding voter concentrations, as demonstrated in Maricopa County, Arizona.
• 🔍 The cautionary note about GIS data representing a limited view is highlighted, as maps may not fully represent the ground realities, such as the presence of non-residential areas within voter clusters.
• 👮‍♂️ Law enforcement uses GIS for crime analysis, resource allocation, and patrol planning, by visualizing crime incidences and types on maps.
• 🏥 The CDC utilizes GIS to track and analyze the spread of diseases over time, such as flu activity, allowing for trend identification and response planning.
• 🏘️ Real estate industry benefits from GIS by allowing potential buyers to select neighborhoods based on various characteristics, including occupational clusters, income trends, and demographic details.
• 🔑 Privacy concerns arise with the use of GIS, as it can lead to the tracking and analysis of individual behaviors, potentially threatening personal freedoms and diversity.
• 🛡️ The script emphasizes the importance of protecting personal data and being cautious about the use of technology, advocating for technology to be a beneficial tool rather than a risk to individuality and privacy.

Q & A

What is a GIS and how can it be used to make inferences about individuals?

A GIS, or Geographic Information System, is a large database that captures, stores, and analyzes spatial information. It can be used to make inferences about individuals by analyzing patterns in their lifestyle, as well as those of their neighbors and friends, based on spatial data.

How does the United States Census Bureau utilize GIS technology?

The United States Census Bureau uses GIS technology to create maps, like the one of Utah, which show population densities and demographic information based on census data. This helps in understanding where most citizens live and how populations are distributed across different regions.

What can be inferred from the population map of Utah created with 2010 census data?

The population map of Utah reveals that most citizens live along the I-15 highway corridor, which runs north and south through the state. The capital, Salt Lake City, is located in the north, slightly above the red dot indicating the population mean of the state.

How are GIS maps used in the political landscape?

GIS maps are used in the political landscape to develop campaign strategies, target hot spots, and learn more about constituencies. They can show voting patterns and concentrations of voters, which can inform political strategies and outreach efforts.

What is the difference between viewing data in an Excel spreadsheet and viewing it on a GIS map?

While an Excel spreadsheet presents data in rows and columns, a GIS map visually represents the same data in a spatial context. Maps are a more effective vehicle for communicating patterns of aggregated data, making it easier to understand and analyze spatial relationships and distributions.

Why might a 'get out the vote' campaign be cautious about targeting areas with low voter registration shown on a GIS map?

A campaign should be cautious because GIS maps provide a limited view of information and do not show the whole picture. Low voter registration areas might be places like airports or golf courses where there are no potential voters to engage.

How can legislators use GIS maps for town hall meetings on specific issues?

Legislators can use GIS maps to target specific demographic groups, such as senior citizens for a town hall on social security issues. By pulling in data on age distribution, they can easily identify areas with higher concentrations of the target demographic.

What concerns arise with the ability of GIS technology to look into neighborhoods and predict behavior?

The concerns include the potential for state-of-the-art gerrymandering, where districts are redrawn to benefit a political party or person, and the risk to individual privacy and freedom of choice as behavior prediction becomes more accurate.

How does law enforcement use GIS technology in crime prevention and resource allocation?

Law enforcement uses GIS technology to create crime maps that show where most crime incidences have taken place. This helps in allocating resources, such as the number of police officers on a particular shift and where and when they should patrol.

What is the significance of being able to overlay different types of data on a GIS map?

Overlaying different types of data on a GIS map allows for a more comprehensive analysis. For example, combining crime data with information about housing, businesses, income levels, and education patterns can provide insights into the lifestyles and patterns of criminals, aiding in more effective crime prevention strategies.

How can the real estate industry use GIS technology to enhance the home-buying process?

The real estate industry uses GIS technology to allow potential buyers to select desired neighborhood characteristics before even looking for a house. This can include factors like school quality, crime patterns, occupational clusters, income trends, ethnicities, and even languages spoken in the home.

What ethical considerations should be taken into account when using GIS technology?

Ethical considerations include protecting individual privacy, being cautious about who has access to personal data, and ensuring that technology remains a tool that benefits lives rather than compromising individuality and uniqueness. It's important to remember that behind every data point is a real person whose privacy and individuality should be respected.