Storing & Tracking Your Life Using GIS Technology | Cheryl Hanewicz | TEDxUVU
Summary
TLDRThis 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
- ๐บ๏ธ 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.
- ๐ข 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.
- ๐ถโโ๏ธ 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.
- ๐ GIS provides a visual and effective way to communicate aggregated data, as opposed to raw data in spreadsheets, making patterns and trends more accessible.
- ๐ Politicians and political campaigns leverage GIS for strategy development, targeting specific areas, and understanding voter concentrations, as demonstrated in Maricopa County, Arizona.
- ๐ 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.
- ๐ฎโโ๏ธ Law enforcement uses GIS for crime analysis, resource allocation, and patrol planning, by visualizing crime incidences and types on maps.
- ๐ฅ 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.
- ๐๏ธ 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.
- ๐ 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.
- ๐ก๏ธ 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.
Outlines
๐บ๏ธ Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Overview
This paragraph introduces Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a technology that captures, stores, and analyzes spatial information. It highlights how GIS can be used to infer lifestyle patterns of individuals and communities, with the United States Census Bureau as a notable user. The script uses a map of Utah created from 2010 census data to illustrate population density and distribution, emphasizing the visual advantages of GIS over traditional data presentation methods like Excel spreadsheets. It also touches on the political applications of GIS in campaign strategies and constituency understanding, using Maricopa County, Arizona as an example.
๐ก๏ธ Privacy and Precision in GIS Applications
The second paragraph delves into the implications of GIS technology on privacy and the precision of predicting electoral outcomes. It discusses the potential for gerrymandering and the use of GIS by law enforcement to allocate resources and predict crime patterns, using a crime map of Salt Lake City as an example. The script also explores the integration of various data types, such as demographic and economic information, to enhance the effectiveness of GIS in research. The CDC's use of GIS to track flu activity over time is highlighted, showing the ability of GIS to analyze trends and compare data across different periods.
๐๏ธ Real Estate and Social Implications of GIS
The final paragraph examines the impact of GIS on the real estate industry and the broader social implications of data tracking. It discusses how individuals can select neighborhood characteristics before house hunting, including factors like school quality, crime patterns, and demographic trends. The paragraph raises questions about privacy and the potential for individuals to self-select into homogeneous communities, thus losing diversity. It concludes with a call for companies and governments to respect and protect personal data, emphasizing the importance of technology serving to benefit individual lives without compromising uniqueness and individuality.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กGIS (Geographic Information Systems)
๐กSpatial Information
๐กCensus Bureau
๐กPopulation Density
๐กI-15 Highway Corridor
๐กPolitical Landscape
๐กGerrymandering
๐กLaw Enforcement
๐กCrime Map
๐กCDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
๐กReal Estate Industry
๐กPrivacy
Highlights
GIS technology can predict voting patterns and health trends based on spatial data analysis.
The United States Census Bureau uses GIS to map population densities and develop demographic insights.
GIS maps can visually represent data, making it easier to understand patterns like population clusters along transportation routes.
Politicians use GIS for campaign strategies, targeting voter hotspots, and understanding constituencies.
GIS can be used to analyze and predict electoral outcomes with increasing precision, raising questions about the impact on voter freedom.
Law enforcement utilizes GIS for crime mapping to allocate resources and patrol strategies effectively.
Combining GIS with other data sources, such as income or education levels, can reveal correlations and inform policy decisions.
The CDC uses GIS to track and analyze the spread of diseases like the flu over time and across regions.
GIS technology allows real estate industry to offer sophisticated neighborhood characteristic selections for buyers.
The potential for privacy invasion and the ethical use of personal data collected through GIS is a significant concern.
Individuals should be cautious about the information they give away and how it is used by companies and governments.
GIS technology can lead to gerrymandering if used unethically to manipulate electoral districts for political advantage.
The real estate industry uses GIS to analyze and predict income trends and demographic changes in neighborhoods.
GIS can help in understanding crime patterns and allocating police resources more effectively.
The ability to overlay different types of data on GIS maps enhances the analysis of complex social and health issues.
GIS technology must be used responsibly to ensure it benefits society without compromising individual privacy and freedom.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining individuality and preventing a homogeneous society due to unchecked GIS use.
Transcripts
you've already voted in the next
election and don't even know it
imagine being able to determine your
likelihood of getting sick with the
click of a mouse
these scenarios are possible using a
technology called a GIS or geographic
information systems a GIS is a large
database that can capture store and
analyze spatial information using it we
can make a lot of inferences about you
based on the patterns of your lifestyle
the patterns of your neighbors lifestyle
and the patterns of your friends
lifestyle it's very interesting and a
lot of people use it who one large user
is the United States Census Bureau this
is a map of the state of Utah and it was
created with 2010 census population data
you can clearly see where the densities
of population are located by the dark
blue color the capital Salt Lake City is
located in the North slightly above that
red dot that's just the population mean
of the state now most citizens live
along the i-15 highway corridor which
runs north and south through the state
now although it's not pictured on this I
bet you could draw it in quite
accurately by following the patterns you
see of the population clusters maps are
a great way to view things visually GIS
is also an established part of the
political landscape politicians have
found innovative ways to use it to
develop new campaign strategies target
hot spots or even learn more about their
constituencies this is a map of Maricopa
County and it's in Arizona in its 2012
census data and you're looking at a
region here of the greater Phoenix area
now there are a couple map
layers that are selected one is the
congressional districts and you can see
the outline there in blue the other one
is voting districts by registered voters
and there's different shading to
indicate you know different
concentrations of voters the toward the
top there if you look at the red that's
forty five hundred or greater the blue
you can see the patterns there those are
fewer than a thousand let's look at this
a different way for a minute I'm sure
you're all familiar with an Excel
spreadsheet rows and rows and columns of
data you're looking at it visually here
behind this map are rows in rows of data
some of its spatial like latitude and
longitude in order for the software to
draw the map now if you are trying to
determine how many registered voters
were in each congressional district in
the patterns of distribution would you
rather I handed you that excel
spreadsheet or the map this is a much
better vehicle for communicating
patterns of aggregated data how else
could you use this well if you are going
to be in charge of the next get out the
vote campaign where would you like lis
send your workers you might be tempted
to run to those low places there in the
blue but we need to be cautious about
what maps really tell us it's only a
limited view of information it's not the
whole picture so you might run out to
the blue spots and find yourself
standing in the middle of an airport or
a golf course or some other region that
there's really you don't have anybody to
sign up so we need to be cautious the
legislators can also use maps together
for example if a legislator was looking
to have a town hall on social security
issues he or she might want to target
the senior citizens and could pull in
data on
SMAP here that shows age distribution so
it becomes very easy to see now this
ability for government officials to look
right down into your neighborhood this
we need to be cautious here because it
sets up for us to be able to use GIS for
state of the art gerrymandering now
gerrymandering is the intentional
redrawing of a district for to benefit a
political party or a person oftentimes
to get more voters now according to
Benjamin Forrest sophisticated analytic
techniques and GIS technology allow us
to understand and predict electoral
outcomes and effects with increasing
precision think about that if we are
able to more accurately predict election
results in consequences what does your
freedom of choice really mean well
there's another profession that likes
this ability to try to predict behavior
law enforcement this is a crime map of
an area in Salt Lake City Utah and you
can easily see by looking at it were
where most of the crime incidences have
taken place in the south area here you
can even see what kinds of crimes they
are by the little icon now police
officials can use this to help allocate
resources such as how many police
officers should be on a particular shift
where they should patrol maybe even what
time they should patrol now it gets
really exciting again when we can start
adding other information to this to this
map right here what if we pulled in
houses or where businesses are located
to find out maybe if this is is it
residential crime or we can start
pulling in in income information from
the Census Bureau the
patterns of Education levels what might
start happening as we march might start
learning something very interesting
about the lifestyles of the criminals
themselves it's this ability to mix
different kinds of data and portray it
on a map that makes it so effective for
researchers this this map here is from
the CDC the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and it shows widespread
flu activity ending January 10th 2015
now by the dark brown color you can see
there's lots of widespread flu activity
maps are also effective because we can
start analyzing trends over time so we
can compare it let's look a month ahead
now we're into February you can start
seeing that in the Midwest of the United
States we're starting to see more
localized flu activity but it's still on
the west coast and the East Coast let's
try one more
March now we notice there's very little
widespread flu activity but where do you
notice it in the Northeast
now given the harsh winter that we've
had I would imagine if we were to get
some weather maps and overlay them and
maybe start looking at them over time it
might help us determine why we still
have widespread activity in the
Northeast
now many professions use spatial
technology but I just want to cover one
more the real estate industry buying has
become so sophisticated that you can
select desired neighborhood
characteristics before you even start
looking for your house these these are
traditional ones you know quality of
schools crime patterns but now you can
dig deeper and make more selections you
can include items like clusters of
occupations income trends are they going
up are they going down ethnicities even
languages spoken in the home but will
people choose to live
of in diverse communities or will they
start to self-select and want to live
with neighbors who look and act a lot
like them at what point is your privacy
in jeopardy how much freedom are you
willing to give up to continue to use
the technologies that are able to track
you know these are very important
questions part of the reason why they
have all this is you give away
information about yourself every day
every time you buy something and swipe a
credit card or sink your technologies
you're giving it away now if only the
companies that were using it were the
ones that were maintaining it this
wouldn't be a problem but the ease with
which vast computer networks can talk to
each other companies are buying and
selling your information every single
day and combining it with everybody
else's trying to find social patterns
and we can get historical information
and start to look at social patterns
over time how do we assure that we
maintain the power of our vote or our
individuality to the growing impact of
GIS technology well companies in
government's need to remember that
behind every fact and figure is a real
person in individuals everybody here you
need to protect your personal data you
need to value your personal data be
stingy about who gets it and
find out what everybody's doing with it
we need to remember that technology must
remain a tool that benefits our you know
benefits our lives because G is
technology unchecked puts us at risk of
becoming a homogeneous society in which
the individuality and uniqueness that we
value are no longer important thank you
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