KU 538 - Lecture 5

Summary

This lecture introduces Geographic Information Systems (GIS), highlighting their importance in planning and spatial data analysis. GIS integrates various data sources to create and update maps, analyze spatial information, and inform decisions on land use, natural resources, and demographics. It covers data storage in vector and raster formats, and discusses operations like proximity and overlay analysis. The lecture also touches on the benefits of GIS for public participation and planning, while cautioning about potential pitfalls such as unreliable map sources and misrepresentation of data.

Takeaways

• 📘 This lecture is part of Chapter 5, focusing on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from pages 125 to 142.
• 🌐 GIS is a fundamental computer system used for applications requiring spatial information, particularly in land use and land use regulation planning.
• 💡 GIS comprises computer technologies for entering, storing, processing, retrieving, and generating spatial data, aiding in map creation and integration of various data sources.
• 🗺️ Data in GIS is stored in layers or themes, each containing geocoded information indicating the location of specific elements like land use or surface features.
• 📊 Two primary data formats in GIS are vector (points, lines, polygons) and raster (pixel-based), used for discrete and continuous data representation, respectively.
• 🔍 GIS operations include queries, proximity analysis (distance between data points), and overlay analysis (combining information from different layers to create composite maps).
• 🛠️ GIS is powerful for planning, facilitating office inventories, land analysis, public participation, and scenario building in planning processes.
• 🚧 Pitfalls of GIS include the risk of using unreliable map sources, poor map design, and misrepresentation of data, which can lead to inaccurate implications.
• 👨‍🏫 Planners should develop basic GIS skills to effectively use the technology, though they don't need to be experts.
• 🤝 Planners can collaborate with allied disciplines like geography and utilize online resources and courses, such as those on Plan Edison, to enhance their GIS capabilities.
• 🌐 There are useful GIS data websites like the Geospatial Data Gateway and TIGER, providing access to a wide range of spatial data for various applications.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the lecture?

The main topic of the lecture is Geographic Information Systems (GIS), specifically focusing on its fundamentals and applications in the context of chapter five, pages 125 through 142.

What are the core functionalities of GIS according to the lecture?

The core functionalities of GIS include the entry, storage, processing, retrieval, and generation of spatial data, which is used to make and update maps, integrate maps with other information sources, analyze spatial information, and inform decisions about land use, natural resources, demographics, and commercial markets.

What does GIS consist of in terms of data layers?

GIS consists of data layers or themes that store spatial data. Each layer contains geocoded information indicating the location of particular elements such as land use or surface features, typically in the form of longitude, latitude, address, or census blocks.

What are the two formats in which data is stored and manipulated in GIS?

The two formats in which data is stored and manipulated in GIS are vector and raster. Vector data represents discrete data as points, lines, or polygons, while raster data uses number-coded pixels to represent discrete or continuous data.

How does GIS facilitate planning and public participation?

GIS facilitates planning by enabling office inventories, land analysis, and public participation in planning processes. It helps provide information for visioning and scenario building, and aids in visualization and presentation to the public to enhance understanding of community changes and realities.

What are the types of analysis performed in GIS?

In GIS, two types of analysis are performed: proximity analysis, which determines the distances between data points, lines, and polygons; and overlay analysis, which combines information from different layers to create composite maps that can answer specific spatial questions.

What are some of the pitfalls mentioned in the lecture regarding the use of GIS?

Some pitfalls of using GIS include failing to vet map sources for reliability and accuracy, poor map design that presents too much information, and misrepresentation of data that can lead to incorrect implications.

What suggestions does the lecture provide for planners regarding the use of GIS?

The lecture suggests that planners should focus on approaches that improve public participation through GIS, develop and maintain fundamental GIS skills, and partner with allied disciplines like geography.

What are some resources mentioned for planners to learn more about GIS?

The lecture mentions Plan Edison as a website offering GIS courses designed for planners, and two useful GIS data websites: the Geospatial Data Gateway by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and TIGER, which provides spatial data including geographic data divided by political areas.

What is the difference between vector and raster data in the context of the lecture?

Vector data in GIS represents discrete data as points, lines, or polygons, suitable for representing distinct features like buildings or roads. Raster data, on the other hand, uses pixels to represent both discrete and continuous data, such as topography or pollution levels, covering an area of interest.

How can GIS be used to inform decisions about land use and natural resources?

GIS can be used to inform decisions about land use and natural resources by integrating and analyzing spatial data from various sources, such as land use regulations and actual land use data, to provide insights into patterns and relationships that can guide decision-making.

Outlines

00:00

📍 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

This lecture is part of Chapter 5, focusing on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from pages 125 to 142. The purpose is to introduce GIS, a fundamental computer system for applications requiring spatial information, particularly in land use and land use regulation for planners. GIS is a set of computer technologies for managing spatial data, including data entry, storage, processing, retrieval, and generation. It is used for map creation and updates, integrating various data sources, analyzing spatial information, and aiding in decision-making regarding land use, natural resources, demographics, and commercial markets. GIS consists of data layers or themes that store geocoded spatial data, which can be linked to geographic coordinates like longitude, latitude, addresses, or census blocks. The data is stored and manipulated in vector formats, representing discrete data as points, lines, and polygons, and raster formats, which use pixel-coded data to represent continuous data. The lecture also includes a visual display of GIS data in both raster and vector formats.

05:01

🔍 Analyzing GIS Data: Queries and Pitfalls

In GIS, 'queries' refer to questions that can be answered by combining different data layers through proximity analysis, which examines the distances between data points, lines, and polygons, and overlay analysis, which creates composite maps by combining information from various layers. Overlay analysis can be used to assess suitability for wildlife preservation, for example, by considering forest characteristics, parcel sizes, water sources, topography, and proximity to development. The lecture discusses the power of GIS in facilitating planning, inventory management, land analysis, public information, and participation in planning processes. It also highlights the importance of using valid map sources, avoiding poor map design, and preventing misrepresentation of data. Planners are encouraged to develop fundamental GIS skills and to partner with allied disciplines like geography. The lecture suggests focusing on approaches that enhance public participation and recommends resources for learning GIS, including courses from Plan Edison and data from the Geospatial Data Gateway and TIGER.

10:02

🌐 GIS Data Resources and Education for Planners

The lecture highlights the availability of GIS courses designed specifically for planners, such as those found on the Plan Edison website, which come with a fee but offer valuable learning opportunities. It also points to the Geospatial Data Gateway, a resource maintained by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, providing access to vector and raster layers across the country. Another mentioned resource is the federal site TIGER, which offers a wide range of spatial data including rivers, lakes, buildings, roads, and geographic data categorized by political areas like cities, counties, and zip codes. The lecture emphasizes the importance of these resources for planners to enhance their GIS skills and utilize them effectively in their work.

Keywords

💡Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

GIS is a set of computer technologies that manage and analyze spatial data to make and update maps, integrate information from various sources, and inform decisions about land use, natural resources, and demographics. In the video, GIS is presented as a fundamental tool for planners, enabling them to analyze spatial information and support decision-making processes.

💡Spatial Data

Spatial data refers to information that is referenced to a specific location on the Earth. It can include longitude and latitude, addresses, or other geographic coordinates. In the context of the video, spatial data is crucial for GIS as it forms the basis for creating and analyzing maps and other geographic information.

💡Geocoding

Geocoding is the process of assigning geographic coordinates to a given set of data, such as addresses or place names. This allows for the integration of data with mapping systems, which is essential for GIS. The video mentions that data layers in GIS contain geocoded information, indicating the location of features like land use or surface elements.

💡Data Layers or Themes

Data layers or themes in GIS are collections of spatial data that represent different aspects of the environment, such as land use, topography, or demographics. Each layer can be thought of as a map that can be overlaid on others to analyze relationships and patterns. The video explains that GIS consists of these layers, which store spatial data and are used to inform decisions.

💡Vector Data

Vector data in GIS represents discrete data as points, lines, and polygons. Points might represent buildings, lines could be roads or streams, and polygons might represent areas like wetlands or forests. The video uses vector data as an example of how discrete spatial data can be stored and manipulated in GIS.

💡Raster Data

Raster data, as mentioned in the video, uses pixels to represent spatial data. It is particularly useful for representing continuous data or field data, such as topography or pollution levels, where different pixel values can indicate varying magnitudes. The video contrasts raster data with vector data, showing how it is organized by pixels.

💡Proximity Analysis

Proximity analysis in GIS involves determining the distances between data points, lines, and polygons. This type of analysis can be used to answer questions about the spatial relationships between features, such as how close certain land uses are to each other. The video describes proximity as one of the types of analysis that can be performed using GIS.

💡Overlay Analysis

Overlay analysis in GIS combines information from different data layers to create composite maps. This can be used to assess suitability for certain uses, such as wildlife preservation, by considering factors like forest characteristics, parcel sizes, and water sources. The video explains overlay analysis as a way to create new insights by combining layers.

💡Public Participation

Public participation in the context of the video refers to the involvement of community members in planning processes. GIS can facilitate this by providing visualizations and presentations that help the public understand potential changes and the current state of their community. The video highlights the importance of GIS in enhancing public engagement in planning.

💡Map Sources

Map sources are the origins of the data used in GIS. The video emphasizes the importance of vetting these sources to ensure their reliability and accuracy. Poor map design or misrepresentation can occur if the sources are not valid, which can lead to inaccurate or misleading information in planning and decision-making.

Highlights

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are fundamental computer systems for applications requiring spatial information.

GIS is used for land use and land use regulation, especially in planning domains.

GIS consists of computer technologies for entry, storage, processing, retrieval, and generation of spatial data.

GIS is used to make and update maps, integrate maps with other information, and analyze spatial data.

Data layers or themes in GIS store spatial data with geocoded geographic coordinates.

GIS data can be stored and manipulated in vector (points, lines, polygons) and raster formats.

Vector data represents discrete data points such as buildings, lines like roads, and polygons like forest areas.

Raster data uses pixels to represent continuous data, such as topography or pollution levels.

GIS operations include queries, proximity analysis, and overlay analysis to combine information from different layers.

GIS facilitates planning, land analysis, and public participation in planning processes.

Planners can use GIS for visioning and scenario building to inform community development.

GIS can be used for visualization and presentation to help the public understand community changes.

Care must be taken to use valid and accurate map sources in GIS to avoid misrepresentation.

Poor map design can lead to confusion, so it's important to present information clearly.

Planners do not need to be GIS experts but should develop fundamental skills to use it effectively.

Partnering with allied disciplines like geography can enhance the use of GIS in planning.

There are online GIS courses designed for planners, such as those on the Plan Edison website.

The Geospatial Data Gateway and TIGER are useful websites for accessing vector and raster layers for GIS.

Transcripts

uh hello this uh this lecture

corresponds to a part of chapter five

um really just the part about geographic

information systems and that would be

the reason this will correspond to pages

125 through

142. and the purpose of this lecture is

to provide a brief introduction

to geographic information systems which

have emerged as one of the most widely

used and fundamental computer systems

for any application requiring spatial

information

especially the planner's domain of land

use and land use regulation

okay so

what are some of the fundamentals of

geographic information systems

ges g excuse me gis is a set of

interrelated computer technologies

that achieve the entry storage

processing retrieval and generation of

spatial data

it is used to make

and update maps

integrate maps and other information

from a variety of sources such as

land use regulations let's say and

actual

land use data

analyze spatial information and inform

decisions about land use

natural resources demographics

commercial markets and and numerous

other applications with spatial

dimensions so pretty much you can it's

pretty obvious how this would be useful

to planners

there are it consists of data layers or

themes these these data layers or themes

store spatial data

and they each contain information that

is quote geocoded

in geographic

coordinates indicating the location of

some

particular element land use

or surface element

the location would be in the form of

longitude latitude maybe

address

and maybe census blocks

by linking information to geographic

coordinates in this way a gis labor

layer can access information for any

location for example what are the soils

here

as well as locate specific information

such as where

are the

where are the wetlands

these data are stored and manipulated in

two formats

first there are vector points these

these represent discrete data

and the points are generally or there

are

the type of data is represented as

points such as buildings

lines

such as roads streams that sort of thing

and polygons or

you know various shapes to represent

wetlands forest areas anything

that covers a an area

and then there's what is known as raster

data

and this involves the use of number

coded pixels to represent discrete data

but it's mainly used to represent

continuous data or field data that is

information that is common throughout an

area of interest

different pixel number values can

indicate the magnitude of something such

as

different numbers can be used to

represent higher or low top lower

topography

higher or lower

varying levels of pollution

some of this can change over time

so those are those are two important

aspects of gis that

that i'd like you to at least

understand or realize

and here

is a

geographic display of it here

on the top you can see the rest of

raster data and there are the pixels

um

in the in the middle section as it

indicates is the factor vector data

format

um which are in this case you can see

there are lines and there are polygons

points would be like houses perhaps

buildings

and then this is all comes out of the

real world which may come from an

aerophotograph photograph or

satellite image

so you can see that

the green area in the vector

format represents the forest

and that color also represents the

forest in the raster

format although it is as

explained it is organized by pixels

and designed by pixels

okay operations and analysis in gis

queries is a term that is used in

gis

that refers to questions that can be

answered by using or combining different

layers through two two types

of analysis

one type of analysis is known as

proximity

and as you might expect that would be

the distances between data points lines

and polygons

the other

type of

data layer

or analysis of data layers is with

overlay

these are composite maps

that combine information this can

be um

for example it would show

whether a particular area is good for

wildlife

preserve preservation and that might

involve forest characteristics size of

particle parcels

locations of water sources

topography

distance from development that sort of

thing

so i'll

briefly go over the power and pitfalls

of

gis

gis

facilitates

planning office inventories and land

analysis

you as a planner

would use it

to do analyses

that then

may be used to inform the public

and it also facilitates public

participation and planning processes

by helping

provide information for visioning and

scenario building

visioning i.e where do we want our

community to be where is our community

likely to be

uh scenario building i.e

what are the

forces what are what are the uh

forces outside of our community that we

need

to consider that might have an effect on

on our quality of life the nature of our

community

and also

public participation related to

visualization and presentation

obviously you can show how things will

change

you can show how things are so that the

public will get a better sense for the

reality of their community

some of the pitfalls

of

gis or

these aren't all the ones mentioned in

the book these are i think the key ones

um one of the things you have to be

careful about is that you don't fail to

vet the map sources use

valid

map sources evaluate those map sources

make sure they're reliable and accurate

um poor map design

you know you want to make sure you have

all the elements of the map title scale

legends

um

over don't make don't present too much

information

it's complicated and

too

uh busy for people to understand or

uh

gain

knowledge from

misrepresentation

is really just the idea that you know

you're you're showing the data

in a way that isn't quite accurate

there might be

there might be something implied by data

and this this implication might be

in some way a misrepresentation

and then there are some suggestions for

planners

um

that one of the important uses of gis

for planners is the participation

how it facilitates that

so it's important to focus on

those

types of approaches and techniques that

make gis

a

an effective way to improve public

participation

it's important that planners develop and

maintain fundamental skills they don't

have to necessarily be gis experts

but some skills just to be able to use

it at least in some

to some degree is important

and finally

planners can partner with allied

disciplines such as geography in

particular

um

that has a more

that

it's more integrated into the skill

domain

of

of that discipline

one thing i'll mention is there i'm sure

you're all familiar with the the website

plan edison

and they have a nice

set of gis courses that are specifically

designed

for planners and here's just a

screenshot from their from their website

excuse me

now these generally

cost there's usually a fee for these

courses but they are there

and then there's i'll just point out a

couple useful gis data websites

one is

maintained by the natural resources

conservation service and it's called the

geospatial data gateway

and as you can see there provides access

to

vector and raster layers

it's the whole country

and it's available to anyone at any time

and then you have another federal site

tiger

and this is now one thing about the

natural resources conservation service

this is this is limited environmental

and nat natural resources data

so you won't find

information about

you know

housing that sort of thing now tiger is

provides all sorts of uh spatial data as

it as you can see

rivers lakes buildings roads

it also includes geographic data it's

divided you can identify

data on bases of political areas cities

counties zip codes