Guest Speaker: Steven Romalewski, Director, CUNY Mapping Service

Data linked to specific points on the earth’s service — enables analysis based on

proximity, where info is in relation to other characteristics
—
Concept of layers – organizing data with like features together – can query across layers –

how many subway stations are located within census tracts that meet certain specifications.

Portable GIS – GIS on a stick

when you open GIS package, it’s a blank slate — you have to bring data to it

up to you to know how to symbolize data
have to know how to get data to integrate into map
need info on projection and coordinate systems — need to make sure that things line up – how to project 3d object onto 2d service – thousands of mathematical concepts –

GIS grad course at Pratt — 15 week course – lot of drudgery to get to point where you can make maps that aren’t misleading

geographic data
attribute data

BIN – building identification number — from Bloomberg effort to make data more accessible

— but you stil

gdb geo database format

arcgis

shp – shape file format

Google – bought Keyhole
— google earth — keyhole project
now trivial to access aerial info and display on maps

Web services

geo-rectified
— will line up with other data systems

vector data vs. raster data

Maker — map data easily

— rely on web services and user reports

Open Street Map — another application — http://openstreetmap.org

Haiti relief efforts – people using GIS

Vintage – will data be updated as roads change, new buildings are built?

Open Geo – business model – take open-source

Ridethecity.org

Mapping off of the grid
one power of GIS is that it is based in physical geography — can abstract that to some extent . . . problems –

Modifiable Aerial Unit Problem – MAUP

How to Lie With Maps
— all maps lie; you have to make them lie as little as possible

Steve R’s
Absolute rule – never use default color schemes, etc. – always customize

Choropleth map — using gradations of color to represent gradations in your data

Need not only to understand data but how to represent data

— Need to understand your metadata –

find out what agency has regulatory authority over your subject and they will probably have data

http://mysite.pratt.edu/~sromalew/resources/resources.html

Cynthia Brewer
Designing With Maps
http://colorbrewer2.org/

Manahatta Project
http://themannahattaproject.org/

NYPL Map Rectifier
http://maps.nypl.org/warper/

OasisNYC.net
http://oasisnyc.net/

CUNY Mapping Service
http://www.urbanresearch.org/about/cur-components/cuny-mapping-service

Census Hard to Count 2010
http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org

Socialexplorer.com

You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1568984308/maproom-20

CUNY Mapping Service
CUNY Data Service
NYC Labor Market Information Service