emilyhesp

This is the first of many spatial analysis and visualization projects that I will share on this site. I am really happy that I chose GIS as my minor; the applications of spatial analysis are endless and I am having a lot of fun with my class projects! The project below was completed for an introductory GIS course. It gave me an opportunity to reinforce my understanding of basic spatial analysis tools.

Title: Designing Workflow to Identify Optimal Locations for New Childcare Centers

Key Concepts: 

• Data Preparation
  • Projected Coordinate Systems
  • Data Classification Considerations
• Basic Spatial Analysis
  • Buffers
  • Spatial Queries
  • Using the Clip tool
  • Spatial Joins 
  • Centroids
• Map Layouts

Purpose: Students were asked to identify optimal locations for new childcare centres based on specific criteria in Toronto. The analysis criteria was as follows:

• Within 800 metres of a subway station or 500 metres of a bus stop
• Within 1km of a main road
• In an area with population growth of more than 2% (from 2016 to 2021)

The following data table was provided for us to use in our hypothetical workflow:

Feature description	Geometry type	Fields		CRS
		Name [data type]	Description
Census tract boundaries	Polygon	Pop2016 [double] Pop2021 [double]	Total population in census tract in 2016Total population in 2016	WGS 1984
Transit locations	Point	Station [text]	Type of transit station e.g., “bus”, “subway”	NAD 1983 UTM Zone 17N
Road network	Lines	Type [text]	Type of road e.g., “main”, “minor”	NAD 1983 UTM Zone 17N

No analysis using ArcGIS pro was required for this assignment, and the final product was the workflow contained in the .pdf file featured below.

At the beginning, these concepts felt very abstract and I needed greater detail in my written work to remember the steps I had taken. Concision in our writing, reports and short answer questions is highly encouraged in my GIS classes. Now that I am revisiting this document months later, I certainly see areas where I could have written less. Some details are much more familiar now that I have been using ArcGIS Pro for one year.

The PDF window will not be visible on mobile devices, so click on the download button or PDF file name below, if you wish to read the proposed project workflow.