Geog 210 – Exercise 1 – Online GIS

Introduction to Online Mapping Applications

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This exercise introduces three different applications of GIS.  You’ll be visiting some online places with GIS applications about different topics. The links to the websites are posted in Moodle under “Ex 1 – Resources” in the first week.

NOTES:
a) You’ll only need a browser to do this exercise but it will be much easier if you use a full size monitor (or laptop) as opposed to a mobile device.
b) You’ll also need Google Earth or a mapping app that shows satellite/aerial images, not just street map.
c) You can find all the necessary links, also, and a PDF version of this document in Moodle under Ex. 1 resources.

Part 1: Investigating Segregation: The Racial Dot Map

Everyone knows that people are not distributed evenly across the country in relation to race, but where is the US, really, on the spectrum from full integration to full segregation?  While many turn to an anecdotal approach or look at tables with percentages to answer this question, a dot map is a simple and visual way to explore these patterns. 

In this part of the exercise, you will use a dot map using data from census 2020. Let us start by exploring the map in the following site:

Investigating Segregation: Race and ethnicity across the nation

RACE AND ETHNICITY ACROSS THE NATION

After reading the description and explanations about this map, shown above and below the map, explore the map by using your mouse to move around and the +/- buttons to zoom in and out.  Pay attention to the color of the dots and the legend provided on top of the map (hover the cursor on the legend to read descriptions of the races).

On this map, dots represent different number (depending on zoom level) of population of each race/ethnicity living within an area.

Zoom out until you can see almost the whole 48 lower states (it won’t zoom out all the way). We’ll begin by looking at population density. 

Open Google Earth (or any mapping app, make sure to use satellite/aerial imagery, not a roadmap). Zoom so that you can see the entire contiguous United States.  Compare Google Earth with the racial dot map.  What factors—climate, topography, hydrology, etc.—do you think affect settlement patterns?

NOTE: Always answer questions in Moodle

Question 1. What three races are most visible in California at this scale?  (In general, look at the colors)
            Hispanic – White – Asian – American Indian – Other

Question 2. Many rural areas—those not densely settled— throughout the country are predominantly white.  Where can you find rural areas where this is not the case?
            In the Northeast –Midwest –South –Rocky Mountains (and the West)

When we look at countrywide data like this, it can be helpful to think of historical settlement patterns. Whether or not you have a detailed knowledge of US history, what do you think could be some reasons for the patterns of racial distribution that you are seeing? 

Let’s zoom in and look at specific places. We will begin with Detroit, Michigan. Enter the name Detroit on the search bar on top of the map.  What do you notice about the racial distribution?

Question 3. What is the racial distribution like in the city of Detroit?         
            Segregated – Integrated

Question 4. What kinds of geographical features serve as physical boundaries between neighborhoods? (You might need to compare this view with a similar view in Google Earth to see the boundaries)   
            Roads – Rivers – Topography

Notice that there are blank spaces all over the map—aside from bodies of water and large parks. Why do you think this could be?

Our next location is Los Angeles, California. Start by going to California using the search bar.  What races seem to be most common in Los Angeles at this scale (the whole state)?  Now zoom in until the greater L.A. area fills your screen (you should still be able to see San Bernardino to the right). What new information has this change in scale given you?

Question 5. What are the two most predominant races in the central part of L.A.? (Right around the label “Los Angeles” in the map)
            White – Black – Asian – Hispanic – other

Question 6. Zoom in to see the rural areas around L.A.  Are these more or less integrated than in Detroit? (I.e. look for how sharp the boundaries between races are) 
            More integrated – Less integrated

Now, your last task in Part 1 is to analyze a place you know well. This could be your home, some place you have visited, or anywhere you know. Make sure you pick an area big enough to have plenty of dots, but small enough for detailed analysis.

Looking at this area, consider the population density. Does it differ across the region, based on different topographical or human-made features? Look at the racial demographics, and their distribution. How segregated or integrated is this area? Do one or two races predominantly inhabit this area?  Are there boundaries or other geographic patterns that you notice?  What might be some of the underlying causes for the patterns you see?

Question 7. For this question, write a few sentences about the place you have chosen addressing the questions mentioned previously. Include the name of your place, your connection to it, and how your own impressions of it compare to the data in the dot map.

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Part 2: Exploring Gerrymandering in Illinois

In this section of the exercise, you will learn about gerrymandering and examine maps of Illinois congressional districts to look for evidence of this phenomenon.

To begin, please read the brief article explaining gerrymandering

Description of Gerrymandering (if the link doesn’t work there is a PDF version in Moodle under Ex1-resources)

Then, go to the following page

The American Redistricting Project

Select the following:

  • State: Illinois
  • Chamber: Congressional
  • Year: 2020

(Click on GO button on the left)

Notice the list of districts in the pop up window. Click on district 4th. Notice that its shape is very irregular—it has two main parts (north and south) and a big gap in between where part of district 7th lies.

Do you think the districts in the Chicago area are drawn fairly? This question is much too large to address in full—many factors are involved in drawing congressional districts! However, we can use the racial dot map from Part 1 to address at least one part of this issue. 

Zoom in on the 4th on the Congressional District map, with some space on each side of it for geographical context. Next, open, in a new tab or window, the dot map from the previous section (Investigating Segregation: Race and ethnicity across the nation) and try to zoom in to the same area around Chicago (Illinois 4th Congressional District). 

NOTE: It might be helpful if you have two separate browser windows, one next to another, instead of one browser and two separate tabs. Do your best.

Be careful—this task is tricky, because the place names included on the two maps are different. Look out for Cicero (to the southwest of Chicago) and Maywood (west of Chicago) as the two maps have these names in common, and use the shapes of the major highways to orient yourself.  Try to find the basic outline of district 4 on the dot map. What do you notice about the racial distribution in the district, compared to the distribution outside of it?

Question 8. What is the most prevalent race in Illinois 4th congressional district?
            White – Black – Asian – Hispanic – other

Question 9. What is the most prevalent race in Illinois 7th congressional district? (in between the two sections of 4th district)
            White – Black – Asian – Hispanic – other

On the congressional district map, click on Back in the SEARCH DISTRICTS window to zoom out at the state of Illinois as a whole. Check out district 17th. (Click on 17th district in the list of districts window). Notice how it covers portions of two major cities—Rockford, in the north, and Peoria, in the south —despite the fact that these cities are far apart.  Look at the dot map again. Do you notice anything about the racial distributions within this district, and the two cities it bisects?

Question 10. Which two races does the 17th district roughly segregate?
            Black/Hispanic – Asian/Black – Black/White

Now read the following article (link) provided for Part 2 as an example of the degree of gerrymandering happening throughout the country:

“Federal court: Michigan political maps illegally rigged to ‘historical proportions'”

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Part 3: Studying California Wildfires

Now you’re going to explore another online map put together by CALFIRE.  Follow the link in Moodle, and explore this. 

Fire Hazard Severity Zones in California

Read the general information and watch the video called “What are Fire Hazard Severity Zones?”  Then scroll down until you see a map called “Fire Hazard Severity Zones in State Responsibility Area”. Navigate around in this map panning and zooming in/out looking for the different areas and check some known cities (San Francisco, L.A., San Diego, etc.).  Notice that there is a window on the upper left of the map to search for an address or a place. When using this tool to search for places make sure to select cities in California (CA).

Click the button with 3 lines in the upper right corner of the map  to display the legend of the fire risk zones. Learn to read the different legends, change the scale of the map, find places, etc. Use your mouse to zoom in and out and pan around the map. You can zoom in to a particular city/area and observe the wildfire hazard. Explore!

Question 11. East of San Francisco, in the mountains, you can find the community of Arnold, CA (Calaveras County).  What’s its Fire Hazard Severity Zone? 
            Moderate – High – Very high – No Hazard

Question 12. Find the community of Arnold, Ca in the Race and Ethnicity map used in part 1 (see link below). Which is the prevalent race in this community?
            Hispanic – White – Asian – Black – Other

Investigating Segregation: Race and ethnicity across the nation

Question 13. Find the community of Cloverdale, CA. What is the Fire Hazard Severity Zone most prevalent in the areas around the Cloverdale area? (Not just in the city) 
            Moderate – High – Very high – No Hazard

Question 14. What is the most prevalent race around Cloverdale, CA?
            Hispanic – White – Asian – Black – Other

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