Solving the Mystery of Geographies

Presenters

JuHyun YooResearch [email protected]

Caitlin FlintDesign [email protected]

Join in on Twitter@HealthyCityCA#geoMystery

General [email protected]

Solving the Mystery of GeographiesJanuary 23, 2013

Offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Wash. D.C

Healthy City is a program of Advancement Project is a multi-racial civil rights organization using innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and impact policy change.

PurposeCommunities of every race and class have the opportunities and resources they need to thrive

MissionHealthy City transforms how decisions are made by creating innovative tools and methods that expose and resolve structural inequities

…is about finding strategic solutions to support your work

DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:

Work ON-THE-GROUND to develop targeted research/policy

strategies and web tools.

COMMUNITY RESEARCH LAB

Engages, trains, and provides tools for community groups to lead and sustain

action-oriented research

ONLINE MAPPING TECHNOLOGYwww.HealthyCity.org

Agenda

Three Ways to Use Geographies on HC.org

Knowledge in Basic Census Geographies

How to choose geographies for your map

Three Ways to Use Geographies on HC.org• Map Geography• Data Geography• Area Boundary

1

2

3


1 Map GeographySelect the geographic

area you want to map.

2 Data GeographySelect the geographic

unit of data you want to map.

3 Area Boundary Select the area boundary

you want to overlay on top of your map.


1 Map Geography Select the geographic area you want to map.

Change

Change the geographic area by selecting from the list.



Compare

Add another geographic area to compare two geographic areas.

DrawDraw your own boundary using existing boundaries or by drawing from scratch.


CheckCheck which geographic units are available for the data you are mapping.

SelectSelect the geographic unit of data you want to map.

2 Data Geography Select the geographic unit of data you want to map.


2 Data Geography Select the geographic unit of data you want to map.


Match Match the overlay boundary to data geography.

Orient Orient yourself within the mapped area.

3 Area Boundary Select the area boundary you want to overlay on top of your map.


3 Area Boundary Select the area boundary you want to overlay on top of your map.


Knowledge in Basic Census Geographies• Census Geographies – Political Areas and Statistical

Areas• Hierarchy of Basic Census Geographies• ZIP Codes? ZCTA?


Political Areas and Statistical Areas


• For statistical and data-reporting purposes• Artificially Created• Harder to be recognized by public

Political Areas Statistical Areas

• For administrative purposes• Identified by public easily• Can be complicated for data-reporting and analysis

Hierarchy of Basic Census Statistical GeographyDiagram adopted and edited from Urban Policy and the Census (2011) by H. MacDonald and A. Peters

Block• The basis of most Census Boundaries.• Boundaries are drawn based on city blocks.

Block Group

• In average, 39 blocks make up a block group.• 600~3,000 people per block group. (Optimum size=1,500 people)

Tract• 1,500 ~ 8,000 people (Optimum size = 4,000 people)• Smaller area size of tracts = higher population density• Designed to represent homogeneous population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions.



Smaller area size of tracts = higher population density

Hierarchy of Basic Census Statistical GeographyExample: Advancement Project (1910 W. Sunset Blvd. Suite 500 Los Angeles, CA 90020)


ZIP Code? ZCTA?

• ZIP = Zone Improvement Plan• Created by United States Postal Service (USPS) to make mail sorting and delivery more efficient. • Updated as needed, which is more frequent than the update cycle of Census geographies.

ZIP Code

ZCTA

• ZCTA = ZIP Code Tabulation Area• Created by the U.S. Census Bureau • Generalized the ZIP Code boundaries to summarize data by more recognizable geographic units. • Updated every ten years.


Questions?

How to choose geographies for your mapConsider your dataConsider your audienceUse local knowledgeExplore

How To Choose A Boundary

Consider your data

What kind of data are you mapping?Example: First 5 LA Best Start Communities

How To Choose A Boundary: Consider your data


AggregationCombining data fromsmaller geographiesto create a largergeography

Consider your audience

What geographies are they familiar with?What geographies are they concerned with?Example: SaveMySeatLA.org

How To Choose A Boundary: Consider your audience

Use local knowledgeDon’t discount personal experience

Rural areas—don’t want to use city/place(insert screenshot with area city place actually covers)

Is there a park or industrial area nearby—might account for large gaps

How To Choose A Boundary: Use local knowledge


All 1523 city/place boundaries

Data at City/place level geography

does not cover the entire state.

How To Choose A Boundary: Use local knowledge

ExploreWhat is most effective for your story?What has the most meat?

Ex: if I want to understand what's happening in my city, city level data won’t tell the whole story.


How To Choose A Boundary: Explore

Remember…

Consider your dataConsider your audienceUse local knowledgeExplore


Questions?


What we learned

The End.



How to choose geographies for your map

Help is Available:

Click on • Healthy City User

Guideor

• FAQs

Thank You!

Solving the Mystery of Geographies

Technology

Transcript of Solving the Mystery of Geographies