The goal of lab two for GIS 1, was to learn how to download
and map data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. Census Bureau has a mission
to serve at the leading source of quality data about the nation’s people and
economy. I had to follow several objectives to obtain this goal, including
downloading datasets from the U.S. Census Bureau, joining data tables, and creating a web map.
To begin, we had to obtain census data by choosing a
variable of interest from the U.S. Census Bureau (http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/searchresults.xhtml?refresh=t).
I choose people and basic count/estimate as a topic, and all counties in
Wisconsin as the geography. From there, I downloaded an SF1 data set, because
it is the basic standard census data. The variable I downloaded was total
population from the 2010 SF1 dataset. After the dataset was downloaded as a zip
file, I needed to unzip the files and save the CSV files containing tabular
data as an excel workbook file. Then, I downloaded the map of Wisconsin counties
as a shapefile.zip and unzip those files as I previously did. After obtaining
the appropriate data, I had to join the data together to create a map in
ArcMap.
First, I added the shapefile containing the counties of
Wisconsin, then because this file contains no census data, I added the excel
file I created earlier containing the tabular data of population. In order to map
the population, I had to join the excel file and the shapefile tables together
using the same attribute field (GEO#ID). By joining the same attribute field I
was then able to map the total population of Wisconsin by county. I wanted to
create a graduated colors map with my population values, but because the values
were imported as a string field type, the values could not be mapped
quantitatively. To fix this, I added a new field in the attributes table that
was a double field type, containing the original values from the population data
field. Then, I was able to map using graduated colors.
Second, I needed to create a new map in the same file, but under
a different data frame. This time my variable of choice was males aged 25-29 in
all counties of Wisconsin. I went to the U.S. Census Bureau website and
downloaded a 2010 SF1 100% data dataset. I followed the same workflow as before
to download the data, unzip and create excel files, and map the data for my
variable of choice. Additionally, I had to join the shapefile of the Wisconsin counties
and the excel file containing the tabular data on male population ages 25-29.
Again, I had the same problem trying to create a graduated colors map because
the values were imported as a string field type, not a double field type. So I
created a new, double type field in the table containing the values for male
population ages 25-29. Then, I was able to map using graduated colors, but I had
to normalize my data by the total population of each county. I mapped the
population of males aged 25-29 and normalized it by the total population.
Following these steps, I created a cartographically pleasing
layout containing both maps of Wisconsin. While doing this, I had to consider
changing the projection of the data frame to better suit the state of
Wisconsin, and add the appropriate map elements including an author, source,
title, legend, scale, and north arrow. The projection I used was NAD 1983
(2011) Wisconsin TM (US Feet). To finish my project, I added a light grey,
canvas basemap.
After creating those maps, I had to publish a web map on
ArcGIS Online, using my second variable. I made a copy of my second map,
deleting all other items including all other data frames, basemaps, original joined
shapefiles, and tables. I exported all of the features of my second variable
into a new shapefile and imported my symbology properties from my previous map.
In ArcMap, I signed into my University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire account on
ArcGIS Online, where I then created a feature service from this new ArcMap
document. I had to include a service name, “Wisconsin_Demographic_Information_Pingel,”
an item description, and tags before I was able finish creating my feature
service. After the feature service was created, I was then able to analyze and
publish my web map. Using ArcGIS Online (http://www.arcgis.com/home/),
I logged onto the UWEC Geography and Anthropology ArcGIS account to share my
map. Before sharing my map, I needed to update some of the contents such as the
map name and display attributes.
Patterns on the map indicate that the highest male
population between the ages of 25-29, are in central and southern Wisconsin.
Additionally, the most of the counties with the highest male population (Eau
Claire, Brown, Dane, La Crosse) are counties within the University of Wisconsin
college community system.
(http://uwec.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=f46e642bf6e04872abdb34b82982e842)
Sources I used on this lab are the U.S. Census Bureau and
ArcGIS Online:
