U.S. Census Data

Introduction

The Goal of this Lab was to learn how to download data, maps, and information from the U.S. Census Bureau and after analysis, display the information that was obtained in both ArcGIS online and in our blog.

Methods

After downloading a map of Wisconsin, we also downloaded information that pertained to the state of Wisconsin from the U.S. Census Bureau, specifically the states total population by county, and a choice of one other data source, in this case I choose Vacancy information by county. After downloading the map in the form of a shape file, and converting the information that was chosen from the U.S. Census Bureau into excel files that could be used as attribute data, I then joined the data with a common field such that we could then map the data. Two maps were created, one with the information of Wisconsin Population by county, and one with the variable of our choice. Once both maps were created, I published the map with the variable of our choice, in my case vacancy rates by county, to ArcGIS online, making sure that the maps that were created were capable of being published without any errors. Once the maps were uploaded to ArcGIS online I made sure that the map information worked in the popup form to make the map interactive. Additionally, a map summary was entered, and the map was tagged and shared with the Geography and Anthropology community of the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Upon completion of the first objective, I then published both maps blow to this blog post.

Results

In the total population map of Wisconsin, we see that the majority of the population lives in the South Eastern part of the state, with the greatest amount of the population living in the region from Brown County to Milwaukee and Kenosha County and stretching to Dane County. With similar high population statistics in Marathon, Eau Claire the surrounding areas. This makes sense as these counties have the larger and largest cities and their metro areas are in these counties, with Green Bay, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Madison, Wausau, and Eau Claire respectively. This, of course is not new information to anyone with knowledge of Wisconsin’s population distribution. Interestingly when this information is compared to the Vacancy rates per county in the state of Wisconsin we see that these counties are in the lower distribution of Vacancy rates, sitting between approximately 4-22% vacancy rates. The vacancy rates appear to be the highest in the Northern most portion of the state, with the highest rates of vacancy in the counties directly near the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, continuing to the counties near Lake Superior and stretching over to the northern most counties near the Minnesota boarder. Just given general population trends that the population of the United States is shifting to mostly City and Urban areas, it would appear after brief analysis that this trend is also following in the state of Wisconsin, at least based on the 2010 Census data.

Final Version of both maps in ArcMap

Sources:
     • U.S. Census Bureau
     • Esri
     • HERE
     • National Geographic (base map)

Eau Claire Base Data of the Confluence Project

Background

UW-Eau Claire and the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center have come together with Clear Vision
Eau Claire, Market & Johnson and commonwealth development as Haymarket, LLC. Haymarket,
LLC, plans to construct a new development at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire
Rivers in downtown Eau Claire. Dubbed the "Confluence Project", this site would be home to the
new Arts Center which will contain performance spaces, galleries, offices, classrooms, studios,
student housing, and a commercial retail complex. The construction of the Confluence Project is
set to begin in 2014.

Goal

Clear Vision Eau Claire is a county wide initiative to develop a collaborative vision for Eau
Claire. During an internship for Clear Vision Eau Claire, our job is to create base maps and a
basic report of all relevant information for the Confluence Project, including public land
management, administration and land use base maps.

Methods

Maps were created using both ArcMap and ArcCatalog. In ArcCatalog, a new feature class was
created, digitizing the site for the proposed Confluence Project. In ArcMap, a new map was
created with this feature class imposed on a World Imagery Basemap. This new map would serve
as the basic layout for all maps that follow. The Civil Divisions map was created by
adding municipality  boundaries to the basic map layout, and highlighting the different civil
divisions by color. The Census Boundaries map, adds a population density layer and census
boundaries to the basic layout, and shows population density in relation to the proposed site as
well as specific location lines for Census Boundary tracts as they run through the City of Eau
Claire. The PLSS Feature map, overlays the Public Land Survey System quarter quarter squares
over the basic layout and shows were the proposed site would lie in reference to the PLSS, the
data of the PLSS is included in the legal report to follow. The EC Parcel Data map overlays the
land parcel data for Eau Claire County on the basic layout map, showing the specific location of
the proposed site's land parcels, as well as the parcels of the surrounding area. The roads of Eau
Claire and the Eau Claire and Chippewa River are also overlaid adding the water layers and
center line layers to the basic map layout.  The Zoning map added the zoning classifications to
the basic map layout and shows the proposed site in relation to zones of the City of Eau Claire. 
the Voting Districts map adds, the ward information and division lines to the basic layout map,
and shows where the proposed site will lie in relation to the voting wards of the City of Eau
Claire.  

Results

The Civil Divisions map was created to reference the Confluence Project in the context of the
location in relationship to City of Eau Claire and the Town of Eau Claire, as well as the  Eau Claire
County line. The Census Boundaries map tells us that the site will be in an area that has a high
population density as well as being connected to areas with a high population density. In
combination with the Zoning map we can see that the proposed site lies in a commercial area
but is not far from residential neighborhoods, which are densely populated, making it easily
accessible to many in the downtown area.

Sources

Data from the City and County of Eau Claire, 2013


Clumpner, Dan; Market, Dan; Richgruber, Ben; Community for the confluence organizers (2015). 
Questions from the community. Retrieved from http://communityfortheconfluence.org/common-questions/