Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

CRP 386 - 01625 / PA 388K - 61230

Fall 2011
School of Architecture
University of Texas—Austin

Lecture: Tue./Thur. 4:30-5:30

SUT 2.102
Lab: Thurs. 6:00-8:30 pm
Sutton Computer Lab, SUT 1.102

Instructor: Dr. Daniel Yang

[email protected]
Sutton Hall 3.124B
Phone: 512/471-5153 or 512/587-6123
Office hours: Tue./Thur. 4:00-4:30 and 7:00-7:30

Instructor: Karen Banks

[email protected]
Sutton Hall 3.124B
Phone: 512/497-4525
Office hours: Wed. 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Lead teaching assistant: Teaching assistant:

Marla Torrado Christina Wirsching
[email protected] [email protected]
Phone: 512/471-0124 Phone: 512/769-6002
Help session: Mon. 10a-12p Help session: Mon. 2-4 p.m.

Required textbooks:
Ormsby et al. 2010. Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, 2nd Edition (for ArcGIS 10 with trial
software and exercise data). Redlands: ESRI Press.
http://gis.esri.com/esripress/display/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&websiteID=87

Brewer, Cynthia. 2005. Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users. Redlands: ESRI Press.

Required articles:
Downloadable from the class Blackboard site.

Required course materials: Recommended:

One flash drive (8 gb minimum) to save your work. External hard drive (160 gb minimum).

Course Description
This course consists of two major components—the social dimensions of GIS and the techniques
of GIS—which will speak to each other in ways that are not typical in a GIS course. The intent is
to teach skills that will make you fluent in the uses of GIS, but also to help you understand the
role that GIS, and you, as a GIS specialist, play in society.
Social dimensions of GIS: GIS is a powerful technology that is widely used in urban planning,
business and environmental management, and for strategic purposes. This means GIS has many
important social implications: who controls the technology, what data sets are being used, and
why? How can disenfranchised groups access and use these technologies to better their
conditions? We will discuss issues such as “empowerment,” citizen participation, and
organizational, political, and economic constraints, to better understand the role of GIS in society
and the influence of the social environment on GIS applications and development.

Techniques of GIS: We will introduce the fundamentals of GIS, including data acquisition and
entry, spatial analysis techniques, and representation and design of spatial information. We will
also introduce spatial statistics, remote sensing, 3D modeling, Global Position System (GPS)
applications, and integrated GIS using SketchUp, AutoCad data, and Google Earth, all with an
eye towards contemporary urban planning and design requirements. The techniques component
will in part be taught through lectures and in part through tutorials and homework assignments.

You should be prepared for a course that is challenging in many (good) ways. There’s no
denying you’ll need to spend many hours in lab each week! But you also need to participate in
class discussions and think carefully about the social implications of GIS. This means you need to
attend lectures regularly. If you start missing labs and lectures, you will quickly fall behind. We
want you to become technically proficient and develop the skills necessary to solve difficult
planning problems, and we want you to understand the possibilities and limitations of GIS. The
idea is not to simply be a “good” GIS analyst, but an intelligent and critical GIS analyst.

Course requirements
1. Lab assignments
You have 7 lab assignments. See Lab Schedule, Memo Instructions, and General Lab
Assignment Instructions.

2. Lab exercises
You should complete the exercises in your textbook and save them to your flash drive before your
assigned lab period; see the Lab Schedule for due dates. At the beginning of the lab session, your
TA will review your work and give you credit for completing the exercise. It is very important
that you complete these, since they help you prepare for lab instruction and lab assignments.

3. Final project
For your final project, you will combine your GIS skills and your insights into critical GIS theory
(see Final Project Instructions). You should research a social, environmental, or economic issue
that has important planning implications for the City of Austin or Travis County1 and use GIS to

1
It is mandatory for all first year master students to use the data listed in the Final Project Instructions for
the final project. Any second year or Ph.D. student who intends to use the Final Project as part of their
Professional Report, Master’s Thesis or Dissertation, or who would like to explore an alternative data set
for the Final Project must email a request to both instructors by 6 pm on Thursday, September 15. In the
request email, include a two page document in which you:
● detail your research title
● briefly describe your topic and the place/area of interest
● indicate your central question about your topic and your place/area
● suggest how you will go about answering this question using maps
● what complementary methods can you use to answer your question, and
● where you think you might obtain your spatial data.
You will also be expected to submit an 8-10 pages detailed, well thought out final project proposal by 6 pm
on Thursday, September 29. Failing either deadline will become an automatic disapproval for such request.
analyze the issue and present alternative perspectives or solutions. We will devote several days in
class and hold one-on-one meetings to discuss your project ideas. You need to give yourself
ample time to gather and prepare your data—the final project will take more time than you think!
Below you will see several deadlines associated with the final project. For sample final projects,
see http://soa.utexas.edu/crp/gis/showcase.

4. Class communication
Instructor and TAs will occasionally send important instructions regarding deadlines,
assignments, and exercises via email or Blackboard. You are responsible for reading these emails
and following the instructions, including any modifications to class deadlines.

Due dates
All lab assignments are due at the beginning of the lab session unless otherwise noted, i.e. before
6:00pm. Late assignments (i.e. if you turn in the assignment after lab has started) will be
downgraded by 10% (up to one week late) and 25% (after one week) unless you have a medical
or other UT-accepted emergency. Disabling of computer lab accounts due to violation of lab
rules or long printing cues will not be accepted as excuses. The exercises must be completed by
the beginning of the lab session; i.e. you must have saved the exercises and brought them on a
flash drive for the TA to review at the beginning of lab. You will receive half credit if you have
not completed the exercises before lab without an acceptable excuse. The final project will be
downgraded by 10% if you turn it in up to one week past the due date and will not be accepted
more than one week after deadline.

Lab assignments due dates:

Lab 1: Thursday, September 15.
Lab 2: Thursday, September 22.
Lab 3: Thursday, September 29.
Lab 4: Thursday, October 13.
Lab 5: Thursday, October 20.
Lab 6: Thursday, November 3.
Lab 7: Thursday, November 17.

Final project due dates:

Final Project proposal and preliminary data sources: Thursday, Sept. 29, by 6:00 pm.
Data for final project: Thursday, Oct. 27, by 6:00 pm.
Final project outline: Sunday, Nov. 6, by 6:00 pm.
Draft map for final project: Monday, Nov. 14, by 6:00 pm.
Final project due date: Wednesday, December 7, by 8:30 am.
Final presentations: December 7, 8, or 9.

Participation
For this course to work well, it’s important that you participate in class discussions, engage with
the readings, and express your ideas and points of view. All questions are welcomed and
encouraged! Learning GIS can be very time-consuming. The more time and effort you invest in
this course, the better your work will be. When I assign your final course grade, I will give you
extra marks for being on time, being engaged, and showing a good attitude in class and in the lab.
By far, the easiest way to do well in this class is to keep up with all the exercises, lab assignments
and readings, ask for assistance when you need to, and attend all the labs and lectures. Note: to
help everyone concentrate on the course material, no laptops should be open during class and cell
phones, PDAs etc. should be put away.
Grading
Lab assignments (7 x 50 points) 35%
Lab exercises 15%
Final project 40%
Class participation 10%

Note on the schedule

I will bring guest speakers to class and the syllabus will need to be adjusted depending on their
availability. To keep this class current, I also regularly research and communicate with
colleagues about the latest in GIS applications and resources, which might lead me to revamp the
schedule. We will always discuss any changes well ahead of time. You will not be asked to turn
in any assignment earlier than the date indicated in the syllabus.

A Notice on Accommodations for Religious Holidays

By UT Austin policy, you must notify either instructor of your pending absence at least fourteen
days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an
examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be
given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty

Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University.
Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University,
policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. Students are expected to comply with
the University of Texas Honor Code, which states: The core values of The University of Texas at
Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity and responsibility.
Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty,
trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. For further information please visit the
Student Judicial Services Website: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs.
 LECTURE SCHEDULE

PART I: SPEAKING TRUTHS OR TELLING LIES WITH MAPS

Thur., Aug. 25: Course introduction, logistics, and getting to know each other
GTK ArcGIS Chapters 1 and 2.

Tue., Aug. 30: Introduction to GIS: history, components, and applications

Maantay, Juliana and John Ziegler. 2006. GIS for the Urban
Environment, Ch. 1. Redlands: ESRI Press.
Heywood, Ian, Sarah Cornelius and Steve Carver. 2002. An
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems, Ch. 1, pp. 13-
18. London: Prentice Hall.
USGS Geographic Information Systems poster.

Techniques: GIS file structure

Optional:
Steiner, Frederick. 2004. “Healing the earth: the relevance of Ian
McHarg’s work for the future.” Philosophy & Geography 7 (1):
141-149.
Chrisman, “What does ‘GIS’ Mean?” pp. 175-186 in Transactions
in GIS 3 (2), 1999.
Longley et al., “Systems, science and study,” pp. 10-26 in
Geographic Information Systems and Science.
Longley et al., “A gallery of applications,” pp. 27-58 in
Geographic Information Systems and Science (skim).

Thur., Sep. 1: GIS in practice

Journey in GIS: Reflections and opportunities
(Browse the following links at
http://campotexas.org/programs_rd_maps.php,
http://www.capcog.org/information-clearinghouse/)
Sui, D. 1999. GIS, Environmental Equity Analysis, and the
Modifiable Area Unit Problem (MAUP), Chap 5, p. 40-53 in
Massimo, C. and Onsrud H. (ed.), Geographic Information
Research: Trans-Atlantic Perspectives. Taylor and Francis,
London. Accessible via: books.google.com.

Tue., Sept. 6: Map production: layout, design, symbolization

Heywood, Ch. 8, pp. 155-170.
Brewer, “The big picture on design,” “Type Basics,” and
“Effective Type in Map Design,” pp. 1-88, in Designing Better
Maps: A Guide for GIS Users.
Maantay and Ziegler, pp. 135-153.
 Techniques: Symbolization and design principles

Optional:
Monmonier, “Map goals, map titles and creative labeling,” pp. 92-
117 in Mapping It Out.
Longley et al., “Visualization and user interaction,” pp. 248-260 in
Geographic Information Systems and Science

Thur., Sept. 8: Map production: lies, truth, and the power of representation
Charles, Daniel. 2005 “Do Maps Have Morals?” Technology
Review (June): 77-79.
Crampton, “Maps as social constructions,” pp. 235-252 in
Progress in Human Geography 25 (2), 2001 (skim).
Harley, “Deconstructing the map,” pp. 231-247 in Writing Worlds.

Techniques: Classification

Optional:
Wright, “Map Makers are Human,” pp. 527-544, in Geographical
Review, 32 (4), 1942.
Monmonier, pp. 1-4, 88-99, and 157-159 in How to Lie with Maps.
Edsall, “Cultural Factors in Digital Cartographic Design,” pp. 121-
128 in Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 34 (2),
2007.

Tue., Sept. 13: Map production: projections, datums, coordinate systems,

and other cartography basics
Heywood, pp. 20-35.
Maantay and Ziegler, Ch. 2.

Optional:
Longley et al., “Georeferencing,” pp. 79-96 in Geographic
Information Systems and Science.

Thur., Sept. 15: GIS, planning, and rationality

O’Looney, “GIS and decision making,” pp. 19-38, in Beyond
Maps.
Kent and Klosterman, “GIS and mapping: pitfalls for planners,”
pp. 189-198, in APA Journal 66 (2): 2000.
Flyvbjerg, “Bringing power to planning research,” pp. 353-366, in
Journal of Planning Education and Research 21, 2002 (skim).

Techniques: Projections

Optional:
Aitken and Michel, “Who contrives the “real” in GIS?” pp. 17-29,
in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems 22 (1), 1995.
 Accessible at:
http://courses.washington.edu/cp200/Aitken_Michel_1995.pdf.

Tue. Sept. 20: Brief discussion of project ideas and project development
Booth, Colomb and Williams, Chapter 3, in The Craft of Research.
O’Leary, Chapter 3, in The Essential Guide to Doing Research.

Optional:
Maxwell, Chapter 1 and 7, in Qualitative Research Design.

Thur., Sept 22: Attribute data management

Maantay and Ziegler, pp. 58-74, 83-86, and Ch. 4.
GTK ArcGIS Chapter 11.
ArcGIS Desktop Help,
http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.2/index.cfm?TopicName=
An_overview_of_commonly_used_tools

Optional:
Heywood, Ch. 4, pp. 71-87.
Heywood, Ch. 6, 109-135.
Maantay and Ziegler, pp. 213-218.
Monmonier, “Statistical maps, data scaling and data
classification,” pp. 158-185 in Mapping It Out.

Tue., Sept. 27: Data acquisition management and quality concerns

Heywood, Ch. 5, pp. 89-108.
Chrisman, “Speaking truth to power,” pp. 27-31 in Spatial
Accuracy Assessment, ed. Lowell and Jaton (skim).
Maantay and Ziegler, Ch. 6 and 7

Techniques: Principles of georeferencing and GPS

Optional:
Veregin, “Data quality parameters,” pp. 177-189 in Geographical
Information Systems, ed. Longley et al.
Couclelis, “The certainty of uncertainty,” pp. 165-175 in
Transactions in GIS 7 (2), 2003.
Longley et al., “GIS data collection,” pp. 205-224 in Geographic
Information Systems and Science.

PART II: PARTICIPATION, JUSTICE AND ACCESS TO GIS

Thur., Sept. 29: Demographics and the politics of maps and data
Guest speaker: Ryan Robinson, City Demographer, Austin

Thurs., Sept. 29: Final project proposal and preliminary data sources due by 6pm.
Tue., Oct. 4: Preliminary discussion of final projects.
Brewer, “Color Basics” and “Color Decisions for Mapping,” pp.
89-140, in Designing Better Maps.
Maantay and Ziegler, pp. 126-135.

Thur., Oct. 6: GPS and ArcPad introduction and practice.

Rey, “An Introduction to GPS.”
Peason et al., “Mobile GIS Speeds Inventory,” pp. 45-48 in
ArcUser, 11 (2), Spring 2008.
ESRI, User Showcase: Using GIS with GPS (skim).
ArcGIS Desktop Help: Geoprocessing and Buffering.

Optional:
Maantay and Ziegler, pp. 213-218.

Tue., Oct. 11: PPGIS and WebGIS

Ghose, “Use of information technology for community
empowerment,” pp. 141-163 in Transactions in GIS 5 (2), 2001.
Ganapati, Sukumar. 2010. Using Geographic Information Systems
to Increase Citizen Engagement, pp. 13-32.
Maantay and Ziegler, pp. 272-286.

Optional:
Elwood, “GIS use in community planning,” pp. 905-922 in
Environment and Planning A 34, 2002.
Sui and Goodchild, “GIS as media?” pp. 387-390 in International
Journal of Geographical Information Science 15 (5), 2001.
Aberley, “The Lure of Mapping: An Introduction,” pp. 1-7, in
Boundaries of Home.
Parker, “Living neighborhood maps: the next wave of local
community development.”
Abbot et al., “Participatory GIS: opportunity or oxymoron?” in
PLA Notes 33, 1998.
Talen, “Bottom-up GIS,” in Journal of the American Planning
Association 66 (3), 2000.
Sawicki and Craig, “The democratization of data,” pp. 512-523, in
APA Journal 62(4), 1996.

Thur., Oct. 13: Environmental and social justice and GIS

Corbett and Keller, “Using community information systems to
communicate traditional knowledge embedded in the landscape,”
in Mapping for Change: Practice, Technologies and
Communication, 2006.
Elwood, “Negotiating Knowledge Production: The Everyday
Inclusions, Exclusions, and Contradictions of Participatory
GIS Research,” in The Professional Geographer, 58(2), 2006.
 Esnard et al., “Environmental Justice, GIS and Pedagogy,” in
CARTOGRAPHICA 38 (3&4), 2001.
“Geocoding,” Arc GIS Desktop Help, beginning at:
http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.2/index.cfm?TopicName=
An_overview_of_geocoding

Techniques: Principles of geocoding and spatial statistics.

Optional:
Weiner and Harris, “Community-integrated GIS for land reform in
South Africa,” paper presented at GISOC, June 1999.
Faber, “The Struggle for Ecological Democracy and
Environmental Justice,” pp. 1-26, in The Struggle for Ecological
Democracy. Accessible via: books.google.com.

PART III: GIS, VISUALIZATION, AND DESIGN

Tue., Oct. 18: Introduction to remote sensing

Harwell, “Remote sensibilities,” pp. 307-340 in Development and
Change 31 (2), 2000.
Turner and Taylor, “Critical reflections on the use of remote
sensing and GIS technologies in human ecological research,” pp.
177-182 in Human Ecology 31 (2), 2003.

Optional:
Turner, “Methodological reflections on the use of remote sensing
and geographic information science in human ecological research,”
pp. 255-279 in Human Ecology 31 (2), 2003.

Thur., Oct. 20: Introduction to remote sensing contd.

“The Maumee River Watershed in Northwestern Ohio Inventoried
With GIS,” ArcNews Online, Summer 2004.
Maantay and Ziegler, pp. 219-230 and pp. 349-354.

Techniques: Suitability analysis

Tue., Oct. 25: Raster-based GIS and suitability analysis.

Guest speaker: Jon Meade, Senior GIS Analyst, Watershed

Protection Department, City of Austin

Thur., Oct. 27: 3D GIS analysis: principles, programs, and methods

Maantay and Ziegler, Ch. 12 and pp. 367-375.

Thurs., Oct. 27: Data for final project due (bring to lab).
Tue., Nov. 1: 3D GIS, urban design, and Google Earth
Esnard et el., “Interoperable three-dimensional GIS urban
modeling with ArcGIS 3D Analyst and SketchUp,” in ArcUser
Online, January-March 2007.
http://www.esri.com/news/arcwatch/0210/feature.html.
Flora, “Google Earth Impact: Saving Science Dollars and
Illuminating Geo-Science,” in ECONTENT, April 2007.
Wheeler, Carla. 2010. “Designing GeoDesign.” ArcWatch
http://www.esri.com/news/arcwatch/0210/feature.html.
Zwick, Paul. 2010. “The world beyond GIS.” Planning (July): 20-
23.

Optional:
Katz, “Google SketchUp Pro 5.0,” in ShootReview, August 2006.
Mak, Ann Shuk-Han et al., “Developing a City Skyline for Hong
Kong Using GIS and Urban Design Guidelines,” in URISA
Journal, 17 (1), 2005 (skim).

Thur., Nov. 3: 3D GIS, participation and planning: critical perspectives

Hudson-Smith et al., “Building the virtual city: public participation
through e-democracy,” in Knowledge, Technology & Policy 18 (1),
Spring 2005.
Dangermond, “GIS and the GeoWeb,” pp. 1 and 21 in Arc News,
30 (2), Summer 2008.
Galef, Julia, “Keeping Cartography Alive,” Metropolismag.com,
http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20090813/keeping-
cartography-alive
Kim and Bejleri, “A Real-time 3D GIS Simulation Tool for
Participatory Urban Design,” in Urban and Regional Information
Systems Association Conference Proceedings, Annual 2005 (skim).

Optional:
Hanzl, “Information technology as a tool for public participation in
urban planning: a review of experiments and potentials,” in Design
Studies 28, 2007.

Guest speaker: Ross Clark, Program Manager,

Communications and Technology Management, City of Austin

Sun., Nov. 6: Final project outline due (submit to Blackboard).

Tue., Nov. 8: Discussion of final project.

Thur., Nov. 10: Discussion of final project.

Mon., Nov. 14: Draft map for final project due (submit to Blackboard).
Tue., Nov. 15: Map design critique. Guest reviewer.

Thur., Nov. 17: Map design critique. Guest reviewer.

Tue., Nov. 22: Future of GIS: Control, access, and technological

developments
Sheppard et al., “Geographies of the information society,” pp. 797-
823 in International Journal of Geographic Information Science
13 (8), 1999 (skim).
Drummond, William and Steven French. “The Future of GIS in
Planning,” in JAPA, 74 (2), 2008.
Ferreira, Joseph. “Messed up by Mashups,” in JAPA, 74 (2), 2008.
Heywood, Ch. 13, pp. 253-265.

Guest speaker: TBD, CAMPO's Demographic Allocation Tool

White Paper of CAMPO Demographic Allocation Tool
http://campotexas.org/pdfs/Demographic_Allocation_Tool_White_
Paper.pdf

Optional:
Longley et al., “Epilog,” pp. 437-448 in Geographic Information
Systems and Science.

Thur., Nov. 24: No class; Thanksgiving Holiday.

Tue., Nov. 29: Indigenous mapping, GIS, and land-rights

Herlihy and Knapp, “Maps of, by, and for the Peoples of Latin
America,” pp. 303-314, Human Organization 62 (4), 2003.
Tripathi and Bhattarya, “Integrating indigenous knowledge and
GIS for participatory natural resource management,” pp. 1-13 in
EJISDC 17 (3), 2004.
Hodgson and Schroeder, “Dilemmas of counter-mapping
community resources in Tanzania,” pp. 79-100 in Development
and Change 33, 2002.

Optional:
Poole, “Indigenous lands and power mapping in the Americas,” in
Native Americas 15 (4), 1998.

Thur., Dec. 1: Last class day. Course review; evaluations.

PART IV: FINAL PRESENTATIONS

Wed., Dec. 7: Final presentations (times and location to be determined)

Thurs., Dec. 8: Final presentations (times and location to be determined)
Fri., Dec. 9: Final presentations (times and location to be determined)
LAB SCHEDULE
September 1: Introduction to the computer lab, and basic layer properties.
Read GTK ArcGIS Chapters 1 and 2 before lab.
Work on GTK Exercise 3a,b,c; 4a,b,c; and 5a,b,c,d in lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at the end of lab.

September 8: Designing maps.

Complete Exercise 19a,b,c,d and 6a,b,c,d and 7a,b,c before lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
Begin Lab Assignment #1: Map Design

September 15: Projections.

Complete GTK Exercise 13 a, b before lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
* Lab Assignment #1 due at the beginning of the lab.
Begin Lab Assignment #2: Projections.

September 22: Attribute data management.

Introduction to Census data, lab demonstrations and tutorials.
Complete GTK Exercise 8a, b, c; 9a, b; and 10a, b before lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
* Lab Assignment #2 due at the beginning of the lab.
Begin Lab Assignment #3: Analysis with Census data.

September 29: Georeferencing, GPS methods, and adding GPS data.

Complete GTK Exercise 15a, b and 16a, b, c before lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
* Lab assignment #3 due at the beginning of the lab.
Final project proposal and preliminary data sources due by 6pm.
Begin Lab Assignment #4: Georeferencing and GPS.

October 6: GPS methods and adding GPS data contd.

Fieldwork for Lab Assignment #4: Georeferencing and GPS.

October 13: Address matching (Geocoding) and spatial statistics.

Complete GTK Exercise 17a, b, c before lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
* Lab Assignment #4 due at the beginning of the lab.
Begin Lab Assignment #5: Address matching (Geocoding).

October 20: Spatial analysis.

Introduction to suitability analysis and raster processing.
Complete Exercise 11a, b, c, d and 12a, b, c before class.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
* Lab Assignment #5 due at the beginning of the lab.
Begin Lab Assignment #6: Suitability analysis and 3D modeling.
October 27: 3D GIS.
Introduction to ArcScene, 3D analysis, and design applications.
Data for final project due at the beginning of lab.
Continue working on Lab Assignment #6.

November 3: Shared content GIS: SketchUp and Google Earth.

* Lab Assignment #6 due at the beginning of the lab.
Begin Lab Assignment #7: SketchUp and Google Earth.

November 6: Final project outline due (submit to Blackboard).

November 10: Shared content GIS contd.

Introduction to templates.
Complete Exercise 18a, b, c before lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
Continue working on Lab Assignment 7.

November 14: Draft map submitted to Blackboard.

November 17: Creating models and geodatabases; work on final projects.

Introduction to models and geodatabases.
Complete Exercise 14a, b, c and 20a, b, c before lab.
* Show completed GTK exercises to TA at beginning of lab.
* Lab Assignment #7 due at the beginning of the lab.

November 24: No lab; Thanksgiving Holiday.

December 1: Optional lab, Work on final projects.

Techniques reviews if necessary; sign up for TA assistance.

December 2-6: Sign up for individual TA assistance on a first-come first-serve

basis.

Wed., Dec. 7: Final presentations (times and location to be determined)

Thurs., Dec. 8: Final presentations (times and location to be determined)
Fri., Dec. 9: Final presentations (times and location to be determined)
 GENERAL LAB INSTRUCTIONS

1. All your assignments must be turned in as hard copies; i.e. digital versions or
assignments submitted via email will not be accepted.
2. You must also save pdfs of your maps your assignments on the “courses” folder,
as instructed.
3. All memos and maps should be stapled together.
4. Some of your maps should be printed in color; others in black and white.
Carefully read all lab assignment instructions.
5. The margins of your map layouts, when printed, should be at least 1”.
6. You must follow the memo format, attached, including your initials on the first
page, for all your assignments.
7. You should spend some time in the computer lab early in the semester to
familiarize yourself with printing procedures, to choose a computer that works
well for you, and to navigate the network and different servers with ease. This
will allow you to focus on your assignment during the lab period.
8. It’s a good idea to arrive ½ hour early for lab, start your computer, and begin
reviewing the next lab assignment. This way, you’ll be better prepared for the
TA’s instructions.
9. You should *never* wait until the last minute to print your maps! The printer cue
is likely to be long and you will not be able to turn in your assignment on time.
And remember, long printing cue’s is not an acceptable excuse for turning in your
assignment late. You must turn in your assignment by the beginning of lab; this
will help everyone concentrate and pay attention to the TA’s instructions. See the
“due dates” section on page 2 of this syllabus.
10. You can attend both lab sessions if you want, but the co-instructor, Karen Banks,
will prioritize assisting students who are scheduled to attend that particular
session. You should not switch sessions without the approval of Ms. Banks.
11. The lab session is a professional working environment and all students are
expected to follow UT rules of professional conduct. For further information see
the Student Judicial Services Website: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs.
 TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM INSTRUCTIONS

1. Introduction to Technical Memoranda

The technical memorandum is a method of communicating the results of your research in

a concise fashion.

Technical memoranda are considered professional reports. A technical memorandum

should describe and analyze data, explain specific analytic techniques and then relate the
analysis to a larger context. When appropriate, theoretical considerations or limitations
of your techniques should be covered. Memoranda are often accompanied by maps,
tables, charts, or figures which help to explain the findings described in your memoranda.

Knowing your audience is of critical importance when writing a memorandum. Often

your audience will not have the time, skills, or interest to completely understand the
minutia that interest you. You must attempt to present your research questions, data,
methods, and findings in the simplest manner possible. This is a challenging but very
effective manner of writing. Writing technical memoranda is a critical skill to becoming
an effective planner, administrator, program evaluator, or policy researcher.

2. Format of a Technical Memorandum

The first part of the memorandum should set out the issue or problem in 2-3 sentences.
Draw your audience to the issue, but do not yet discuss your results, assumptions, or
methods.

Next, discuss the methods used to produce your findings: explain your choice of
technique, describe why it is appropriate, detail the underlying assumptions and
limitations, etc. Techniques should be explained in enough detail and language simple
enough so that the reader obtains a basic understanding of the analytic technique. You
should also briefly mention your data source. A more complete accounting of your data
is more appropriate for an appendix.

Then, present and analyze your findings. Your text should interpret and explain your
findings. Findings often come in the form of summary graphs, tables, or maps, all with
accompanying text. These figures should be easy to read and understand. As you
identify and explain the significant results of a chart, table or map, do not merely recite
descriptive statistics found in a chart, table or map. This can make for boring reading.
You should use your limited space to quickly draw attention to your major findings.
Small tables and charts may be placed in the body of your memo, or referenced as
appendices. Maps generally should be included as attachments. The findings section can
be used to answer specific questions asked of you. Itemize your answers in the order of
the questions posed to you at the outset of research.

Lastly, draw your conclusions. If not previously mentioned in your memorandum, you
should quickly state the limitations of your data or techniques, implications of your
findings, and possible sources of the changes or trends you have observed. Your
conclusion should place your findings within the broader perspective.

3. Properly Citing Sources and Reference Material

Even though a technical memorandum should be a relatively short, concise summary

where you discuss the most important aspects of the assignment, it is imperative that you
cite references and source material. Citing references within the memorandum gives
credit to the originator of those ideas that you are discussing in the memo. Properly
acknowledging the source of the idea also adds credibility to your summary and the point
of views which is conveys. It makes your argument stronger by demonstrating how an
“expert of the field’s” opinion supports or runs contrary to ideas in your memo.

Ideas that are taken from reference material and summarized into your own words should
have a citation that acknowledges where the idea came from. Ideas that are copied word
for word need to be enclosed in quotation marks.

Geospatial data sources (for instance, printed maps, shapefiles from CD ROMs, aerial
photos downloaded from an ftp server) also need to be properly cited. In this class, you
should use the standards provided here:
http://www.geography.wisc.edu/maplib/Citation_Guide_new.html

Books with Guidelines on how to Cite Reference Materials:

Writers Reference 1999 MLA and APA Update
by Diana Hacker

The Essentials of MLA Style: A Guide to Documentation for Writers of Research Papers
by Joseph F. Trimmer

Harcourt Guide to MLA Documentation

by Linda Smoak Schwartz

Website with Guidelines on how to Cite Reference Materials:

http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/

Information on UT’s standards and policies related to plagiarism:

http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php

I expect you to use a specific format for all technical memorandums assigned for this
course; see the next page for the model to follow:
MEMORANDUM

To: Full Name, Title

From: Full Names (s), Titles (initial here)
Date: Date (Spell it out. For example: February 10, 2005.)
RE: Concise subject of your memo (in Bold).

I. Purpose or Introduction to Topic

II. Methods of Analysis or Project Summary

III. Data Sources (may be combined with section II if appropriate)

IV. Findings

V. Conclusions

VI. Appendices (if needed)

 FINAL PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS
For your final project, you will craft a research question that pertains to a social, environmental,
or economic issue that has important planning implications for the City of Austin or Travis
County. You will use data from the sources below to analyze the issue. You may gather data
from sources other than those listed below however, the data should pertain to Austin or Travis
County.

Data Sources:
Austin Area GIS Data
● City of Austin GIS Data Sets: ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/GIS-Data/Regional/coa_gis.html
● City of Austin Neighborhood Planning and Zoning Department, Spatial Analysis Group:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/landuse/spatial.htm
● Capitol Area Council of Governments Information Clearinghouse:
http://www.capcog.org/information-clearinghouse/geospatial-data/
● Austin Historical Survey Web Tool Maps & GIS Data:
http://soa.utexas.edu/hp/austin_survey_maps
● Capital Metro Geospatial Data: http://www.capmetro.org/gisdata/gisdata.asp
● Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization:
http://www.campotexas.org/programs_gis.php

Texas GIS Data

● Texas General Land Office: http://www.glo.texas.gov/GLO/agency-
administration/gis/gis-data.html
● Texas Association of Counties: http://www.county.org/resources/countydata/index.asp
● UT Center for Space Research: http://magic.csr.utexas.edu/data.htm
● Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer: http://txsdc.utsa.edu/
● Texas Water Development Board: http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/mapping/gisdata.asp
● Texas Natural Resources Information System:
http://www.tnris.state.tx.us/DataCatalog/Index.aspx
● Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/gis/
National Demographic/Economic GIS Data
● ESRI Free GIS Data: http://www.esri.com/data/free-data/index.html
● Geodata.gov: http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos
● US Census American Factfinder:
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
● Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics: http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/
● Bureau of Economic Analysis: http://www.bea.gov/
● Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/

General instructions:
Due date: Final project reports are due Wednesday, December 7, by 8:30 am, in a box
outside of instructors’ office in Sutton Hall (SUT 3.124B).

Late papers: lose 10% of the grade. No final projects will be accepted after 8:30 am,
Monday, December 12. You will receive a grade of 0 on your final project.
Length: Between 12-15 pages including appendices and maps. The page length does not
include the Title Page. There should be no separate documents attached with paper clips
etc.; i.e. all your information should be included within the stapled report.
Type/size: Times New Roman 12 point.
Spacing: Single-spaced.

Page format: The report should be single-sided (not double-sided, or “duplex”). Use 1 ½
inch left margin; one-inch right margin. Make sure you use plenty of white space for ease
of reading and grading.

Page numbering: Make sure you number each page except the title page. The first page
following the title page should be numbered page 2, and should be your Executive
Summary. You should have a blank page at the very end of your report, serving as a
back cover. Do not number that last page, on either side. It should be just a blank sheet
of paper.

Header: On each page, include a header with your full name, the title of the project, the
course number, and the semester/year.

Deliverables: You should turn in two hard copies, stapled, in color. You should also
email the instructors a pdf of your final project. Instructors and TAs will grade and
return one hard copy to you and keep the other in an archive here in Sutton. Your project
might also be posted online on the CRP GIS “showcase” page,
http://soa.utexas.edu/crp/gis/showcase.

Grading: The final project is worth 40% of your total grade for the course, i.e. 400 points
max. Of these 400 points, the project report accounts for about 80%. The final
presentation is worth about 10%. The preliminary deliverables (i.e. the project idea,
proposal, outline, and draft map) together account for about 10%.

HINTS:
-it’s important to continually write down every step you take in your analysis and
the name of the files you use and create, so you can summarize this information in
your report. It just adds a few minutes to your work every time, but might save you
hours later on.
-start writing bits and pieces of your project report right away, so you don’t have to
write everything at once.
-don’t wait to get started because this will take MUCH more time than you think,
and the TAs’ time will be limited the two last weeks of the semester
-remember that you can add this project report to your portfolio and show to
potential employers. This project can be much more useful to you than just
something you did to complete a course requirement!
Content:
Your report should contain the following, in this order.

1. Title page
This should include the title of your study, your name, your college affiliation, the
date, and the name of the course.

2. Executive summary
This section should be titled Executive Summary and be numbered page number
2. You should not write more than ¾ page of text and you should not include any
illustrations. You should tell us what the general problem or situation or issue is,
what specifically you focused on, very briefly how you did your research and
analysis, what your findings were, what the ramifications or contributions are of
your findings, and what your recommendations are, if any.

3. Introduction
This section should introduce the reader to the issue you are studying. It should
give us the background of the problem or situation (e.g. brownfields need to be
developed because it can lead to economic development; diversity of language is
an asset to neighborhoods). Then you should summarize the literature and theory
surrounding the problem or the issue. Make sure you cite at least 4-5 studies.
Then you should tell us the story about the specific case or place you’re studying,
including a description and history of the place. It’s good to put in some statistics
or graphs here. You can also include photos or maps of the area, ideally your own
maps, but you can also download maps if they reproduce well. You should title
the section Introduction, but you can break it into sub-sections and make up
logical subtitles of your own. This section should be between 1-2 pages of text.

4. Problem statement
You can call this section Problem Statement, or Hypothesis, or whatever makes
most sense to you. The point here is to summarize your argument about the
problem or issue you have introduced, and present a hypothesis that you will test
in your study, or the central questions you will address. This should be about ½
page long.

5. Research questions
This is another brief section, less than ½ page, where you present your research
question(s) numbered or in bullet points. You can also combine this with section
4.

6. Methodology
This is where you tell us how you conducted your project from day one until you
finished your report. It should include:
-how you decided what data you needed (semi-detailed, 1-2 paragraphs)
-where and how you obtained your data (summary of 1-2 paragraphs)
-what data you obtained (summary of 1-2 paragraphs)
 -what steps you took to conduct your analysis (use bullet points etc. for ease of
readings, ½ - one page)

Remember that this is a summary of your methodology. You should list the very
specific details in your Appendix. This section should probably be about 1-2
pages of text. And, it will be much easier to write the Methodology section if you
take good notes throughout the semester!

7. Findings
This is where you present most of your maps, tables and graphs. It should be
around 5 pages long, but can be longer if you need to include many full-page
maps. Make sure you break it into sub-sections with logical subtitles. You do not
interpret or analyze your findings here. This is purely a presentation of data and
findings.

8. Analysis and Discussion/conclusion/recommendations

This is where you analyze your findings, which means interpreting what the
numbers or distributions of social and spatial phenomena might signify, what this
tells us about the issue you are studying, whether or not the data support your
original hypothesis, any possible errors or other caveats that might diminish the
validity of your findings, and what conclusions can be drawn beyond the analysis
of your findings. You should also discuss possible policy implications and
suggest what light the findings might shed on the problem at hand, how the results
of your study contribute to theory and what general questions the findings might
raise.

9. References
Be sure to include information about the sources for your data (who produced the
data you obtained (name of the organization/government agency that produced the
info); what website or what office (address, name of contact, and contact
information) you acquired your data from.

10. Appendix
You should insert one single page that says APPENDIX between the end of
section 8, 9 or 10, and the appendix pages. In the Appendix you tell us the
following:
-how exactly you did your analysis (“I clipped this file to that file, than merged
the resulting file with that file,” “I selected these attributes,” etc. etc.)
-summary of the metadata
-caveats/possible errors/potential sources of inaccuracy
-anything else that is relevant to assessing the strength of your study, but which
you don’t include in the text

Make sure you format the Appendix in a readable way, using subtitles in bold type, bullet
points, and lots of white space. Remember, it will be much easier to assemble and write
the Appendix if you take good notes during the course of the semester!
 FINAL PRESENTATION INSTRUCTIONS

General Instructions:
Presentation dates: Wednesday, Dec. 7; Thursday, Dec. 8; or Friday, Dec. 9.
Presentation location: TBA.
Attendance requirement: You are only required to be present for the duration of your
session, approximately 2 hours.
Session chair: Your session members (i.e. those students who present in one session) will
elect a session chair. The only responsibility of the chair is to introduce the session (the
title and theme of the session), and then introduce each speaker in turn. I or someone else
will watch the clock to ensure the presenters don’t go over their allotted time.
Presentation length: Your presentation should be between 10 and 12 minutes. You must
practice your presentation beforehand so you are polished in your delivery and finish
within the allotted time. We will warn you when you have 5 and then 2 minutes left.
When your time is up you need to stop.
Format: You should present using PowerPoint. If you want and time allows, you can
make handouts or display other visuals, but that’s not a requirement.
Presentation outline: Your PowerPoint should include a title page with your name and
the title of your presentation only, in addition to an illustration or photo, if you wish. The
second slide should display the Content of your presentation. Other than that, there are
no specific format requirements. You’ll be able to download past presentations from the
class Blackboard site to use as models.
Audience: The presentations will be open to anyone, including professors. I will make a
flyer and put up in Sutton and also send an announcement to the list serve. You should
also invite the members of any organization you might have been working with.

HINTS:
It’s difficult to read text smaller than 18 point, so you should limit your text to just a
few lines on each page. Make sure you allow enough time for people to look at your
maps or other illustrations; i.e. you should spend more time on each slide than you
feel is necessary. Remember, you know your maps intimately, but your audience
doesn’t. You should probably not have more than about 10 slides in your
presentation. Recall that PowerPoint lends itself to visuals, so include graphs,
tables, maps, photos, and other relevant illustrations. Your PowerPoint
presentation and your final project can be very useful in job interviews and
professional presentations, so imagine you will be presenting to a roomful of
professionals.

Remember, your principal task is to complete your project and your project report.
Don’t start working on your PowerPoint until you’re completely done with your
data analysis.