Spring Meeting Schedule

Presentation

We all know the scenario... that trusty old ArcIMS site has been running fine for years and everyone loves it. However, this new fancy technology has come along where we can now have really cool-looking web applications that do flashy things and integrate data from anywhere on the planet… including the “cloud”. The question is, should I abandon my old ArcIMS friend and move to one of the new-kids-the-block (Flex or Silverlight)? If so, what does it involve? Is there increased maintenance? Will it have the same functions? What are the plusses and minuses? This presentation will cover the process an agency may go through to migrate an existing web application to a new technology, review the benefits and pitfalls of the process, and provide development tips-and-tricks. Real world case studies and speed/functionality benchmarking between old and new applications will be demonstrated.

Presentation

SmartChoices, a web-based map application that helps city and suburban parents navigate public school choices in the metropolitan Hartford region, was created by a team of Trinity College students, staff, faculty, and community partners. Using ArcGIS, we digitized attendance zone boundaries and trackLocations for over 200 district and interdistrict schools, and constructed a parent-friendly, address-specific eligibility search tool that sorts results by school name, distance from home, racial balance, and test scores. To date, users have conducted over 4,000 distinct searches on the website, and we have conducted 94 in-depth parent interviews in workshops designed to bridge the digital divide. Our research findings reveal how and why SmartChoices influences parental decision-making for about two-thirds of our workshop participants. Our open-source software is freely available and can be modified for other regions. Try our website at:

  http://SmartChoicesHartford.org

Presentation

Recently, MAPC has undertaken a new form of local planning assistance with 3D visualization creation and presentation. The work has ranged from a complete model of Boston's Chinatown to zoning reform in Weymouth Landing, MA. This presentation will detail best practices with 3D model construction and presentation methods primarily, with some tips and tricks for software from Sketchup, to Photoshop, to ArcMap, and online resources like Google’s 3D Warehouse.

Presentation

A service-learning course at Pace University provides community groups with maps. Since the groups always want changes in the maps, we’ve begun to use ArcPublisher to create ArcReader files that provide the users with the flexibility to manipulate their maps and customize them by themselves. Online instructional videos help the students to prepare the maps and the users to work with the maps.

Presentation

The City of Newton does not have an official Master Address List. The official addresses are kept on vellum and paper sheets that are often torn, faded or missing. Given the many needs for good addresses we have developed a de facto GIS address points layer. This presentation discusses the creation methods, uses and future plans for this important data layer.

Presentation

The University of Connecticut Libraries Map and Geographic Information Center – MAGIC is in the early stages of developing a series of new GIS resources that are intended for use within the classroom. With a collection of over 200,000 print maps, MAGIC is experimenting with multiple avenues to increase usage of GIS datasets and digitized map collections by developing interactive activities that can be utilized by educators. By harnessing the power of Web 2.0 technologies, maps can become dynamic and with the development of Google Earth KML files and Google Map Mash-ups users will be able to explore geographic data and concepts within a familiar interface.

Expanding upon MAGIC’s collaborative mantra, Trinity College and MAGIC have been awarded a $100,800 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to develop GIS datasets and digitize historic maps that can be incorporated into online interactive mapping experiences. Join us as we explore the goals of this collaboration, a direct result of the Spring 2009 NEArc conference, and how you might benefit and/or collaborate on future projects at MAGIC.

Presentation

Have you heard about Twitter? Have you wondered what Facebook and LinkedIn have to offer? This lightening round presentation will quickly review some of the social media sites and characters on the web and how they relate to the geo-spatial community.

Presentation

Addressing is a key database for municipal GIS staff and users. It has been the key to integrating enterprise systems in Cambridge with GIS. Clearly from a recent NEARC listserv discussion and initiatives by MassGIS it is a topic of interest. I will rather quickly talk about how the addressing project has improved GIS workflow in Cambridge and some plans on how to leverage my investment now that I have a functional addressing database.

Presentation

Database- and XML-driven apps just make sense. Why build an app using a custom or proprietary configuration when that configuration itself may have a much longer life than the app that is built upon it? We’ll take a quick at how a database-driven application configuration can work and how it has the potential to provide greater scalability, fewer headaches, and a common link for those who are more comfortable in a database than in a sea of obscure code.

Presentation

The University of Connecticut Libraries Map and Geographic Information Center - MAGIC is looking to the future and wondering… what’s next? Join us as we have a five minute thunderstorm to identify trends, potential applications, and how they can be applied to providing access to maps and GIS data.

Presentation

I’ve been involved with GIS for 25 years and I’m still frustrated that it hasn’t lived up to its potential for helping us live more sustainably on this planet. However, the trends are leading us closer to finally living the dream of having the power of GIS seamlessly integrated into the design processes that determine how we develop our human imprint on the Earth. Hardware has gotten faster and more powerful, data is more accurate and accessible, and software is more powerful and easier to use. But we still don’t have GeoDesign as Jack Dangermond has envisioned it. We need it and I’ll tell you why.

Presentation

GIS has moved rapidly from a technology used primarily by geographers, environmental scientists, and planners to one employed by professionals working in public health, sales, and other diverse fields. This presentation will discuss how GIS can be incorporated into the fundraising efforts of universities, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations. Specifically, it will look at the application of GIS to development research — a sub-field of fundraising that involves analyzing the giving potential of existing donors, patients, or alumni and identifying promising new prospects.

The presentation will propose ways that GIS and spatial analysis and display can help development researchers analyze and expand their organizations’ existing donor-bases. GIS can help researchers and fundraisers identify promising prospects, determine their giving potential, and decide how best to approach them. The goal is to show that GIS can serve as another powerful analytical tool in an organization’s development research efforts.

Presentation

Ski resorts across the country use a standard system to describe the increasing difficulty of their slopes: green circles, blue squares, black diamonds. But how do they really compare? A class of landscape-analyzing students at Amherst College used trail maps, orthoimagery, and digital elevation models to calculate topographic gradients and determine who has the steepest slopes and who overrates their trails.

Presentation

An essential part of effectively managing a GIS in the public sector involves determining whether and how to procure third party products and services. This presentation starts with a discussion of the decision to outsource or purchase types of GIS components and support, and the important steps for ensuring you’ve defined your requirements and budget. The presentation then focuses on the procurement process, presenting a variety of Dos and Don’ts for planning, writing, and issuing a request for proposals, including proposal evaluation and scoring, interviews, BAFO, and award. Emphasis is given to ways to minimize risks and increase the clarity of your request, what to include and how to ask for the information you need, ways to organize and speed up the process, where to get help, and other tips. Examples drawn from a variety of reference materials will be presented to illustrate each of these topics.

Presentation

The national unemployment rate in the recent recession has been the highest since the 1930s. However, focusing on the national rate masks the geographic dispersion of unemployment and hides its geographic origins. Applying GIS to the progression of unemployment rates by state reveals valuable insights into the origin of this recession.

Geographic analysis of the United States further reveals that the US is made up of several economic regions each of which is different enough from the others to require a more regional analysis to understand “the” US economy.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) recently launched a new website, Connecticut Environmental Conditions Online (CT ECO) that includes the latest and most accessible online maps and tools for viewing Connecticut’s environmental and natural resource information.

The new CT ECO website, www.cteco.uconn.edu, includes environmental and natural resource information for Connecticut such as protected open space, farmland soils, wetland soils, aquifer protection areas, water quality classifications, and drainage basins. Each can be viewed separately or in conjunction with other environmental and natural resource information and orthophotography.

CLEAR and DEP will present a live demonstration of CT ECO that introduces the website and illustrates how natural resource and environmental information is now available to a wider range of users than before. A variety of data, tools and techniques will be covered that demonstrate how CT ECO can be used not only by the GIS proficient, but also by a casual map user.

CT ECO includes:

• Data and Resource Guides – Online descriptions of environmental data and maps.
• Map Catalog – Town maps in PDF format.
• Simple Map Viewer – Easy to use interactive map viewer for thematic maps.
• Advanced Map Viewer – Interactive map with more access to tools and data than the Simple Map Viewer.
• Map Services – For GIS users to connect CT ECO data with their desktop GIS.

Presentation

Coordinating National Geospatial Program (NGP) Activities and Programs Throughout New England

The USGS Geospatial Liaison Network consists of USGS Geospatial Liaisons housed in National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Partnership Offices across the nation. These liaisons and offices perform numerous partnership related functions in support of the NSDI, The National Map and Geospatial One Stop. They represent and coordinate National Geospatial Program (NGP) initiatives in state, local, and other federal agencies, cultivate and maintain long-term relationships, and develop partnerships and supporting agreements. The USGS Geospatial Liaison Network is the “local face” of the USGS NSDI and NGP programs:

  http://liaisons.usgs.gov/geospatial/

The USGS state liaison network has helped develop and supports many strategic geospatial partnerships that continue to build the NSDI across the NEARC community. USGS state liaison representatives also assist governments and agencies applying for annual grant funding through the NSDI Cooperative Agreement Program (CAP) Grant program which has lead to numerous grant awards including support for strategic planning in the region.

This presentation will provide an overview of the USGS National Geospatial Program, highlight examples of projects supported by the NGP and describe how organizations can take advantage of NGP funding, products and services. USGS/Partner programs will be highlighted and discussed.

Presentation

Invasive aquatic plants are problems in many Connecticut lakes and ponds. They negatively affect ecosystems, recreation and the value of nearby real estate. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s Invasive Aquatic Plant Program (CAES IAPP) has conducted field surveys of 162 lakes and ponds (www.ct.gov/caes/iapp) and found nearly two-thirds contained one or more of 11 invasive plant species. Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), minor naiad (Najas minor) and curly leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) are the three mostly frequently observed invasive species. Field aquatic plant surveys are costly and time consuming. Remote sensing utilizes aerial imagery to determine surface features including vegetation. If remote sensing could be found suitable for quantifying aquatic vegetation the benefits would be considerable.

Candlewood Lake is Connecticut’s largest lake, 5086 acres, and is used both recreationally and for hydroelectric power generation. CAES IAPP has conducted field surveys of the lake for several years and found it to contain large areas of Eurasian watermilfoil and smaller areas of minor naiad and curly leaf pondweed. The watermilfoil is in large monostands that often reach the surface. Thirteen native aquatic plant species are also present. In 2008, four band (red, green, blue, and near infrared) aerial imagery of Connecticut was performed as part of the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP). This imagery has one meter resolution and areas of Candlewood Lake’s watermilfoil appear visible to the naked eye. Using ArcGIS 9.3.1 we compared these areas with our 2008 field surveys. The correlation was very good in many areas. In a few cases the imagery picked up watermilfoil that was likely missed by the field survey. Some areas had reduced visibility due to boat wakes, shadowing by trees, and other factors limiting this technique. Other species were not readily found because of their low abundance and distance from the water’s surface. Considering the NAIP imagery is free to the public, it may have considerable value for remotely determining aquatic vegetation. The use of other software for analyzing the imagery could further improve correlations.

I sought to analyze patterns of corn planting as they related to environmentally fragile lands in recent years. High commodity prices are a major concern for environmentalists, who predicted that price increases would result in catastrophic increases in acres planted with corn. One analysis by faculty at Iowa State University predicted that corn prices as high as $3 per bushel would result in a million additional acres planted in corn in Iowa, many of which would be environmentally fragile and not suited to production. In the summer 2008, prices briefly spiked over $7/bushel. The USDA estimated the annual average, however, at about $4/bushel, which was slightly lower than the 2007 average price.

I sought to test the hypothesis of Secchi and Babcock informally by mapping:

1. Trends in acres planted with corn, and
2. I analyzed the latter by mapping elevation, soil classifications, soil erodibility, and land cover.

My analysis concluded that planted acres did indeed increase, but not by catastrophic rates. According to the model in question, more than one million new acres would have been in production by 2007 due to price spikes and significant increases in acres planted to corn in the southern and northeastern Iowa. My results suggest that high prices did not result in a significant increase in the use of fragile lands for corn, but rather led to more intensive use of lands which were already planted with corn.

Makushin Volcano on Unalaska Island, AK is potentially the most threatening volcano in the Aleutian chain, being close to the largest Aleutian population centers of Dutch Harbor and Unalaska. Makushin has displayed evidence of very explosive Holocene volcanism. This study investigates the eruption chronology and triggering mechanism for the most recent of these highly explosive events — the 7.7 ka Driftwood Pumice-fall event. The andesitic pumice deposit reaches thicknesses of over 2 meters, and consists of four identifiable horizons of differing tephra size, color, and composition. Isopach constructions using ArcGIS estimate that the deposit covered at least 8100 km², with a total deposit volume of .25-.90 km³. These reconstructions show an eruption on the scale of the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption, with a VEI of 4-5.

Geochemical trends, disequilibrium mineral populations and zonation patterns within plagioclase and olivine xenocrysts show evidence of magma mixing between a bulk siliceous chamber and an under-plating basaltic injection. The calculated temperature difference between these two magmas is 100-200°C, large enough to initiate convection and volatile exsolution within the siliceous magma body. Diffusion rates based on the thicknesses of olivine rim zonation show a lag-time of ~six months to one year between the basaltic injection and the cataclysmic eruption — similar to delays between mafic injections and eruption onsets seen in numerous other volcanic systems.

The Driftwood Pumice occurs in the midst of numerous smaller ashfalls, many of which consist of light-dark ash couplets, similar to tephra differences within Driftwood deposit, though on a much smaller scale. The repeated occurrences of light tephra overlain by dark, more mafic tephra suggest that magma mixing via mafic injections is a common triggering mechanism for Makushin eruptions.

UMassSafe is a multidisciplinary traffic safety research program housed in the University of Massachusetts Transportation Center in the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At UMassSafe, we seek to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes through the rigorous examination of safety-related data — both traditional and nontraditional — to better understand crashes, driver behavior, and related factors. One of our primary goals is to guide research-based projects into practice and drive practice-based projects toward the goal of dissemination.

UMassSafe has developed a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) toolkit to provide data and other information to law enforcement personnel on crashes, data quality issues and crash prevention methods via an electronic web-based toolbox. The toolkit includes maps of the CMV crashes throughout Massachusetts created using ArcGIS to assist the Massachusetts State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section (MSP CVES) target enforcement patrols to high crash trackLocations. These maps are being used to demonstrate which corridors and hot spots require targeted measures to prevent crashes involving CMVs. In addition, maps overlaying various years of CMV crash data are assisting the MSP CVES to evaluate the effectiveness of these targeted patrols and guide future programming.

The built environment has a major impact on quality of life for residents of an area. One of the selling points of Northampton as a real estate trackLocation is the availability of public transportation and the relative "walkability" of various neighborhoods. We collected data to determine if there is an association between homes that are within walking distance of various essential trackLocations and the price of those homes.