Introduction to GIS. Geographical basis, data, boundary files, map basics, GIS design elements ============================

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Introduction to GIS. Geographical basis, data,
boundary files, map basics, GIS design
elements

• Fundamental Definition of GIS
• A GIS consists of the following elements
• Data-base of attributes
• Spatial information
• Some way to link the two

Source Clarke, 2003.
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GIS as a Toolbox

• GIS can be viewed as a set of tools.
• Sometimes this is called a process definition
  because the subtasks are sequentially arranged.
• An example of using a set of tools as procedures
  is
• Get addresses from a marketing list
• Geocode them (to get XY points)
• Map them

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Design Elements of a GIS
(Source Greene and Pick, 2005)
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Map Layer

• A GIS might have a single map layer, but more
  commonly include two or more layers

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Example of Processing with Simple GIS
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Baseball example of non-spatial versus spatial
query.

• Keith Clarke gives the example of baseball cards.
  If we associate the X-Y coordinate location of
  the stadium that the player is associated with,
  we are adding a spatial attribute.
• Example of query without the spatial attribute.
  Find all players with a batting average over
  .300.
• Example of query with the spatial attribute.
  Find all players with a batting average over
  .250 and whose location is within 300 miles of
  Yankee Stadium.

Source Clarke, 2003)
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Geographic Location

• How is geographic location determined. Often by
  latitude and longitude.
• It can be by more advanced coordinate systems,
  such as 3-D, but lat-long will do for now.
• The geographic grid of latitude and longitude is
  a commonly used geographic reference system.

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Points, Lines, and Polygons
Source Clarke, 2003.
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Map Layer

• A GIS might have a single map layer, but more
  commonly include two or more layers

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Addresses of business clients, converted to
points.
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Sometimes the greatest value comes from simply
looking at your data from a different perspective!

• Over 50 of customers live within 2 miles
• Over 80 of customers live within 4 miles

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Retail/Site Selection/Marketing

• Site Selection
• Find best locations for new stores
• Identify inefficient stores
• Trade Areas
• Market Penetration
• Market Share

• Target Marketing
• Understand customer demographics
• Identify untapped enclaves of future customers
• Direct Mailings

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LQs for Nine Employment Sectors, LA
(Source Greene and Stager, 2005)
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Worksheet and Discussion

• Take five minutes and think through what you
  consider the two locational (geographic) aspects
  of your business that are the most important
  influences on productivity or profit.
• Write down these two locational aspects on a
  piece of paper.

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Map Overlay Example
(Source Greene and
Stager, 2005)
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Overlaying map layers This example has layers
for city boundaries, transportation, land use,
and business locations.
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Buffer Analysis

• In buffering, GIS software forms bands on either
  side of a points, line, or polygon to perform
  analysis within the bands.
• Simple example to assign half-mile buffers on
  both sides of highway, and ask how many service
  stations are within the buffer

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Example of Buffering
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Example of Spatial Change. Change in population
densities in Chicago, 1940-2000
Source Greene and Pick, 2006
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Proximity Analysis

• It assesses how close certain map objects are to
  other map objects.
• For example, it can determine how close the
  population residing in a census tract is to a
  competing set of grocery stores.

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Understanding the demographics of your market
area.
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Conclusion

• GIS can be used to analyze small business
  problems
• Customer mapping can reveal trends important to
  business planning and profits.
• Overlays can increase the information available.
• Time sequences can show changes in business
  activities and markets over time.
• Spatial analysis can lead to better targeting of
  customers, facilities, workers, and other
  business entities.
• GIS is a technology to make more data more usable
  and put it to greater use for efficiencies,
  better performance, and profits.
• Geography can be important to the success of your
  business or enterprise.