Roots and Migrants
Chiamaka Nwajiaku & Professor Caglar Koylu, University of Iowa
I will present a web-based story map application, Roots & Migrants, aimed at increasing public scientific literacy and engagement with migration, kinship networks, and U.S. history.It is a part of an NSF project's broader impact activities, visualizing migration and family tree data alongside events, populations, and movements of underrepresented groups like Native Americans, African Americans, and Mexicans. Data will be extracted from historical sources; this accessible online tool helps the public and those with limited GIS background understand migration's challenges to First Nations. Roots & Migrants will be integrated into high school social studies curricula through collaborative workshops with teachers.
Comparative Evaluation of Univariate and Bivariate Choropleth Maps: Perceptual and Cognitive Insights from an Eye-Tracking Study
Michalis Kantartjis, University of Iowa
Our study evaluates univariate and bivariate choropleth maps using eye-tracking technology to uncover key perceptual and cognitive differences among tasks such as identifying patterns and comparing regions. Data analysis from 75 participants showed that bivariate maps, while initially challenging, enable more efficient, and in some tasks, accurate interpretation of complex spatial patterns. Self-reported measures indicated improved performance and reduced mental demand with bivariate maps. Additionally, our introduction of an interactive legend led users to explore the map interface more thoroughly. Gaze heatmaps and scan path analyses revealed distinct visual patterns, suggesting that bivariate maps, contrary to previous research, can enhance map reading efficiency.
Who’s On First: Ready for Map Display
Nathaniel Vaughn Kelso, Kelso Cartography
The Who’s On First (WOF) gazetteer is a big list of places, each with a stable identifier, and a set of common and optional descriptive properties about that location. Since launching in 2015, the project has gained global coverage by aggregating open data sources, including from hundreds of authoritative government census and statistical organizations. The WOF gazetteer’s focus on populated places (including localities, townships, and neighborhoods), name localization, and internationalization has proven useful for search and reverse geocoding applications. However, until recently, it was hard to draw data on a map. Recent work has made it easier to load the data into common GIS tools via a shapefile distribution, to attribute polygons with “official” concordance IDs useful for choropleth mapping, and to filter features based on population and feature class into zoom buckets to display and label town spots on a slippy map.
Spatial Analysis of Fire-Armed Related Crime in Atlanta
Olalekan Alamoh, Georgia State University
The objective of my research is to employ Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map and analyze areas in Atlanta with a high incidence of firearm-related crimes. My aim is to improve public safety and increase the overall quality of urban life. I observed a notable concentration of firearm occurrences in distinct urban regions, as indicated by a high Moran's I value. This suggests that these crimes are not randomly spread around but occur in clusters. The results of my research stretched the possibility of implementing focused interventions in these areas of high criminal activity. This can lead to the development of more efficient crime prevention tactics and the creation of safer communities in Atlanta. This research is crucial for law enforcement and legislators who are looking for evidence-based solutions to urban crime.
Ride, Sink, or Swim: Mapping Extreme Floods and the Burdens of Buses in Queens, NYC
Nicholas Dante Lucchetto, Hofstra University
New York City experiences many extreme flooding events. One of the worst was September 2023, when 9.8 inches of rain fell in a single day. For the low-elevation borough of Queens, where 52% of people rely on public transit, the burdens of flooding are worsened by sparse subways and stranded cars. Therefore, buses are a critical mobility and safety tool during a weather emergency in Queens. This study looks at how flooding affects New York City bus performance and infrastructure, by incorporating metrics like bus delay data, precipitation records, and 311 reports. This study helps uncover how—and where—a multi-faceted climate event affects the daily life of Queens residents and how NYC buses keep on rolling amid our climate crisis.
Enhancing Visual Realism in Web-Based 3D Terrain Maps
Ondřej Procházka, Seznam.cz
Web-based 3D terrain maps employ technologies like HTTP/2 and WebGL to generate dynamic perspective views from underlying DEMs and landcover data in real-time, offering an interactive experience within your browser. In this talk, I will discuss some of my recent efforts to upgrade a global web-based 3D terrain map, focusing on achieving enhanced visual realism, improved terrain representation, and better rendering performance.
