COURSE PROJECT SHOWCASE
GEOG 5170 - GEOSPATIAL FIELD METHODS
The drone mapping exercise was designed to take the structure from motion concepts we were learning in the classroom and apply them to a real site of our choosing at the Rio Mesa Field Station. After finding our area, we were to set out some ground control points (GCPs) and then use a drone armed with a camera to take a couple hundred photos. We would input the exact coordinates of the ground control points into a handheld GPS device, and then take everything home for post-processing in Agisoft and ArcGIS.
Figure: Hillshade Map
GEOG 6000 - ADVANCED GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ANALYSIS
The University of Utah has compiled a complete set of data about all transportation-related signage on campus. As part of that set comes a one-word description of each sign’s condition – good, fair, or poor. This study looks at a subset of these signs by analyzing the western area of the University’s “Main Campus” to see if the age of nearby buildings has a positive correlation with the condition of the signage. A statistical point pattern analysis was used on both the signs and the buildings with their ages, and kernel density surfaces were plotted. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was then run to check that the model that took building age into account was superior to the model that did not. This model was then visualized in a plot using the Relative Risk function. In the end, the hypothesis was confirmed that areas with older buildings do indeed have a higher likelihood of having a sign in poor condition, and vice versa.
Figure: Relative Risk Model
GEOG 6150- SPATIAL DATA DESIGN
I created a database that contains many of the eco-friendlier transportation options in, to, and from Salt Lake City that can take cars off of the road. The database itself needed to be able to show which station/stops belong to which lines/routes and vice versa. Having the routes connected with the stops, and the stops connected to each other would provide the user with enough information to figure out the fastest route through public transportation. The relationships between each of the transportation types and their stops address this requirement. I also wanted the Green Bike hubs and the points of interest to be accessed by the bike routes, as the bike routes would be used by any Green Bike user and potentially head toward one of the points of interest. The connections between these provide the user with the closest bike routes around both the Hubs and the points of interest.
Figure: Entity-Relationship Diagram
GEOG 6160 - SPATIAL MODELING AND GEOCOMP
Identifying Utah’s mule deer migration routes has gained importance as urban areas expand further into their ranges. Spring migration will be simulated in a Net logo model using an agent-based model approach, which allows for a simple rule structure to determine mule deer interactions with the environment. The ABM will simulate behaviors of an individual’s decision to stay and leave a stopover site based on the resources available and energy expenditure. The emergent behavior from the model will provide insight into how mule deer explore stop over sites in times of good vegetation and poor.
Figure: Vegetation Suitability Table
GEOG 6161 - CAPSTONE IN GIS
The goal of this project is to tell the story of Razorback Sucker fish migrations in the rivers of the Upper Colorado River Basin. This is done through creating an automated scripting process that can model the movement of the fish in the Colorado, Green, and San Juan rivers. That scripting process includes four Python scripts created in ArcGIS ModelBuilder and involves the use of the Network Analyst Toolset to find the shortest route between fish encounter points. This project accomplishes the goal of filling in "the space between the dots."
Figure: Movement Line
GEOG 6180 - GEOPROCESSING WITH PYTHON
From time to time, files and data in .mxd files (Esri ArcGIS documents) get shifted around in directories and servers. This causes layer connections within these .mxds to break, preventing them from displaying properly. This script can be used to fix any .mxd connections that are broken through the movement of data in the directory. It requires little modification to fit any directory, and vastly reduces the amount of time required to reconnect layers to its data.
Figure: Python Script
CMP 6700 - WALKING AND BIKING PLANNING & DESIGN
Digitizing is the process of converting information into a digital format. In GIS, this means converting geographic data into vector data by tracing the edges of the features. It helps us acquire a better understanding of the land and be able to quickly discern between the uses of it. Space in Salt Lake City is drastically skewed towards cars. Parking lots alone make up 25% of the digitized space in Salt Lake City. When roads are added to that figure, 41% of all land are solely for the use of automobiles. When compared with the other land uses for human travel, bike lanes make up 1% of all land used, and transit also makes up 1%. 69% of commuters in Salt Lake City commute to work via car, 6.7% commute via transit, and 2.6% commute via bike. These numbers show that transit is by far the most efficient land use in terms of moving people from one place to another, followed by bike lanes. When nearly half of the space in the city is dedicated to mode of travel, as a planner it is difficult to break away from that. In order to get people out of their cars, it is important to seek more balance in our land uses.
Figure: Digitized Landscape