Conclusions
Project Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop a method for identifying key areas or neighborhoods that could be targeted for community change/development efforts.  The identification of these neighborhoods was to combine the polar approaches of needs-based and asset-based development.
Conclusions:
  • GIS does indeed provide a potentially new and useful way for making community development decisions based on community weaknesses and strengths.
  • First, GIS can be used to identify clustering by traits through spatial auto correlation
  • Second, data layers of differing types (points & polygons) can be assigned to a single map type (block groups)
  • Third, asset and needs data can be looked at simultaneously
  • Fourth, animation can show visual relationships between multiple variables
  • Fifth, specific areas that meet certain thresholds on each variable can be extracted and viewed in isolation
  • Sixth, characteristics of these unique areas can be analyzed and form the basis for discussion of appropriate development options.
 
 
 
More Information:
Marc Schlossberg
Urban, Technological, & Environmental Planning (UTEP)