My map is found here.
I find web mapping to be an extremely cool and useful tool. Particularly, I think the ability to add multiple layers can facilitate so many interesting insights and discoveries. If one wanted to explore the relationship between any variables (that could be plotted on a map), it would be easy to use this kind of tool and overlay them and see the results visually. For instance, if one wanted to see compare ambulance call rates between poor and rich neighborhoods, one could layer data of the average of cost of homes in an area with all instances of ambulance calls. Additionally, there’s a high degree of customization that is allowed. From changing the icons on the screen to adjusting the transparency, this technology really allows one to create the map according to the desires of the user.
We read that using GIS to do this kind of mapping was extremely difficult and thus inaccessible to most people, but I feel that what we learned in this class was a great way to allow people who don’t have any expertise in the field to create maps without much frustration. After completing this project, I think this is definitely something I would consider tackling for ttthe final project in this class.
