Mapping Neighborhoodness

NACIS 2015 presentation about crowdsourced mapping of Boston neighborhoods

Transcript

1. MAPPING

   Andy Woodruff
   Axis Maps | @awoodruff
   Tim Wallace
   New York Times / University of Wisconsin | @wallacetim
   bostonography.com
   

   NEIGHBORHOODNESS
   

   View Slide

2. Neighborhoods.
   

   View Slide

3. Neighborhoods.
   What even are they?
   

   View Slide

4. Architecture & physical character
   Landmarks
   Social interactions
   Spatial experiences
   

   View Slide

5. Neighborhoods are both spatial and social
   constructions—and are almost always
   subjectively defined.
   

   View Slide

6. Official lines must be drawn somewhere, in
   order to facilitate things like censuses, urban
   planning, municipal services, mail delivery,
   government representation, &c.
   

   View Slide

7. Sometimes a line drawn for one purpose is
   used for another because it’s convenient.
   And all lines might differ from prevailing
   local perceptions.
   

   View Slide

8. View Slide

9. Distinctive neighborhoods with strong
   identities and histories, but no definitive map.
   Boston
   

   View Slide

10. View Slide

11. View Slide

12. View Slide

13. View Slide

14. Dr. Azzie Young, president and CEO of the
    Mattapan Community Health Center, says
    that the issue over the proper boundary has
    “caused great furor” in the past.
    “The major issue with the expanded map is
    that it could seriously skew data for
    Mattapan,” says Dr. Young, particularly with
    regards to health issues and crime.
    Bill Walczak, president of Dorchester’s
    Carney Hospital, says that confusion caused
    by the shifting boundaries presented a
    quandary for him when he ran the Codman
    Square Health Center. It makes it more
    difficult for educators and health
    professionals to track trends over
    decades when the borders keep
    changing, says Walczak.
    http://www.dotnews.com/2011/case-flawed-map-work
    

    View Slide

15. View Slide

16. Everyone has an opinion.
    Curious Bostonographers ask,
    What is the sum of those opinions?
    

    View Slide

17. View Slide

18. View Slide

19. bostonography.com/neighborhoods
    

    View Slide

20. View Slide

21. View Slide

22. Number of polygons for
    Neighborhood X intersecting
    grid cell
    Measuring consensus
    Total number of polygons
    for Neighborhood X
    ÷
    

    View Slide

23. bostonography.com/2013/neighborhoods-as-seen-by-the-people/
    

    View Slide

24. 1. Limited to the city of Boston. Lots of
    people in “Boston” don’t live in Boston.
    2. Limited set of pre-determined
    neighborhoods.
    3. No information about the people who
    drew on the map nor insight into why they
    drew what they did.
    4. Not a representative sample.
    Cool, but…
    

    View Slide

25. View Slide

26. maps.latimes.com/debates/eastside/
    

    View Slide

27. btvhoods.geosprocket.org/
    

    View Slide

28. peopleorganizingplace.com/draw/
    

    View Slide

29. visualizations.dnainfo.com/nycneigh/
    

    View Slide

30. zetashapes.com
    

    View Slide

31. pnwmaps.com/neighborhoods
    

    View Slide

32. View Slide

33. View Slide

34. PNW Neighborhoods
    by Nick Martinelli
    Inspired by our project, but way better. So
    we, in turn, made a new version using his
    open-source project.
    pnwmaps.com/neighborhoods
    github.com/enam/neighborhoods
    

    View Slide

35. bostonography.com/hoods
    

    View Slide

36. Early feedback suggested shifting focus away
    from edges and toward points that are central
    or important to neighborhoods.
    Participants are now invited either to draw
    shapes or to place markers—or both!
    More than boundaries
    

    View Slide

37. No restrictions on geography or names: it’s no
    longer Where is Neighborhood X? but rather
    What/where is your neighborhood?
    We collect more information: how long (if at
    all) people have lived in the neighborhoods
    they drew, and any stories they want to tell
    about a place.
    Broader scope
    

    View Slide

38. Simply trace a shape with your mouse—
    or your finger.
    We hope that this, along with mobile-
    friendly styles, makes it easier to reach
    more participants.
    Easy to use
    

    View Slide

39. JavaScript / Leaflet
    Modified versions of Leaflet.FreeDraw and
    Leaflet.Editable for drawing.
    CartoDB
    Shape data are posted to (and read from) two
    tables—one for polygons and one for points.
    Technology
    

    View Slide

40. View Slide

41. View Slide

42. View Slide

43. 1,868 polygons
    252 points
    bostonography.com/hoods/#view
    bostonography.cartodb.com/tables/hoods/public
    bostonography.cartodb.com/tables/hoods_point/public
    Results so far
    

    View Slide

44. View Slide

45. View Slide

46. View Slide

47. View Slide

48. View Slide

49. View Slide

50. Look at the length-of-residency data.
    Reach more people in underrepresented areas.
    Work with people who might be able to use
    this kind of data or tool!
    To do:
    

    View Slide

51. View Slide

52. People are passionate.
    Participation has been surprising considering
    there’s no incentive.
    

    View Slide

53. People still disagree.
    “Your map is wrong!” remains a common first
    reaction to our analyses and explorations.
    

    View Slide

54. Guess what happens
    when you let people on
    the internet draw things.
    

    View Slide

55. View Slide

56. View Slide

57. View Slide

58. Thanks!
    …and if you know Boston and contribute at
    http://bostonography.com/hoods
    Double thanks!
    bostonography.com • @bostonography • @awoodruff • @wallacetim
    

    View Slide