Instructions:
Welcome to Project 2 of our Location Analytics course. This project offers you the opportunity to further develop your analytical skills and apply them to real-world scenarios. You have the choice between two distinct assignments, each designed to challenge and enhance your understanding of location-based data analysis.
Assignment Option A: This option involves crafting a comprehensive disaster response analysis report for a small community in Tennessee. You’ll be expected to analyze various geographic, demographic, and environmental factors to propose effective disaster response strategies. This assignment will test your ability to apply location analytics in a practical, community-focused context.Please submit Project 2 here. Include your QGIS project, an MS Word file describing your findings, and screenshots of your map.
Project 2: Option A (additional information)
In this project, you will merge multiple sources of data to create a comprehensive disaster response map. Moreover, you will perform queries, overlays, and geo-computation of Tennessee data using QGIS.
This project includes the following tasks:
Select a rural Tennessee town for your analysis
Establish your development process
Import the data and format
Write up your findings
Present your findings
Requirement and Recommended Tools: QGIS
Objective: Apply critical thinking to create complex decision-support information
In this project, you will need to locate relevant datasets. Then you will need to establish your project process.
For this assignment, you are required to produce a thorough and professional disaster response
analysis report for a small community in Tennessee. It is crucial to understand that meeting the
minimum standards is non-negotiable; failing to do so will be considered equivalent to not
submitting the report. Below are the specific minimum standards that your report must adhere
to:
1. Community Selection: Select a small community in Tennessee for your analysis. It is
important to note that neighborhoods of larger cities, such as the Gulch in Nashville, are
not acceptable for this project. Your focus should be on a distinct, smaller community.
2. Mapping Requirements: Your report must include a detailed map of the chosen
community. This map should clearly show (at a minimum):
All major roads.
Key disaster-related locations, such as firehouses, police stations, and clinics.
Potential shelter locations like gymnasiums or churches.
Ensure that the map is accurate and easy to interpret.
3. Disaster Analysis Focus: You are welcome to analyze multiple types of disasters, but at a
minimum, your report must include an analysis of flooding risks. This includes:
Incorporating FEMA flood data into your map.
Identifying and marking flood zones accurately.
4. Key Calculations and Analysis: Your report should contain specific analyses and
calculations, such as:
The percentage of the town located within a flood zone.
Identification of major buildings that are unsuitable for use as shelters due to their
location in the flood zone.
Recommendations for areas that are best suited for setting up emergency shelters.
Analysis of community sections that may become isolated (“islands”) during a
disaster and would require evacuation.
Written Report: Your analysis should be accompanied by a comprehensive written report that:
Clearly presents your findings and calculations.
Offers insights into the potential impact of disasters on the community.
Provides well-reasoned recommendations for disaster response and preparedness.
This assignment is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to apply location analytics in a
real-world context, specifically focusing on disaster response in a small community setting. Your
work should reflect a high level of professionalism, accuracy, and analytical depth. I expect you
to engage critically with the data and present your findings in a clear, concise, and well-
organized manner
Required/Recommended Data and Tools
FEMA Data, OSM Data (via plugins), US Census Data, QGIS, MSWord
Task 1: Select a Rural Tennessee Town for you Analysis
Use a website, such as Tennessee Demographics to select a small town for your analysis:
https://www.tennessee-demographics.com/cities_by_population
The town you select should have between 5,000 and 50,000 residents. I encourage you to
select a town that is not directly adjacent to a larger town or city. Take your time to explore the
city using Google Maps or consider visiting the location at some point during the project.
Task 2: Establish the development process
Take your time to understand what datasets are necessary to tell the story. Think about the
data types provided and what “story” the data might tell. For instance, you might consider the
following questions:
a) Where are the population centers (schools, senior centers)?
b) Where are key structures that work as shelters?
c) Where areas are within the flood zone?
d) What areas are islands – safe but inaccessible during a major flood?
e) Where are the emergency responders located?
You can attempt to answer these questions, but I encourage you add own questions. Document
your questions and which data sources can be used to answer them.
Task 3: Import the data as a layer and format
Create a folder with all of your layers and files. Next, create a new project in QGIS. Import each
dataset as a layer. Determine how to show the data (points, polygons). Will you use glyphs? You
do not need to add all layers, only the ones that are necessary for your project. Keep this
project simple and fun. Focus on making the resulting map look presentable. Note: I
recommend that you take screenshots after every major step and document your steps in the
project template. Also, be sure to keep track of your assumptions.
Task 4: Write up your findings.
Create a MS Word document or start with the provided Project Template. Describe what your
map demonstrates using no more than 1000 words. Be sure to mention what you visualized
and why. Use Times New Roman and a font-size of 12 points. In the heading of the MS Word
document, add your name and your map name. Include a screenshot of your map in the MS
Word document. Also, submit a compressed (ZIP) version of your entire QGIS project (project
files and necessary layers)
