** I reviewed the course syllabus and schedule and completed the GEOG 291 quiz. My photo is attached below.
Introduction
Hi, my name is Radhika Agrawal, and I am a senior at Ohio Wesleyan University. I am pursuing degrees in Quantitative Economics, Computer Science, and Data Analytics. I am interested in data analysis, business intelligence, and using data to understand real-world problems. I decided to take GEOG 291 because I want to add geospatial analysis and ArcGIS Pro to my technical skills. I am interested in learning how location-based data can be used in transportation, consumer behavior, economic development, and public-sector decision-making.
Schuurman Chapter 1
Before reading this chapter, I mainly thought GIS was software used to create maps. However, this chapter explained that GIS is much broader than that. It can mean Geographic Information Systems, which includes the software, hardware, data, and tools, but it can also mean Geographic Information Science. GIScience focuses more on how geographic information is collected, represented, analyzed, and understood.
I found the history of GIS interesting. Ian McHarg used transparent sheets with different layers, such as land use, forests, houses, and roads, to find the best location for a highway. He did this without a computer, but the same idea of layering information is still an important part of GIS today. Computers have made it much easier to combine many layers and study the relationships between them.
The chapter also explained the difference between mapping and spatial analysis. A map displays information, while spatial analysis can help us discover new information and answer questions. For example, John Snow mapped cholera cases and water pumps in London. The pattern on the map helped connect the outbreak to a particular water pump. This showed me how visualizing data can make patterns much easier to understand than looking at numbers in a table.
I was also surprised by how often GIS is used in everyday life. It is used in transportation, agriculture, healthcare, business, utilities, government services, and even deciding where stores should open. Many people benefit from GIS without realizing that it is being used.
One important point from the chapter is that GIS results are not automatically perfect or unbiased. Analysts make decisions about what data to collect, how to create categories, where to draw boundaries, and what to display. These choices can affect the final results. Overall, this chapter helped me understand that GIS is not just about making maps. It is a powerful way to analyze real-world problems, but it must also be used carefully and responsibly.
ChatGPT GIS Applications
1. Transportation Safety and Crash Analysis
GIS is widely used by transportation agencies to identify dangerous roads and intersections. Crash records can be placed on a map over road-network layers. Analysts can then identify crash clusters, compare accident frequency and severity, and study factors such as traffic volume, road design, weather, and nearby intersections. Transportation agencies can use this information to decide where improvements such as traffic signals, crosswalks, lighting, or redesigned intersections are most needed. The Federal Highway Administration explains that GIS-based crash applications often combine maps, dashboards, graphs, and filters. This allows agencies to find high-crash areas and make better roadway-safety decisions. I find this application interesting because it combines data analytics with transportation planning and can directly improve public safety.
Source: https://www.gis.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/Using_GIS_for_Crash_Location_and_Analysis_at_State_DOTs_June2022.pdf
2. Public Health and Healthcare Accessibility
GIS can also help public-health agencies understand how health conditions and access to services differ across locations. The CDC’s PLACES interactive map displays measures such as obesity, physical inactivity, health-insurance coverage, disabilities, and other health outcomes at different geographic levels. Analysts can combine this information with the locations of hospitals, clinics, transportation routes, and demographic data. This analysis can identify communities experiencing poor health outcomes or limited access to healthcare. Public officials can then use the results to decide where clinics, outreach programs, transportation assistance, or other resources are most needed. I find this application interesting because it shows how geographic and demographic data can support fairer resource allocation and policy decisions.
Map: https://www.cdc.gov/places/tools/interactive-map-tool.html