Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

Chapter 1

Introduces the concept of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and explains how Web GIS is different from desktop GIS. Unlike traditional desktop GIS, Web GIS allows users to access maps and geographic data through web browsers, computers, tablets, and smartphones. GIS is more accessible because users can work with geographic information from different locations without depending entirely on their local computers. Web maps combine different geographic layers to display information in one place, while web applications allow users to interact with maps and geographic data.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 focuses on how geographic information can be presented through maps, charts, images, and interactive applications. It explains how smart mapping and storytelling help people understand geographic information more easily. One of the important topics in this chapter is feature layers. A feature layer is a collection of geographic features that can be displayed on a map. Geographic features are commonly represented as points, lines, and polygons. Points represent specific locations such as hospitals and schools, lines represent features such as roads and rivers, and polygons represent areas such as counties, states, and land boundaries. Feature layers can also contain attribute information, including names, addresses, population numbers, and other details about geographic features. Smart mapping is the process of using appropriate visual styles to communicate geographic information effectively. Smart mapping allows users to display information using different colors, symbols, and sizes to show patterns and relationships. Smart mapping makes maps easier to understand, helps identify trends, and allows users to compare geographic information. ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World is a collection of geographic information, maps, imagery, and other GIS resources that users can access and use in their projects. It provides information about population, weather, transportation, environmental conditions, satellite imagery, and other geographic topics. Instead of collecting all geographic data independently, users can find existing datasets through Living Atlas and incorporate them into their maps. GIS storytelling involves combining maps, photographs, charts, text, and other media to explain geographic information and communicate important ideas. ArcGIS StoryMaps is a tool that allows users to create interactive stories using geographic information. It helps communicate geographic problems and findings in a way that is easier for people to understand. These principles help users navigate maps and understand the information being presented. Geocoding is the process of converting addresses or place names into geographic coordinates, such as latitude and longitude. This allows addresses to be displayed as points on a map.  A pop-up may show a location’s name, address, photographs, statistics, and other information. Finally, Chapter 2 explains how images and charts can be added to map pop-ups to make geographic information more informative.

Possible Application:

A good GIS application should have a simple layout, clear information, organized content, useful interactive features, and an attractive appearance. Cedar Point is a popular tourist attraction located in Sandusky, Ohio, along the shores of Lake Erie. The purpose of this Web GIS project is to apply basic GIS concepts by creating an interactive map that identifies Cedar Point’s location and highlights important geographic features and nearby points of interest. The project demonstrates how Web GIS technology can be used to visualize geographic information, organize spatial data, and provide useful information to visitors.

Chapter 1

This chapter talked a lot about the advantages of WebGIS over ArcGIS. Some of these include: global reach/higher accessability (with lots of user exposure and the fact that it is a low-cost program), cross-platform/device accessability (so that it is more mobile and even more accessable), and ease of use. It is also easier to maintain compared to ArcGIS because updates happen system-wide rather than on individual devices. The chapter also talked about how it is used in the government, buisnesses, science, and daily life. I was interested to hear about the application of covid-19 tracking. Its accessibility really allows the general public to be informed about things such as that. During the tutorial portion of this chapter, it was a bit less intuitive than I found it to be in the introduction. I could not find some things, which led me to not really be able to do it right… But overall, the tutorials gave a good introduction to the basic functions of WebGIS and publishing things on there. We also learned about the 5 data types which are data, layers, web maps/scenes, tools, and apps/ We got to work with them in the tutorial.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 was all about “storytelling” with webGIS. It talked about pop-ups, mapping style and how t deliver a message through methods of mapping, and how feature layers work (and their different types). Regarding creating a story, it discussed style and the logistics of actually doing it. This was all pretty familiar to me from the WebGIS chapter in 291. It was just a bit different because we did not use ArcGIS for any of the process in these tutorials, which is interesting.

Application:

One application of the information collected in these chapters would be to make a story to present information about how crime has changed over the years in an area, similar to the population change example in the book. I think, however, crime would be interesting to look at because it can be looked at while considering the course of current events and how crime trends seem to follow them. For example, drug charges would have increased during the opioid crisis, but other trends that maybe have not been thought about may come to light.

Chapter 1:

From chapter 1, it starts off by giving a brief history of the evolution of GIS and expands on its uses: government, local, business, and public use. I thought it was interesting that the chapter mentions the growth of Arc GIS after covid. GIS provides an opportunity for people to create content but also allows people to discover. The chapter also introduces the term “geo portal” which just refers to the gateway of web sources. Mobile and cloud GIS allow the information to become more mobile. GIS is also expanding its intelligence by using AI to scan and implement data. I liked how the chapter had a chart that represented the main types of GIS and had the privileges and apps on the chart. The chapter also defines tools, base maps, and operational layers, and describes how those components of a web GIS map. Next, the chapter introduces and defines hosted: a situation in which web service in based on Arc GIS- managed data, and non hosted: a situation where a web service connects directly to user-managed data. The chapter explains how photos and other media is important to GIS because it can show things that may be invisible to just the human eye. From the tutorial, I was able to download data and add it to my new file. I ran into a problem by not being able to find the tabs that it was showing in the pictures so that was a little discouraging . But I was able to get familiar to the process of downloading data and looking at the maps in the OWU Maps GIS.

Chapter 2:

This chapter begins by identifying the importance of web layers in GIS. It also defines the different types of layers. I liked the chart that showed the different types of mapping styles with a description and a photo. The chapter also goes into describing the way in which the information is presented almost in a story-like way because of the pop-ups and narration and how they can contribute to the map. In tutorial 2, we were able to upload chapter 2’s data and configure the layers by using the smart map tools. I still had a little trouble navigating through the online website so I think I will probably need to come back to this. But overall I enjoyed reading about new topics and seeing how they applied in the maps.

Chapter 1: Introducing Web GIS

Chapter 1 shows the fundamentals of Web GIS, including the concepts and its evolution over time. It helps present the advantages of using the app due to the large following and use of this website for different types of data that are mapped. The chapter details the core components of the ArcGIS Web GIS platform—specifically focusing on ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise—which act as centralized portals for managing, securing, and sharing spatial resources. We explored essential basic concepts like web maps, web layers, and apps, which is something that I haven’t really seen before. Something that I thought was cool was the fact that we could share our maps and information with certain people (like your workplace) or you could share it with everyone that uses WebGIS. This chapter helped present the change from ArcGIS, which you can’t share with others unless it is sent, to a more modern WebGIS, which can be seen by anyone with just one click of a button. Through introductory tutorials, we practiced navigating this system, handling comma-separated value (CSV) datasets, and executing foundational workflows to publish and share web maps across communities and organizations. To me, this chapter was a little difficult to start as it just seemed so much harder than ArcGIS, but once I got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing from there. The only problem that I really ran into was the book being different than the website due to updates, and also having to click back and forth between the book and the website.

Chapter 2: Hosted Feature Layers and Esri Story Maps
Chapter 2 transitions into hands-on data management and visual storytelling by focusing on hosted feature layers and Esri Story Maps. The chapter takes us through generating spatial data from tabular records, such as CSV files, using geocoding tools to place address data on a web map. Once we created the layer, we learned, step by step, how to build meaningful layer styles to visually communicate patterns, trends, and data attributes effectively. Finally, in Chapter 2, we explored the idea of using Esri Story Maps. It teaches students how to combine interactive web maps, explanatory text, images, and guided tour layouts to present spatial analysis in an engaging, easy-to-digest format designed for non-technical stakeholders and the general public. I personally didn’t like this part of the tutorial just because it didn’t seem very interesting to me. It was also just weird in some ways. I can see how it is important, though, as it is very easy to make something to present the data you find.

Application Description Using Own Data
One application idea that I can think of for Ch. 1 and 2 is looking at animal shelters and local pet adoption in a certain area. I would be able to use data from the shelters (hopefully) that contained information about the animals (like their name, species, intake date, and photo), which I would then upload to ArcGIS Online and create a layer that features different icons for the aesthetic. Using different calculations (like those done in chapter 2), we could show the number of days each animal has been in the shelter. We would be able to use all this information to make an Esri Story Map so people would be able to see all these animals perfectly.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 briefly introduces GIS and other key factors we covered in our class introduction before we started reading this book. It also goes over some other key features, such as some basic information about web GIS, some types that you know we might need or how to do things, basic plans of how specific GIS apps work, some of the archetypes of what GIS has, and Components of GIS, so a lot of it is going over stuff we would’ve covered in the readings of what GIS is. It also shows us some ways to path GIS applications, which is really interesting. It also shows that attachments have been a popular DATA service. The how-to tutorials cover some of the stuff, like adding features from the things to layers, and they’re very helpful. The tutorials explain what can cause trouble with these activities, especially since some parts can be confusing.  Not all of them include visual directions to help students. Some do, and some don’t, so it varies, but overall, seeing specific GIS examples is very helpful.

​

Hi, my name is Jeyoung Son and I’m a senior at OWU. I am from South Korea. I’m double majoring in Data Analysis and Quantitative Economics. I did not take GEOG 291. I’ve studied with Python, R, and SQL before, so I’m comfortable with data. I’m taking this class to see how ArcGIS Online can fit with what I’m already studying.

Comments on Exploring My Esri Account:

The first thing I noticed was how many resources there are for beginners: training courses, tutorials, and help pages. Since I’ve never touched GIS before, the Help and Training tabs are probably where I’ll end up spending most of my time. Good to know they’re there. The sharing part caught my eye too. In group projects it’s always a mess when everyone has their own version of the data, so being able to work on one shared map sounds really convenient.

Comments on Reading (What Is ArcGIS Online?):

I didn’t know much about ArcGIS Online before this reading. From what I understood, it’s a cloud platform, so you can make maps, run analysis, and share everything from a web browser. No desktop software needed. I didn’t expect that, and it’s way easier than I imagined. That’s much more convenient than I expected. The part that stood out most to me was ArcGIS Notebooks. You can use Python in them to analyze geographic data and automate tasks. Python is the language I’m most comfortable with, so this is the feature I’m most excited to try.

Comments on the ArcGIS Online Basics Training:

Since this was my first time using any GIS, the training was a good way to get familiar with how ArcGIS Online works. What I found most interesting was adding different data layers to a map. I’m used to looking at data in tables and graphs, so seeing the same kind of information on a map felt like a totally different way to look at it. I also learned how to share what you make with other people, which would be a nice way to present results from a data analysis project.

GIS Applications:

1. Poverty and income mapping

The U.S. Census Bureau has maps that show poverty rates by state and county. Instead of scrolling through a spreadsheet, you can compare areas right away and see where the differences are. Because I’m studying Quantitative Economics, this one made the most sense to me. Economic data looks different when you can see where it actually is.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/library/visualizations.html

1. Population distribution mapping

The Census Bureau also has interactive maps showing where people live. I can see this being useful for researchers who want to track how areas are changing, and for governments and businesses making decisions about things like transportation, housing, and public services. As a data analysis student, I thought it was cool how population numbers become much easier to understand once they’re on a map.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Interactive Maps
https://maps.geo.census.gov/ddmv/map.html

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this week was my first real introduction to GIS. I have a data analysis background, but working with geographic data is new for me. I’m looking forward to learning more and seeing how I can combine GIS with the data skills I already have.

Chapter 1: GIS is a very commutative platform and it can reach a lot of people from different places and for a low cost. I also learned that GIS is made up of a lot of various coding languages like HTML that can help people access ArcGIS in multiple devices, especially mobile ones. Additionally, the GIS software can be implemented in many fields, such as business, politics or everyday life. I found this informative especially since many people may associate these topics separately. However, the more I learn, the more I realize that these topics are interconnected and GIS is more than just maps. Furthermore, one of the most popular features of GIS is their cloud. Which has become increasingly popular due to online shops. I think it’s interesting how the software can allow many collaborators to work on a single project but is there a limit? Perhaps it was answered previously and I missed it, but it is something that I did wonder about as I read. 

Chapter 2:  The main focus of this chapter was to highlight the importance of using layers to give the GIS maps more depth and accuracy. Some of these feature layers include hosted feature layer, hosted vector tile layers, hosted scenery layers and much more. Although the chapter mostly emphasizes on hosted feature layers from scratch or from pre-existing data. I also learned the different mapping styles which included heat map, color and size map, and vector field maps. These features make it a lot easier for one to create a map and to know which is the better option for certain studies. I also really like that there are tutorials you can use as a reference when it comes to making GIS. Although, one question I have is who is constantly updating these base maps and dates that the ArcGIS web provides to its users. I wonder if they have integrated AI to help it function, or if there are developers that constantly monitor and update their information. I don’t know if it was addressed, it’s possible that I missed it, but it is something I am curious about especially since I think the book was released in 2022.

Application Idea: One possible application would be to look at data centers in the state of Ohio. I would share my study with others on ArcGIS web so others can help me. I believe this would make a lot of sense for a study that analyzes a large place. I would use available online datasets including information regarding, construction, energy, economy, environmental impacts and data centers. From what I learned in Chapter 2, I would create a timeline block on my map to show how data centers, or unfinished data centers affected nearby regions. This subject does involve a lot of interrelated fields, so I would organize my data into different layers as well. This interactive map could demonstrate the consequences of building data centers in Ohio or similar states.

Chapter One

I found Chapter One fairly easy to complete with prerequisite knowledge from GIS291. Additionally, have had taken the introduction course, I was familiar with basic operations such as basemaps and operational layers, and the levels of sharing for ArcGIS Online projects. I found the most difficult part to be learning how to edit and manage fields in the online version of ArcGIS, as it is formatted quite differently from the desktop version. Additionally, some of the formatting for the ArcGIS Online program seems to either differ by computer or has been updated since the textbook was written. Some of the screenshots looked very different to what I had, but everything functioned correctly, and I was able to complete the assignment with no substitutions or internet searches for clarification.

Chapter Two

Chapter 2’s tutorial took longer for me to complete, and was generally more challenging, but did introduce some very helpful concepts for learning GIS Online. Namely, the coding section of the pop-ups was fairly difficult to complete and was entirely new to me. It reminded me of some of the Python expressions assigned to complete in GEOG291, but was now entirely unfamiliar to me. Additionally, similarly to Chapter One, there were some sections of the textbook which had outdated or vague information, but luckily, it was fairly simple to complete. The story was tedious to complete, but incredibly important for refreshing my knowledge on Story Maps in GIS and how to accurately create them, especially in an easy-to-process format.

Applications

Some of the applications for my data that I have considered was mainly understanding median income in major US cities. Comparing population growth to median income could also help those considering moving out-of-state analyze the potential for competition in their job field, or to compare their current nearby city to the income level and population growth of a nearby city. An application for the first chapter’s data could be creating brief tour guides or highlights of an area, aimed at highlighting landmarks to tourists.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 introduces Web GIS and explains how geographic information can be accessed, shared, and used through the internet. One thing that stood out to me is how Web GIS makes mapping more accessible to people who may not have experience with traditional GIS software. Instead of only creating maps on a desktop program, users can publish their maps online and allow others to interact with the information. I think this is especially useful because GIS can be applied to many different fields, including environmental science, urban planning, and public services.

Another concept I found interesting is how different layers of geographic information can be combined to better understand an area. For example, looking at land cover alongside roads, streams, and developed areas can help identify patterns that might not be obvious when examining each dataset separately. However, the usefulness of these maps depends on the quality of the data being used.

Question: How can we determine whether online GIS data is accurate and reliable, especially when working with datasets collected at different times or using different methods?

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 focuses on smart mapping and how GIS can be used to communicate information more effectively. I think one of the most important things about creating a map is making sure the information is easy to understand without losing its meaning. The colors, symbols, and classification methods used can influence how people interpret the data, so it is important to choose them carefully.

I also like the idea of using GIS to tell a story about a particular place or environmental issue. Maps can help people recognize patterns and understand relationships that might be difficult to see in a table or written report. For example, combining land-cover data with information about waterways or urban development could help show how human activities affect the surrounding environment. I think this is one of the most useful aspects of Web GIS because it allows people to explore information themselves rather than simply being told what the data shows.

Question: How can we make maps visually interesting while ensuring that the way we present the data does not mislead people or influence them to draw inaccurate conclusions?

Potential Web GIS Application

One application I would be interested in creating is an interactive map showing land-use changes and environmental resources in Delaware County, Ohio. I could use publicly available GIS data to map land cover, streams, parks, and developed areas to explore how development may affect the surrounding environment. If historical datasets were available, I could also compare land-cover patterns from different years to see how the area has changed over time. Using ArcGIS Online, I could organize the information into separate layers and use different colors and symbols to make the map easier to navigate. This project would allow me to apply the concepts from both chapters while exploring how Web GIS can be used to communicate environmental changes and support conservation and land-use planning.

In chapter 1, the basics of Web GIS are covered and how it can help people find geographical information.  I learned that Web GIS helps people understand real-world problems using maps. I think Web GIS is useful because it’s easy to access for everyone and easy to share information. My only question is who is it much different from traditional GIS?

In chapter 2 we learned about the technology related to Web GIS. Web GIS uses different components such as web browsers, serves, map, and geographic data to share information. People can interact with maps without needing any special software. I think this is really interesting because it makes it accessible to everyone. My question is how do Web GIS servers update the information as things change?

I think an application I would use this for is showing the recreation areas in a particular area and mapping where I could climb and where I could hike. Using data I could mark locations with trails and locations where climbing is permitted. This would allow users to click on each location and view the information.