On the subject of interesting uses for Geographic Information Systems (GIS), I ran across this fascinating site, Maps and Territories of Gangs in Los Angeles County, while doing some background reading for a new course I'll be teaching at USC on technology and planning. The author, Alex Alonso, who is himself apparently a PhD candidate in USC's Geography department
On the subject of interesting uses for Geographic Information Systems (GIS), I ran across this fascinating site, Maps and Territories of Gangs in Los Angeles County, while doing some background reading for a new course I'll be teaching at USC on technology and planning.
The author, Alex Alonso, who is himself apparently a PhD candidate in USC's Geography department, used ESRI's GIS software to digitize and analyse gang territories in and around Los Angeles. This was one of my favorites conclusions by the author:
This map reveals that gangs with significant territories are concentrated on the Westside portion of the city. On the Eastside, which consists of Watts, and the City of Compton have significantly smaller territories. I determined that the size variation had little to do with population density, but more to do with the temporal aspect of gangs in a particular area. The older more original gang territories were smaller and those gangs that developed in the newer "unclaimed" areas, where able to develop larger territories. This notion is very similar to how the United States developed individual states over time. The older original colonies are significantly smaller than the West coast states that joined the union later.
The Annual ESRI International User Conference is coming up. This would make for a very popular session...

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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