Goals and
Background:
The city
of Eau Claire, Wisconsin invests a lot of time and money into the performing
arts, but the city has been struggling with inadequate facilities, as the
primary theaters were built in the early-mid 20th century. The Confluence
project aims to fill the current theatre needs and provide a performing space
large enough to allow performances the city has not yet held, “including major
touring Broadway-style productions that currently cannot be effectively staged
in any existing venue in Eau Claire” (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
[UWEC], 2014). The main goal of this work was to prepare several base maps to
provide context for the confluence projects location. It was also to
familiarize myself with many different types of data relating to government and
land use. This included building a layout with the major thematic feature
classes, creation of a legal description, and digitization of the site.
Methods:
In order to
learn more about the major feature classes, I made a map showcasing each of
them individually. First, I used arcmap to digitize the “proposed site” of the
confluence project. Then I used this information to make six separate maps
showing the proposed location in regards to: Civil Divisions, Census
Boundaries, PLSS Features, Parcel Data, Zoning, and Voting Districts.
The first
map is one showing the different civil divisions of Eau Claire County. In order
to make it, I used the “Bing World Imagery” for my basemap. I then added the
county boundary and civil divisions to the basemap, made the county boundary
hollow, and adjusted the symbology of the civil divisions layer so it would
show the municipality types in different colors. Next, I made the “Civil
Divisions” layer slightly transparent so the basemap can be viewed for
reference. I then pasted the “proposed site” layer.
The second
map shows the population density of the region surrounding the proposed site.
First, I added “Bing World Imagery” for the basemap. Next, I added the “block
groups” and “tracts” to the map. I made both layers slightly transparent, to
show the basemap, and made the “tracts” layer hollow, to merely show the
boundaries. I adjusted the symbology of the “block groups” to show the differences
of population density in the region with graduating shades of pink. The
“proposed site” layer was then added to the map.
The third
map shows where the proposed site falls within the quarter-quarters of its
township according to the Public Land Survey System. In order to show this
information, I added the “PLSS quarter quarter” layer to the “Bing World
Imagery” basemap. To allow simplicity, I made the “PLSS quarter quarter” layer
hollow, and made it a bright shade of green so it would easily stand out
against the basemap.
The fourth
map shows the parcels and roads in the area surrounding the “proposed site”. In
order to make this map, I added the “parcel area”, “centerlines”, and “water”
layers to the “Bing World Imagery” basemap. In order to better show the
information in reference to the area, I made all of the layers slightly
transparent. I made the “parcel area” layer cyan, and the centerlines yellow,
so both would be extremely visible. I made the “water” layer a muted shade of
blue, so it would be still visible, but not provide too much distraction. I then
added the “proposed site” layer to the map.
The fifth
map shows the zoning of the region surrounding the proposed site. First, I
added “Bing World Imagery” for the basemap. Then, I added the “centerlines” and
“zoning class” layers to the basemap. I made both layers slightly transparent,
to show the basemap, making the “centerlines” layer a bright green color, for
greater contrast. Next, I adjusted the symbology of the “zoning class” layer,
combining the many specific zoning classes into six more general classes. I
then adjusted the symbology to show the different zoning classes in the region
with different colored sections. The “proposed site” layer was then added to
the map.
The sixth
map shows where the proposed site falls within the voting districts of the
city. In order to show this information, I added the “voting districts” class
to the “Bing World Imagery” basemap. Then, I made the “voting districts” layer
into a light orange color, and made it slightly transparent so the districts
could be seen in reference to the basemap. Finally, I added the “proposed site”
layer to the map.
Results:
The maps
help paint the picture of the proposed site of the confluence project. The
Census Boundaries map shows that the proposed site is in a rather densely
populated part of downtown Eau Claire. Zoning map shows that the proposed site
will be linked by a footbridge to large residential neighborhoods, just across
the river. The zoning map also shows that there are several swaths of public
land in the area surrounding the proposed site, which will only add to the
beauty of the performing venue. From what I’ve learned from these maps, the
confluence project will make a wonderful addition to the Eau Claire’s rich
history of music in a very beautiful way.
Figure 1
References
University
of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2013, October 13). Frequently asked questions: The Confluence
Project. Retrieved from
http://www.uwec.edu/News/more/confluenceprojectFAQs.htm
