Lab 1: Base Data

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