The goal of this lab was to familiarize myself with base data, digitizing data, how the public land surveying system works, and produce a poster containing themed maps for different feature classes. In this lab we worked with base data. Base data, in this instance, is information that is readily available for the use in GIS and in combination with multiple datasets in order to visualize features of a specific area in our world.
When that idea was applied to this lab, it was in the form of visualizing parcels, public land, and demographic data of the city of Eau Claire. The scenario we were given was to digitize the lots that were purchased for a building project and to display those parcels and their relationships with features of the city of Eau Claire. More specifically, we learned how to digitize; using a base map as reference, we essentially drew over the area of parcels to create polygons. We also had to create multiple data frames with specific feature classes, each with their own symbology. Lastly, we learned how to make an aesthetically pleasing map.
The proposed area where the project would take place is in what is classified as a city municipality. Within this municipality, there is also a high concentration of people, mostly commercial and residential zones. The census boundary, commercial zone, and voting district in which the proposed parcel locations for the project are, do coincide rather well.
The sources used to make this layout include Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar, Geographics, CNES/Airbus, DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, GIS User Community, and County and City of Eau Claire.
