Assignment 3

Now that you have some experience in QGIS, let's expand on that by making a few common types of maps: qualitative and quantitative maps.

Resources

For choosing your data classification scheme for the second part, please refer to:

• The concepts page for a Penn State class on Cartography and Visualization.
• Krygier's outline for his Cartography and Visualization class. You can skip the sections dealing with ArcGIS and ArcView--the concepts are the important part. The classification schemes are listed under "Ideographic schemes" (search for it, it's around half of the way down the page).
• Telling the Truth, a quick look at which classification schemes work better for example distributions.

And this reading might be of general interest:

• Different units, different patterns, a short blog post by Datawrapper

These videos may be useful, too:

• Attribute tables & selecting features
• Styling qualitative maps
• Styling quantitative maps
• Loading CSVs
• Counting points in polygons

A Quantitative Thematic Map

As you did in Assignment 2b, focus on a small area within New York (or somewhere else where you can find similar data). Select a point data source such as:

• 311 requests
• car crashes

Filter the data down to a reasonable amount (for example, 311 requests of a particular type over the past month). Count the points in census tracts using count points in polygons and create a graduated style of the result.

Consider the colors you're using and the method you're using to classify the data. If there are outliers, consider the following: Do those outliers make sense to you? Are they a quirk of the data?

Create a PDF of your map using a print layout. Include map elements as is useful (title, legend, and data source listing are a good start).

Share your work in Canvas including a short summary of your work. Explain what you created and how you did so. What did you have problems with? What did you enjoy? What would you like to know how to do next?