Final (GIS 4048- Applications in GIS)

We've made it to the final project as well as the end of the summer semester, my how it has flown by.

The final tasked us with conducting a location decisions analysis. My clients in this case were the Matthews, a younger couple who have just moved to the area from Ohio. Both have taken positions at the Pensacola School of Liberal Arts. They are seeking a new home, but unsure whether to buy or rent first. My analysis assisted them in this task.

The objective was to find a suitable location given their criteria for a preferred location:

• Proximity to their workplace, being the Pensacola School of Liberal Arts.
• Distance away from the airport, since they didn't like the sound of aircraft.
• The following demographic information:
• Ages 30-39
• Renters
• Homeowners

A Euclidean distance analysis was first conducted given the proximity requirements for the school and airport. Next, the demographic analysis was done by calculating the percentage of age, renter, and homeowner based on the population of each census block group. Taking all this, a weighted analysis was done using a model. Finally, three locations were chosen, which can be seen in the image provided. A presentation was also created and can be viewed here.

Overall, I was satisfied with the outcome. I had a difficult start with the criteria and what I was attempting to convey. I went through many possible criteria, but eventually settling on what was in the presentation. In hind sight, I would have the location more narrow, focusing on downtown specifically. This was my original intention, but for the sake of time, I couldn't reasonably get the outputs I was seeking. Another type of deliverable would be something different from the proximity and census analysis. Possibly something to do with crime of the area and water purity results. When looking for a home or place to rent, location and proximity aren't the only variables that are considered.