On Monday and Tuesday we focused on obtaining datasets for potential layers for the map room. The goal of the layers is to spark conversation regarding comparisons between the Atlanta that our map room-goers share in their depictions, and the layers of historical data we will overlay their hand-drawn maps with. Following the precedent of the St. Louis Map Room, we found several datasets created from the American Community Survey with information like transportation stops and demographics of city inhabitants. Further, we found several sets unique to Atlanta – especially relating to Atlanta-specific organizations, such as the Concrete Jungle organization, along with data about the Georgia Milestone tests pertaining to specific schools. Before we finalize these layers and share them with visitors to the map room, we will also contact community members who can better contextualize this data for us and help us understand the nuances that we’re likely missing.
After our Tuesday meeting with the Atlanta Map Room team, our new task became to create civic data guides or story-map-like guides with a BeltLine relevant data set and our software or API of choice. Annabel is mapping tax assessment data, and Muniba is mapping commercial land development permits, both using Leaflet. Once completed, these ad-hoc maps will form a basis for thinking about what the Atlanta Map Room aims to produce: contextual representations of Data.
Image Caption
Map of 2017 Commercial Land Development permits in the City of Atlanta, created using Leaflet.js. Data sourced from the City of Atlanta’s Citizen Gateway, https://aca3.accela.com/ATLANTA_GA/Default.aspx?culture=en-US