ORIENTATION TO SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Mapping workshop

Website URL

https://www.cynthiaannett.org/2021-workshops/nepa-map-mashup-2021

Visualizing Geospatial Data for Analysis and Report Writing

Information about locations that includes address, latitudes and longitudes, or other geospatial coordinates, can be visualized on a map. There are many interactive mapping platforms on federal, state, county and municipal websites that will allow you to turn on and turn off layers for environmental data (for example, locations of Superfund sites or flood risk), add layers for jurisdictional boundaries (for example, tribal reservation boundaries), and other types of information that you wish to use in your analysis and reports. Most of these platforms will allow you to export from the GIS (typically ESRI ArcGIS) in PDF or JPG format for use in your reports. Today we are going to look at ways of exporting the map data in a format that can be used to create your own maps, allowing you to add your own information and customize your map for analysis, reporting, public outreach, and collaboration with colleagues. You can make your own map mashup on free, user friendly platforms like Google Earth Pro and My Maps, so that you no longer need specialized training or a software license to do simple GIS analyses.

Today we will focus on exporting data from federal databases useful for planning and conducting  environmental reviews and siting projects such as housing or public facilities. Since all of the data will be exported from public databases, and since our emphasis will be on collaborating with colleagues, we will use Google My Maps for our custom map platform. My Maps is a cloud based mapping platform that is password protected as part of a Google Account using Google Drive. You will need to be able to access Google Drive on your computer, which may require getting permission from your IT department for use on a work computer.

We will begin with a simpler platform - a simple Google Map. This will allow us to create embeddable maps and PDF files with 3D views and Street View that can enhance your reports and be embedded in your website.

Google Maps

The simplest way to use a map for your report is to look up the location on the public Google Map and use 3D and Street View to do a virtual site visit. Go to maps.google.com

Use the search bar to find your location. Switch to Satellite View and then you can use 3D view. Use Street View and the photographs in the side bar to get a close up of the location.

You can print the map as a PDF file by using the menu in the upper left corner.

If you have Google Earth Pro on your computer you can use a much more powerful platform that will also let you access satellite imagery from different dates. For a tutorial on Google Earth Pro (desktop) click here. For today we will use Google Maps and the Google My Maps platform for our work.

In this example, let's use the printed map given to us for our case study and locate the building using Google Maps. 

The Google Map will give you a variety of tools that you can use for your case study.


Google Maps for virtual site visits

Go to Maps.Google.com to access the Google Map. The slides to the left will walk you through the activity.

Since we don't have a street address for the building, let's search for the Veterans Home of California using the search bar in the Google Map. 

Once you are zoomed to the location clear the search bar, visually locate the building you are interested in and click on it - the map will then give you the location address.

You can switch to satellite view and use street view, and if you take screenshots you can get images to use in your report. 

Here is what an embedded Google Map looks like when you zoom in, click 3D, and then share to get the embed code

The map is interactive

Click on View larger map to get a map with full functionality

Google My Maps


Google My Maps is a very easy way to start a GIS analysis that can be used to create PDF files for your report, can be embedded in a website and shared with the public, or shared through a link with colleagues for collaborative work. You can also export the map file in KML or KMZ format to import it into ArcGIS, which allows you to do more sophisticated analytical work. 

To begin you must have a Google Account and be able to use Google Drive.  If you cannot do this for today's activity because you are on a work computer that doesn't give you permission to access Google tools you can use the map below to explore the map mashup by going to this link for the map.

If the dataset includes latitude and longitude as the location data, make sure that it is all entered in the same format, that the format can be mapped, and that it is complete before you add it to your Google My Maps. You can only use one format for locations, so you will need to make sure all of your data is either in lat/long or street addresses. You can use street addresses that have more than one column, for example address, city and state columns can all be mapped.  


Copy of My Maps Mashup

Federal Agency Data Sources

There are a number of online platforms that you can use for your analysis. Some of the most useful are presented below.

NEPAssist

NEPAssist

Envirofacts - Enviromapper

EPA EnviroMapper website

The EPA EnviroMapper draws from many of the same databases used to create NEPAssist. These maps are built on a GIS platform that pulls data from sources such as EPA ACRES, and all of the EPA mapping tools will pull data from the same sources (all of the Brownfields sites will be mapped from ACRES data, for example). This means that if there is a data layer you want to use, find the platform that most easily allows you to download the data in a user friendly format. The best format for mapping your data using My Maps is a CSV file. A CSV file format is a universal spreadsheet format type that you can also open in Excel or Google Sheets. It has the advantage that when you open it as a spreadsheet you can edit and add to it using all of the tools available in Excel or Google Sheets (things like autofill and sort to help with quality control). Once you edit it you can import it into Google My Maps. You can also find mapping file formats such as SHP (used for ESRI ArcGIS and Google Earth Pro) and KML/KMZ (used for Google My Maps, Google Earth Pro and ESRI ArcGIS). The advantage of downloading a file in these formats is that you can use polygons and lines (shapes) as well as points. The disadvantage is that you can't open it as a spreadsheet and edit it without coding.

Enviromapper
EnviromapperExmple

Cleanups in My Community

EPA Cleanups in My Community website

Mapping Help

The Cleanups in My Community platform will let you create a map with many useful layers, but it cannot be downloaded and you must print it as a PDF file. CIMC will also download data, but you must do it from the Lists or Tables page, not from the mapping tool. The best format to use for downloading data is CSV format which is a universal file type and will work in My Maps as well as Excel.

Cleanups in my Community 2021

Cleanups in My Communities list export for 5 mile radius around 207 Vandergrift Ave, Los Angeles

The advantage of CIMC exports is that they give you a live link to the property information which will show up in the map markers on your My Maps

cimc_basic_search_result

EJ Screen

EPA EJ Screen website

EJ Screen Help

The EJ Screen mapping tool does not allow you to export data. You can print it as a PDF, but you can't download the map files.

EPA EJ Screen

HUD 2021 Choice Neighborhoods

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/maps/CN/home.html 

According to the HUD website: This tool assists Choice Neighborhoods applicants to prepare data to submit with their grant application by allowing applicants to draw the exact location of their target neighborhood. The tool will then calculate the number of housing units, the average poverty rate, and the vacancy rate of the area drawn and send an email back to the applicant within a few hours. The email will have an attachment containing the necessary data for the Choice Neighborhoods application, along with information HUD can use to confirm the intended program area. The applicant should then submit this document with their grant application.

Google Earth Pro Timeslider

Google Earth Pro is a free desktop platform than can be downloaded as https://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html?hl=en-GB

The timeslider will give you access to historic imagery

Google Earth Pro Help

1989

Image from Google Earth Pro timeslider

2019

Image from Google Earth Pro timeslider