This repository includes the course materials for the LA 558 Spring 2023 Introduction to Web Mapping and Data Visualization course at Iowa State University. This course is taught by Professor Seeger.

The course explores the use and development of online mapping tools and coding to support a variety of activities. Topics include: spatial data science, participatory GIS, Volunteered Geographic Information, geodesign, data wrangling and sharing, user interface design and decision-making actions. Laboratory emphasis on practical applications and uses of Web GIS tools. The 2023 course emphasized the use of QGIS, GeoJSON.io, R (ggPlot2, Leaflet) and Tableau.

This course has a Prereq: CRP 351/551. GEOL 452/552 or instructor permission.

Final projects from the course can be found below.

Abiola Adesanya - Developing a Web-Based Historic Places Map: A Tool for Promoting Historic Preservation and Tourism
Historic landmarks and monuments are an important part of our cultural heritage, but they can be difficult to discover and learn about. To promote historic preservation and tourism, there is a need for tools that help people discover and explore historic places in their communities. This project aims to develop a web-based historic places map that provides users with a visual representation of the historic landmarks and monuments in Iowa State. The map will be created using data from historic preservation organizations, government agencies, and museums. The tool will allow users to explore and interact with data, including photographs. The goal of this project is to promote historic preservation, tourism, and education by providing an interactive tool for discovering and learning about historic places in Iowa State.

Eunice Amissah-Mensah - Assessing Homelessness in the United States
Homelessness is a complex issue that affects millions of people in the United States. It is caused by a combination of factors including poverty, lack of affordable housing, job loss, and mental illness. Homelessness disproportionately affects specific populations, such as veterans, families with children, and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. The impact of homelessness extends beyond just housing insecurity, it affects physical and mental health, access to education and employment opportunities, and overall quality of life. Addressing homelessness requires a comprehensive and integrated approach that includes access to affordable housing, healthcare, education, and job training. Addressing homelessness is critical for ensuring the well-being and stability of individuals and communities. This project seeks to visualize places where categories of homelessness are prevalent with the help of Tableau.

Yadhav Deerpaul - Climate, Sunspots, and Forestry: Global Approaches to Understanding Malaria in British Mauritius
Malaria was spreading at an alarming on the island of Mauritius during the late nineteenth century. The British Government instated a Sanitary Commission in 1879 to recommend laws which could potentially reverse the spiraling outbreak. In the GIS project, I have analyzed the datasets on health, and weather statistics compiled by Charles Meldrum during the nineteenth century from different districts of Mauritius during the period 1871–1879. Additionally, I have also looked at the chronology of the spread of malaria from January 1865 to May 1866 which he had also referenced. My main hypothesis was to determine if there was a strong correlation between malaria, climate and deforestation in Mauritius.

Lily Ehler - Malta & its International Connections
Malta is a small island nation located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Its strategically significant port has made the island a point of contention throughout history, with numerous nations and empires fighting for control. As a result, Malta has become a melting pot of different cultures coming together to form the island’s unique identity. With a heavily service-based economy, Malta has thrived off of its connections with other countries around the world. This mapping project will explore Malta’s historic connections with various foreign empires, as well as look at its present day international connections through shipping, aviation, tourism, and diplomatic relations.

Ayodele Fadoju - Nigerian Doctors on The Run: Emerging Issues in The Health Care System
The issue of Nigerian doctors leaving the country for better opportunities has become a significant concern for the country’s healthcare system. This study examines the various factors driving the migration of doctors and the potential negative consequences on the healthcare system. The study finds that poor remuneration, insecurity, and inadequate diagnostic facilities are the primary driving factors for doctors’ emigration. The migration of doctors has worsened the already struggling healthcare system, affecting the quality of care provided to patients, especially in rural areas. The study recommends policy solutions such as an upward review of physician remuneration, analysis and prevention of insecurity, and increased funding for the healthcare sector to improve diagnostic infrastructure and retain healthcare professionals. The study highlights the urgent need to address the root causes of the issue and prevent the collapse of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Farzan Faramarzi - Wind Turbines history in USA and Iowa
Distraction accounts for 25% of the crashes in united states approximately. Influence of the wind turbine installations as a driver distraction on the number of crashes has been studied in this investigation. This issue is of prime importance for the state of Iowa as it has more than eight per cent of the total wind turbines install in USA. The crash database of the state of Iowa which correlates the crash number and severity to various contributing factors, in conjunction with the spatial data analysis have been used to better comprehend the location, time, quantity and severity of the occurring accidents and correlate it to the installed wind turbines for a particular region during a specific time frame. Analyzing this database for the years 2016 and 2018, has enabled us to better understand the influence of wind turbines installed during 2017 on the crash number. Various buffer values based on the drivers’ sight distance have been selected to better examine this influence. Interestingly, it was found that at the year 2018 (one year after installation of the wind turbines) the number of the crash cases were less than the year 2016 (the year before installation) at the same regions.

Sedi Ghiasi - Microclimate Analysis in Des Moines, Iowa
Microclimate Analysis in Des Moines, Iowa. This project examines the microclimate variability of Des Moines, Iowa, with a focus on the impact of trees and building ratios. By combining Tableau and R, we analyze and visualize real-world data to gain insights into how these factors affect the local climate. Through this analysis, we aim to better understand the complex relationship between urban development and microclimate conditions, and to identify potential strategies for mitigating negative impacts on human health and comfort. Please note that only a part of this study is included using altered numeric values, as this is a part of my PhD work.

Zahra Khalilzadeh - Crop Yield Analysis
The goal of this project is to develop a web map using R or Tableau to visualize crop yields in Iowa over time and identify factors that impact production such as soil quality and weather patterns. The project will use data analysis techniques to explore the correlation between crop yields and factors such as soil quality, weather patterns, and crop management practices. By creating a web map that displays crop yields across different counties in Iowa over time, the project aims to identify trends and patterns that could help farmers optimize their crop management practices. The project will also incorporate remote sensing technologies to monitor plant growth and health, as well as weather patterns, to predict pest and disease outbreaks and determine when and how much water to apply to different areas of the field.

Samuel Odoom - Alcohol Outlet Density and Violence in Des Moines: A Geospatial Approach
To better understand the causes of urban crime and how to manage it, scholars have begun looking into how the physical fabric of cities can create a conducive environment for crime and how these physical environments can be altered to reduce crime. To achieve this, using geospatial tools has become critical and helped bring new perspectives to scholarly ideas regarding the use of geographic data in explaining social phenomena. This project aims to document the relationship between alcohol outlet density and the incidence of crimes in Des Moines using a Geospatial approach. By visualizing the location of liquor stores and crime incidences, this project seeks to demonstrate that issues of alcohol availability and access are fundamental to the prevention of crime-related problems within communities.

Hyunsik Son- The U.S. Military Base Relocation and Its Impact on the Host Cities in South Korea
In 2002, the USFK and the South Korean governments agreed to consolidate and relocate U.S. military bases to a few large installations nationwide, with the relocation process beginning in 2005. This project focuses on examining how the relocation has affected two host cities, Dongducheon and Pyeongtaek. By analyzing the socioeconomic data of the two cities in 2007 and 2019, including factors such as physical environment, demography, and economy, the project aims to diagnose their current status in terms of urban decay. To achieve this goal, interactive web maps and various figures will be used to present the findings of the study.

Xin Yan - What data can help us estimate building heights at high resolution?
Building height is an important indicator for estimating energy consumption, material stock allocation, greenhouse gas emissions, urban heat island effects, distribution of population,and urban development plan. However, openly accessible building height information over large areas at high spatial resolution is still missing. To estimate the building height at a high accuracy, satellite data is the best choice to do that. Besides that, the building morphology also plays a big role. Different satellite data has various band setting, observation characteristics and research focus, the most important work is finding a set of stable features that help us build a model to estimate the building height. After having these features, we can easily predict the building height!