OBJECTIVE: To
apply GIS principles and analytical techniques to solve a practical problem.OBJECTIVE: To
apply GIS principles and analytical techniques to solve a practical problem.
OVERVIEW: The University of North Alabama has gone throught a great deal of change since its founding in 1830 by the Methodist Church (originally founded as LaGrange College and located in Colbert County). Over the years, buildings have been erected, used for one purpose then another (i.e., Willingham Hall was once a dormitory), and demolished in pursuit of change (i.e., O'Neal Hall). You job is to study the campus, review and map what it once was, and then create and analyze a plan for future growth.
PROCESS: For this exercise, you are to download the campus ArcView shapefiles from Pathfinder into your directory and create a variety of maps of UNA. You want to represent UNA it was in the past and as it is today. You may want to do this by adding information to the database of the files, but there are other ways as well (Remember, Einstein believed that imagination is more important than intelligence.) You are also to research the history of UNA (particularly the buildings - not all of them but a few). Ask yourself these questions (and then incorporate them into your paper/presentation):
How has the University grown?
How has the building use changed?
How have departments been "redistributed" through the campus?
How much greenspace has been lost over the years?
How was the greenspace been changed? Into what?
Is there wasted space on campus?
What could physically be done to improve the "landscape ecology" of the
campus? (What is landscape ecology?)
Once you have completed this part (or along with the first part), think about this: The University must grow (if "we" do not grow, we will die). It is rumored that the University Master Plan includes a new College of Arts and Sciences building in the near future. If this new building is built, where will we put it? Consider the University layout and ponder (and experiment) will various locations. While you experiment (using GIS techiques) and ponder, think about these questions.
Where will we place the new building?
What will we loose in placing the new building? (i.e., parking)
How will this affect all University individuals?
How will greenspace be affected?
What are the ramifications of a new building (good, bad and otherwise)?
Will we have to remove other buildings?
How has the square footage of the total building space, parking lot space, green space,
etc. changed?
CONCLUSION: You are to publish your results as an integrated Web page with additional web pages (with related external links). Each person will present their information to the class with the presentation being inclusive but not exhausting to the listeners. In addition, each person is to submit a two to three page executive summary of the groups research. Each person will be graded on their collection of information, presentation and related discussion, as well on their own executive summary of the project.
Created on 6/5/98 by Lisa Keys-Mathews. Last revised on 9/7/99. lkm