This project was completed in a Intermediate GIS course. The second half of the semester course involved working in a group to study a subject of your choice. I and my partner, Peter Sotherland, incorporated our two Capstone projects to look into Social Vulnerability Mapping in urban environments.
Description
As ramifications of global climate change become an increasing concern for municipalities to
address (Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States), it is important to identify the spatial distribution of their most vulnerable populations in order to tailor measures for aid and assistance. In this study we attempted to create a model for showing vulnerable populations at the Census Block Group (CBG) level using an adapted method based off of the Cutter, Brouff and Shirley method. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) consists of an aggregation of five different demographic characteristic indices: age under 18 and over 65 years, non‐white population, female population, population density, and housing value/rent. The method was then used to map vulnerably CBGs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Marquette Michigan. The vulnerability data was overlaid by FEMA flood zone information to show how the most vulnerable CBGs might be affected by a major flood event. From this study, some limitations were discovered on how the method addresses certain abnormal issues. It did however create maps that show the vulnerable CBGs in these communities and gave insight into how the population of those CBGs might be affected by flood events.
Click on link below for full report including ArcGIS created maps.
Kenneth R. C. Dunn 