- Geography 5222 -
Project 1: Introduction to GIS
Decision Support with a GIS

Objective:
execute attribute and spatial queries, perform a site selection analysis
using digital data to demonstrate the utility of a GIS in decision support

This lesson is an exercise in geographic decision making.  Using ArcView, I was able to select candidate cities for the opening an ice cream shop based on certain restrictions.  The restrictions include two categories of criteria: business and quality of life criteria and are listed below.  By using attribute and spatial queries, I was able to select the four candidate cities shown above in the screen capture.

    Business Criteria
    Greater than 500 farms for milk production
    A labor pool of at least 25,000 individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 years
    Interstate within 20 miles

    Quality of Life Criteria
    A low crime index (less than or equal to 0.02)
    At least one recreation area within 10 miles
    A population of less than 150 individuals per square mile
    Located near a university or college

After the entrepreneurs of the ice cream shop decided on further restrictions (within 10 miles of a river or lake and within 40 miles of a landmark), the map above shows the final choices for the candidate cities.