Community Mapping and Analysis

GIS is used as an important inventory, visualization, and analysis tool in the study of local communities, community development, and for local advocacy. GIS is frequently used to inventory and display current conditions (demographics, land use, zoning, transportation, services), and is often used to analyze access to community services and to advocate for new services. Likewise it is being widely used in studies linking public health to the local environment, and in social/environmental justice studies comparing services and burdens between communities.

Examples of Online Mapping for Community Analysis

• Policy Map (Tufts license) - census, housing, foreclosures, and a wide variety of other data sets for online mapping
• Social Explorer (Tufts license) - map census data, current and historical

Examples of GIS for community mapping and advocacy

• PolicyLink – Community Mapping Toolkit -  a detailed description and guide to community mapping, along with case studies and resources
• Kirwan Institute, Ohio State University – Opportunity Mapping - researchers use GIS and spatial analysis to examine access to economic and educational opportunities in metropolitan regions.
• Legal Services of Northern California -  excellent and up to date list of GIS mapping resources for community analysis and advocacy. The focus is on California, but it provides many national resources as well and great examples of online community mapping. 
• Greater New Orleans Community Data Center - provides data and mapping for non-profits in the New Orleans region – excellent example of non-profit community support with a heavy emphasis on innovative GIS work.
• HealthyCity - a Los Angeles example of online community mapping for neighborhood analysis and advocacy
• A Nonprofit’s Introduction to Google’s Online Mapping Tools: How to use Google Maps and Google Earth for outreach and advocacy\ (from Tech Soup) – not international per se, but a good guide Google Maps for non-profits.
• Google Earth Outreach\ - not international per se, but a good site for non-profits that want to make use of Google Earth

Examples of Peer-Reviewed Literature

• Alexis Comber, Chris Brunsdon, Edmund Green. 2008. Using a GIS-based network analysis to determine urban greenspace accessibility for different ethnic and religious groups. Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 86, Issue 1, 12 May 2008, Pages 103-114
• Jennifer Rogalsky. 2009 (in press). The working poor and what GIS reveals about the possibilities of public transit
  Journal of Transport Geography.