Category Archives: Maps/Apps/Charts/Data

Data Masking and GIS

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Geographic masking is the deliberate alteration of locational data to preserve the privacy or integrity of the data being displayed or analyzed. For example, the locations of the nests of endangered bird species may be publicly posted on a web site, but the availability of this data could create inappropriate visits that could disturb or endanger the birds, and so should be masked.

This GITA sponsored webinar on January 20th will discuss masking in the context of geospatial privacy, a topic of great national concern in the era of social media and Wikileaks.  Most of the methods in current use will be discussed, along with their advantages and disadvantages.  How the methods are implemented and what impact they have on geographic and spatial analysis are explored.

Rent or Buy?

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Near the beginning of this year, there was a post about renting or owning in SoCal.  From the NY Times, there is this great tool on calculating in more detail if it is better to rent or buy a home.  Here you can enter a home price, how long you plan to stay, mortgage details (rate, down payment, and length), projected future growth rates, taxes, closing costs, maintenance fees, and then in contrast the costs of renting (monthly rate, broker’s fee, renter’s insurance).  With all that info, the site calculates whether it is better to rent or own, as well as where the dividing line might be in terms of renting versus the costs and benefits of owning.  Yes, there is no map like the other tool, but I think this tool helps you make a more informed decision about buying a home instead of renting.  Check it out!

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California Historical Census

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Looking for historical census data for your county or city in California?  You might find what you are looking for at California’s Historical Census Populations of Counties and Incorporated Cities web page.  The report provides total population counts for the state, counties, and incorporated cities in California from 17 decennial US censuses from 1850-2010.  Make sure to read the notes and caveats about the data.

How Big is Los Angeles?

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A common, frequent complaint about Los Angeles is that it’s so big and so sprawly and it feels like it goes on forever. Is it really? Let’s get a better grasp of LA’s relative size, care of self-storage-focused site Spare Foot, which superimpose LA’s city limits over the borders of other major cities (and even a few landmarks). The pairings also show how LA compares to other metropolises in terms of land area, population, and density per square mile.  Check it out.

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