A Lightbox and a 3D Map

A short post today, following the theme of some other recent posts. I've been experimenting with creating different kinds of 3D surfaces with Ordnance Survey data. I've also been experimenting with ways of displaying these online.

So, what's a 'lightbox' - well, it's a way of making an image pop-out on screen with the background darkened. Click the image below to see this in action. The 3D map in the lightbox is just a surface model I created using an OS 1:50,000 colour raster tile for the Inverness/Moray Firth area in the north of Scotland.

Further details of how to integrate lightboxes into blogger (for nerds) can be found here.

Video Tutorials for GIS

I've not been saying much recently about screencasting, or video tutorials, but I have been working in this area quite a lot over the past year - mainly in conjunction with SalfordGIS. I've just come back from the Planning Research UK Conference in Chelmsford where I was speaking about my work in this area. So, I thought it was about time for another GIS screencast post.

The video below is one of a series I've produced in collaboration with SalfordGIS. This one is a basic ArcMap demo but we also have lots of MapInfo videos too. For both GIS applications skills from basic to advanced are covered. The videos are all around 3 to 5 minutes long each, with one task demonstrated per video. The idea is not to replace traditional GIS training but to provide quick refreshers of key skills.

Manchester Commuter Inflows

A short post today on visualizing commuting flows. I've used some 3D GIS techniques to create a commuting surface for the North West of England (based on wards). Areas with peaks represent high in-commuting. Manchester dominates the North West pattern, as seen below.

I added in flow lines to this map in order to see which 'peaks' were being by-passed on the way to Manchester, and from where. The lines on the map below represent flows of 25 or more from individual wards in the North West. Not a huge number per ward, but it all adds up. When you think of how many people are doing this and how far they come it is significant however...

This is only really a rough draft, but it does communicate quite a bit of information and it tells a familiar story of urban commuting. Click on the map to see it in full size.

OS OpenData - It's Here!

So, Ordnance Survey today unveiled their new 'OS OpenData' service, where anyone can download high quality OS datasets for viewing or for use in a GIS. Personal and commercial re-use is allowed, though the largest scale datasets (e.g. MasterMap) are not included in this 'free' service. Nonetheless, it's an excellent development. The official government document has more details, and the data download section is now live. In recognition of this historic day, I've done a quick video tour of the new service. I'll blog on something different next time...

OS OpenSpace - free web mapping

Following on from the subject of the previous post on Ordnance Survey, I've been experimenting with their excellent new OpenSpace service, launched in January. The OS OpenSpace API is free to access and lets developers create web applications and online projects with Ordnance Survey maps.

Put simply, you can now easily make a map with OS data and put it on your website. On blogger it can be a bit tricky, but overall it's not that difficult and there are many options for customisation. The map below is just an example - it is fully interactive. I made it quickly using the web-map builder. (For those of a technical persuasion, I just pasted in some iframe code on blogger - the actual html file is on my university server.) I may do more with this in future but for the time being this is it...

Ordnance Survey Data - A Revolution?

Following the news some time ago that most Ordnance Survey data (if not all - still waiting for details) is to be made available free of charge for re-use by personal and commercial users, the GI fraternity is abuzz with anticipation. I am also pretty excited about this development since it will make working with geographic data and using GIS in the United Kingdom much easier. It should also increase the number of users, as SalfordGIS point out.

The current understanding is that from April 1, 2010 several OS datasets (e.g. 1:50,000 colour raster) will be made freely available. What are the implications of this? Just some thoughts...

• Anyone will be able to download and print original OS maps, free of charge
• Anyone will be able to use OS data to derive new maps - previously this was forbidden
• GIS users will use data in new and innovative ways
• GIS consultants will increase in number
• In general, many good things will happen and geographic knowledge will increase
  

Much more will be written on this in the media in the coming weeks and there is no doubt it is an exciting time if you are in any way involved in the world of geographic information in the United Kingdom.

The future is full of possibilities!

NSNR Final Evaluation

Just over a week ago (4th March 2010), the final evaluations of two major English urban policy initiatives were published by CLG. One of these was the New Deal for Communities (NDC) final assessment - the other was the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal (NSNR) final report. This short post is about the latter document, which contains 119 pages in all.

The NSNR was launched in 2001 with the notion that "within 10 to 20 years no-one should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live" - a very noble (unrealistic?) goal. The report itself covers the following, in some detail:

• the nature of deprived neighbourhoods;
• change in deprived areas;
• factors influencing change in deprived neighbourhoods;
• the impact of NSNR on deprived neighbourhoods;
• the effectiveness of NSNR arrangements; and
• lessons for the future.

With all such evaluations, however, the real issue is not the evaluation itself but the wider context within which the programme operates. It has been said that the most effective anti-poverty strategy is economic growth and in many ways this is true, but even in a period of sustained growth (e.g. 1997 to 2007) what we have seen is a deepening of concentrated deprivation in many cities, though there have been some successes. So, on p. 80 we have "overall value for money appeared to be good for the majority of the interventions" and on p. 112 a more engouraging statement: "in terms of value for money, NRF appears to have performed well – demonstrably so with regard to reducing worklessness in particular"

Some earlier work I was involved in at the Centre for Urban Policy Studies is reported from p. 18 to 21 and there are many other interesting results, data and maps. The report also makes a very kind acknowledgement of my input!