GIS & Data Analysis

Chicago Area Project (CAP) 
The Egan Urban Center will provide research services, professional development and technical assistance to the Chicago Area Project (CAP) to enhance CAP’s in-house and field research capacity. Over the course of one year, EUC will address data-gathering, data-analysis and research-oriented training needs specifically related to the capacity-building strategy, Strengthening Organizations Leading Youth Development (SOLYD).

Under this initiative, EUC will review the research instruments and methods currently being used to assess the existing conditions of the communities served; the assets they have put in place to address these conditions; and the capacities of the 10 CAP-affiliated organizations that seek to facilitate the community improvement process. Overall, the aim is to strengthen the capacities of all entities involved in SOLYD to address the negative impacts evolving from gang activities, youth violence, and the abuse and neglect experienced by youth in the communities being served. A major component of the technical assistance provided by the EUC will be to establish baseline data depicting the current conditions of the target communities, set out appropriate indices that demark positive change, and design instruments and methods to systematically measure the impacts of CAP and its SOLYD over a 3-year period. 
    
Korean American Research & Development Institute Project  
EUC converted 6-county PUMS data to dbf, excel and shapefile (files used for GIS mapping) formats. 
    
CNU Member Satisfaction Survey 
The Egan Urban Center designed and analyzed a current and former member satisfaction survey to assist Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) evaluate its 3000-member association composed of planners, architects, public officials, and others instrumental in developing and shaping the environment. The survey was used to evaluate the quality, satisfaction, outcome of the services, and overall performance of CNU’s initiative to help better administer their services.

The survey was designed to capture basic demographic and socio-economic profile of the members, and their overall satisfaction of the services they received. This web-survey results were captured via SurveyMonkey and analyzed.  
    
Data Analysis and GIS Mapping 
(1) Mapping of Opiate Addiction - Citywide
Greg Scott from Dept. of Sociology did a study on opiate addiction in the cook county, IL region. To illustrate his findings, EUC developed maps to show the different types of opiates used in the county, concentration of opiate overdose deaths, concentration of Naloxone Prescription Holders - an antidote for opiate overdose, and number of syringes exchanged.

(2) 10 Metropolitan Area Analysis of Insurance Policy Holders
EUC provided GIS maps and a detailed zip code level analysis on the policy holders. The maps were created to identify the concentration of policy holders in North America and the financial literacy of these policy holders. The policy holders’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics were also compared with the national averages.

(3) Buffer Analysis of DePaul University's Suburban Campuses
Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the country. It serves more than 23,000 students who reflect a broad range of ethnic, religious, geographic and economic backgrounds.

EUC presented a buffer analysis of three suburban campuses for the Strategic Planning Committee of the University including analysis of socio-economic data.

(4) Nationwide Market Analysis for a Financial Institution
EUC carried out a nationwide and Cook county level market analysis for a financial institution. This market analysis included mapping the concentration of the clients, and then, comparing their demographic and economic characteristics to identify potential clients. A detailed analysis and mapping was done for 10 major metropolitan areas to show the geographic areas that the company should focus on marketing their services, and the areas to avoid.

EUC also created a database for the financial institution to measure the impact of their services in the service areas.

(5) Race and Ethnicity Maps for New Orleans
EUC analyzed and mapped the racial distribution and change in the racial concentration for New Orleans between 1990 to 2000 for the Arizona State University's School of Justice & Social Inquiry.

(6) Mapping of Kovler Center Clients
EUC created maps to show the client concentration of Kovler Center by municipality and zipcodes for the Chicago Land area.

(7) Race and Ethnicity Maps
EUC created maps of the Racial Concentrations of Chicago for the major races, White, Black, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and other to be presented in Paris by one Roberta Garner of the Sociology Dept.

EUC also created Race and Ethnicity nationwide maps for Rick Schafer of the Sociology Dept.
for a book published by Sage publication.

(8) Nationwide Poverty Level Analysis
EUC developed poverty level status maps by counties and states for North America for Political Science Professor Larry Bennett.

(9) Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC) Mapping
Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC) is a network of youth and community organizations working together in five diverse neighborhoods on the Southwest Side of Chicago - namely in Chicago Lawn, West Lawn, West Englewood, Gage Park and West Elsdon.

Egan Urban Center began a Youth Program Evaluation for the Southwest Youth Collaborative in 2005. To aid the evaluation, EUC analyzed the U.S. Census 2000 data to develop demographic and economic maps for the 5 communities.

(10) West Humboldt Park Development Council’s Community Land Trust Project Mapping
Community Land Trust Project provides opportunities for Humboldt Park residents to become homeowners. This affordable housing program offers subsidies and other incentives to encourage home buyers invest in their neighborhood.

To help WHPDC seek additional funds from Department of Housing, EUC analyzed and created maps on Housing Affordability, Income, Mortgage, Real Estate Taxes, Employment Status and Educational Attainment including basic demographic information.

(11) Community Gardens Buffer Analysis
In the past, community groups across Chicago have used vacant or unused city owned lots as opportunities to create green open spaces in their neighborhoods. These sites become important community assets that provide residents with opportunities to socialize with each other, plant and grow food, or simply be outside and enjoy nature. These activities had done much to improve the quality of life in a variety of neighborhoods. Over the years, many of these sites were threatened or disappearing altogether.

Last August, a quantitative evaluation of the impact of community gardens was carried out by Dept. of Sociology students. To aid the study, EUC provided a buffer analysis for 5 community gardens, Institute for Community Resource Development garden, Xochiquetzal Peace garden, South Chicago People's park, Paradise garden and Howard area community garden.

(12) Albany Park Community Center Mapping
The Albany Park Community Center, Inc., is a not-for-profit, community-based organization located in the Albany Park neighborhood. The Center operates a wide range of programs and services at fifteen locations to educate and support members of the community by providing diverse programs and services for individuals, families, groups and businesses.

Although the official Chicago community area includes a larger area, most of the Center’s clients come from the area bounded between Pulaski Road on the West; Montrose Avenue on the South; the North Branch of the Chicago River on the North; and Sacramento Avenue on the East. Albany Park has been the site of dramatic community transition over the years. Predominantly upper-working class Jewish residents lived in the area until the early 1960's. Over the past forty years, the population profile has changed to include a high percentage of poverty-level and low-income working class residents from a variety of backgrounds.

To have a better understanding of the demographic profile of this neighborhood, EUC developed a series of maps based on the 2000 U.S. Census data for the Albany Park Community Center.

(13) Back of the Yard Mapping
 Back of the Yard is predominantly a Black-Latino, lower-working class community located on the east side of Chicago. The neighborhood is situates between Western Blvd. on the West; Garfield Blvd. on the South; Pershing Road on the North; and Halsted Street on the East. EUC mapped the basic demography using the U.S. Census 2000 data, and carried out a buffer analysis of different community resources available within ¼ and ½ mile radius of this community. This project was done for the Department of Sociology at DePaul University.

(14) Humboldt Park / West Town / Austin Mapping
EUC also created population and race maps of the Humboldt Park and West Town neighborhoods for the Department of Sociology at DePaul University.

(15) COPC Tour Maps
In the past, EUC had received 3 COPC grants which were used to provide services to two community based organizations, Near Northwest Neighborhood Network and West Humboldt Park Family and Community Development Council situated in east and west Humboldt Park respectively.

At the end of the grant a conference and a tour of the neighborhood were held to identify the role of DePaul University and the impact it had in the gentrification of the communities it served, namely the Humboldt Park. A tour was arranged to see the areas revitalized through the 3 grants. For this purpose, EUC created maps of the type of development (commercial, residential, green space, etc.) and basic demographic information of Humboldt Park.

(16) Garfield Blvd Community Center Mapping
EUC created a detailed Buffer analysis for a community center in Garfield Blvd. The maps included an analysis of demographic, socio and economic characteristics of a ½ and 1 mile radius from this center.