GIS 4043 Final Project: Quantifying the impacts of a proposed FPL transmission line

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-9p03G9WqTVqbfW6F7IE1_OdXsHBqwBo/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=110455985222236608335&rtpof=true&sd=true

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-I0bx98nZ62pC8QzORUN1NVu9t4PXwaK/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110455985222236608335&rtpof=true&sd=true" target="_blank">

This has been one of the most intense weeks of school I've ever had, including and especially grad school.

Bringing together everything we learned in this course, I produced 5 maps, a PowerPoint presentation, a Word doc transcript, and a half dozen Excel files showing my data.

Notable techniques and lessons from the final include: using the intersect tool to isolate layers in the study area and in the proposed corridor; using erase to make Swiss cheese layers with intersecting layers removed; using the polygon to centerline tool to estimate the transmission line length; using Excel to Table to import raw data, creating a locator to geocode addresses from table data, and using calculate geometry to calculate areas of impacted lands. We also got to use aerial photography files and parcel maps to identify homes in the proposed corridor.

All the previous labs had very detailed instructions for what to do, whereas this final gave us relatively open ended goals and minimal instruction, with lots of problems that required critically thinking about what to do, like layers with undifferentiated data that required development and interpretation.

Finally, the final also encouraged us to think critically about the nature of public and private land rights and needs, infrastructure projects, environmental concerns, and safety risks, and how GIS data can be used to explore these competing needs. The FPL transmission line ultimately tried to balance minimizing contact with residential areas and schools, with wetlands and protected habitats, and still be economical and not take excessive detours.

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