Scaling Geocontextualization

Urban design and development is an iterative process that involves community engagement and multiple feedback cycles. Advances in internet technologies and web mapping technologies has made it possible to display design plans on websites and to collect feedback on specific locations or aspects of the provided design. Using web mapping applications to feedback from the community is formally known as facilitated volunteer geographic information (FVGI). FVGI has potential to improve decision making in urban governance but it comes with challenges such as data overload, poor data quality and data ambiguity. This research proposes an automated process to identify key locations within FVGI data using a process called Geocontextualization. Urban decision makers will be able to identify areas of concern as a result. This internship will benefit the intern as there is an opportunity to work with real data sets and projects and to build a web solution at scale. This internship will benefit the partner because it will allow the firm to leverage the latest GIS workflows to new competitive service in urban development.

Faculty Supervisor:

Robert Feick

Student:

Majuratan Sadagopan

Partner:

Gerrard Design Associates Inc

Discipline:

Urban studies

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Waterloo