High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and Census Geography: The SPIN on TIGER

Author: John K. Wildgen
Organization: University of New Orleans

University of New Orleans
lakefront 2000
New Orleans, LA 70433
USA

Phone: 504.280.6521
Fax: 504.280.6272
jwildgen@uno.edu

It is no secret, especially to the former Soviet Union, that as Census 2000 approaches, TIGER is not always up-to-date. To help understand where TIGER lags, the State of Louisiana funded acquisition of SPIN-2 1.56 meter pixel imagery of the New Orleans-Baton Rouge-Slidell triangle. Imagery was acquired in March 1998 and compared to TIGER 1997 in the summer of 1999. Comparisons with subsequent TIGER releases continue apace.

There is no simple theory of geography accounting for the SPIN-TIGER disparities, but this paper rounds up the "usual suspects" geographers rely upon to explain mapping anomalies. Understanding them may make planning Census 2010 easier.