Abstract
Modernizing McHarg: New Tools and Methods for Overlay Analysis Track: Cartography and Map Production Author(s): Jennifer Chester Various forms of overlay analysis have become the standard for opportunities/constraints and suitability analysis used in all areas of planning. Original analyses were carried out using hand drawn transparent prints (McHarg overlay method) and thus limited in their complexity. Despite being simplistic in nature, these early processes provided the foundation for the methodology used today by GIS professionals wordwide. Nearly 40 years after Ian McHarg published his book on the process, great advances have been made in GIS technology that allow for improvements in efficiency and complexity when performing overlay analysis. Vector shapefiles and geodatabases, capable of storing a wealth of complex attribute information, compliment other developments such as ModelBuilder, which automates and create records of the process. Using new tools available through GIS, hand drawn paper maps have evolved into an overlay analysis methods integral to the planning process. Jennifer Chester EDAW, Inc. Utility & Environmental Planning 1809 Blake St., Suite 200 Denver , CO 80202 US Phone: 303-595-4522 E-mail: chesterj@edaw.com |
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