|
Track: Local/State Government, Cadastral, Land Records
Jeffrey Henderson
Whittier College
W.M. Keck Image Processing Laboratory
13406 E Philadelphia Street
Whittier, CA 90608
Telephone: 310-907-4220
Fax: 310-693-6117
E-mail: jeffh@keck.whittier.edu
Cheryl Swift, Adam Bennett, Jaime Gutierrez
Using GIS To Evaluate Land Use Change and Recreation Accessibility in the San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley in the Los Angeles basin has experienced radical land use and demographic changes in the period 1928-1995. This area has converted from an almost entirely agrarian land use pattern to a densely developed urban environment that is characterized by a striking lack of open and recreational space. In Los Angeles, perhaps more than anywhere, this and other externalities that are inherent in rampant urban development are borne inequitably by those who can least afford to mitigate them. This paper describes progress on a study using GIS to statistically determine the impacts of land use change, demographic change, and political conditions on the accessibility of quality recreation in San Gabriel Valley communities. Drawing upon a variety of data sources and methods from many academic disciplines, we are building a GIS database to describe land use changes (1928-1995), demographics, government structure and function, and park facilities and users. This database will be used in the
curriculum at Whittier College to educate students about GIS and environmental justice. It will also help politicians, planners, and developers in San Gabriel Valley communities understand more fully the inequitable impacts that urban development has had on the availability of quality recreation space, and will forward a predictive capability to estimate future impacts of current development proposals.
|
|
