QGIS Familiarization and Vector Data IT & Computer Science Coursework

GGRA30: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Empirical Reasoning Assignment #2: QGIS Familiarization and Vector Data Instructor: Glenn Brauen Department of Human Geography, University of Toronto Scarborough Winter 2020 Due Date: Feb. 12, at start of your tutorial section. Total marks possible: 16 All answers must be typed/printed. 1 Learning Objectives When you complete this assignment you will have demonstrated: • the ability to load vector data into QGIS from a PostgreSQL / PostGIS database. • the ability to create and print a paper map using QGIS, including configuring layer ordering, styling layers, and creating a map layout. • the ability to examine attributes for vector data and answer questions about the data. Tutorial #3 (Week 4) introduces the QGIS user interface (UI) and describes the procedure to create and export a map layout as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. 2 Data Provided The data you are to use for this assignment has been provided in the form of an online PostgreSQL / PostGIS database: • server: ggrgis.utsc.utoronto.ca • database: ggra30_a2 • login: ggra30 • password: ggra30 1 Assignment #2 GGRA30 Winter 2020 Tutorial #4 (Week 5) includes instructions for connecting to the database, loading and configuring vector layers. The database includes the following layers, all of which are derived from data provided by the City of Toronto: • toronto_cei_zones: a vector polygon layer containing outlines of Commercial (C), Employment (E) and Institutional (I), thus “cei,” zones in each Toronto neighbourhood. • toronto_major_streets: a vector line layer containing information about major roads in Toronto. Smaller residential roads are not included. These represent the road centre lines. • toronto_neighbourhoods: a vector polygon layer containing information about City of Toronto neighbourhoods. • toronto_parks: a vector polygon layer containing information about city parks in Toronto. • toronto_water_lines: a vector line layer containing information about rivers and creeks in Toronto As with the streets layer above, these lines represent the centre line of rivers and creeks. All of the layers listed above should be used in your map. See the sample map at the end of these instructions. None of the layers provided for Tutorials #3 and #4 (the WMS base maps and the Ontario boundary, water and weather stations layers) may be used to complete your assignment map. 3 Your Neighbourhood for Mapping For this assignment, you are going to create a basic map showing a specified neighbourhood in Toronto, depending on the last digit of your student number. The following table shows which neighbourhood you should map according to the last digit of your student number. Last Digit Neighbourhood 0, 1 Stonegate-Queensway (16) 2, 3 Parkwoods-Donalda (45) 4, 5 L’Amoreaux (117) 6, 7 Clairlea-Birchmount (120) 8, 9 Agincourt South-Malvern West (128) Table 1: Mapping Neighbourhood assignments, according to the last digit of your student number. The neighbourhood names can be found in the area_name field of the toronto_neighbourhoods layer. 4 Assignment Submission You will submit a printed copy of your assignment including your map and the typed answers to the questions in Section 6. Your assignment should be given to your teaching assistant at the beginning of your tutorial session. 2 of 5 Assignment #2 GGRA30 Winter 2020 5 Create and Print a Paper Map: 12 Marks Your task in this assignment is to create and print a map layout similar to the sample attached to this assignment handout. As shown in that sample, you should be able to distinguish different types of objects by colour. Choose colours that make sense to you and don’t worry about trying to create a replica of the sample by using the same colours. Include all of the following map elements: • Title • Legend • North arrow • Scale bar (sized so that it shows round number distances) • Your name and student number The instructions for tutorials #3 (Week 4) and #4 (Week 5) include all of the instructions required to complete this assignment. They are not repeated here. 5.1 Organize the Data Layers Add all of the layers provided in the assignment database to the map. Reorder the layers: • Order the neighbourhood boundaries on top of the roads. • Order the roads over the water lines. • Order the polygon layers (parks and commercial, employment and institutional zones) under the line layers. See the ordering of the layers in the legend of the sample map as a guide. Although the ordering of items in the legend and the map may be different, in this sample they are the same. Note that to draw the neighbourhood boundaries on top of the roads which are on top of the water lines, you need to ensure that the neighbourhood polygons are not filled with any colour so the layer can be “seen through.” This has been done in the attached sample (p.5) to make the neighbourhood shape stand out from the roads that often form parts of the neighbourhood boundary. See layer styling instructions in Tutorial #4 for information about configuring the “fill style” of polygon layers. 5.2 Map Page Layout Design and print your map for letter size paper. Whether you create your map in portrait or landscape mode is up to you but and will mainly depend on which neighbourhood you have been assigned and how the shape of that neighbourhood fits the page. Try to fill you map with the assigned neighbourhood as shown in the sample at the end of these instructions. Your map page should be set up as follows: • Use .75 in (19.1mm) margins all around the map. • The map should be 7 in (17.78 cm) x 9.5 in (24.13 cm). 3 of 5 Assignment #2 GGRA30 Winter 2020 • All map elements (legend, scale bar, titles, etc.) must be inside the map area. Do not place any of these map elements in the margins. Your Teaching Assistants and I use the margins for marking. 6 Questions: 4 Marks Answer these questions in your written report. 1. (1 mark) In the data provided, what are the names of the neighbourhoods (area_name field) that are sequentially before and after your assigned neighbourhood when the neighbourhoods are sorted into ascending order by numeric neighbourhood code. Briefly explain how you found this answer. 2. (1 mark) In the data provided, what is the name (area_name field) of the the neighbourhood that is next larger than your assigned neighbourhood according to the area_sqm field values? Briefly explain how you found this answer. 3. (1 mark) The nid value for a feature in the toronto_cei_zones layer contains the numeric neighbourhood identifier for the neighbourhood feature in the toronto_neighbourhoods layer that contains that zones layer feature. For your assigned neighbourhood, calculate the percentage of the neighbourhood area that is zoned for commercial, employment or institutional use according these data layers. Briefly explain how you answered this question. 4. (1 mark) Why would it be more difficult to calculate the percentage of the area of your assigned neighbourhood that is designated as park according to the data provided? How might you calculate that area percentage? 4 of 5 N Agincourt North, Toronto Student Name 9999999999 Neighbourhood Boundary Street River/Creek Commercial, Employment, Institutional Zone Park