Spatial analysis is a method that uses mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze the relationships between people, places, and resources. Those relationships dictate what kind of access people have to things like grocery stores, banks, employment opportunities, green spaces, and more. Spatial analysis is a great tool for exploring concepts of spatial justice. In this lab, we’ll explore the spatial relationship between SIUE and the town of Edwardsville.

There are lots of tools we can use for spatial analysis. The most common one is ArcGIS, which is a proprietary (that is a paid) platform. We’ll be using a free tool. Those are sometimes less versatile (although you can do an awful lot with them!), but they also allow us to keep our data and our analysis regardless of whether we have access to a particular platform, and they’re often easier to use because they’re not as complex.

Understanding the Lay of the Land

  1. Go to https://mymaps.google.com and sign in. Hit the Create a New Map button.
  2. Navigate to Edwardsville. Using the push pin button, drop a pin onto the university and label it.
  3. Use the search bar to search for a particular kind of amenity – for instance, restaurants, grocery stores, or parks.
  4. Use the + button to add the results to your map.
  5. Make some observations: what does the distribution of those pins look like? Where are they clustered? Are they in proximity to the university? Are they distributed evenly throughout the area? Are they all grouped in one spot?
  6. Make sure you share your map with all group members before the end of class!

Thinking About Access

  1. Pick the closest pin to the university and grab its name or coordinates. Head over to Google Maps (the regular kind) and get the directions from the university to that place.
  2. Look at a few modes of transportation. How long would it take to drive there? Bike there? Take public transit there?
  3. What would it cost to get there? Think about gas, parking, transit fares, exertion, and other costs that might crop up.
  4. Now go back to your original map and look through the pins you added. Which one would you most like to go to? That is, which one would best serve your needs?
  5. Do the same thing for that location, mapping out directions and analyzing costs.

Reflecting on Resources

  1. What are the implications of your analysis? Is this an example of good access to resources, or are there challenges here? Is this an issue of spatial injustice?
  2. Reflect a little on your spatial analysis lab. What observations did you make? Have the things you noticed impacted how you experience SIUE and/or Edwardsville? How do you think they might impact others’ experiences, whether they’re students, faculty/staff, or community members? What do you think has caused the patterns you identified? If there’s an element of spatial injustice in what you observed, how might it be addressed?