Location Data Query with SpatiaLite and QGIS

Overview of Event:

How many people in New York City live within a quarter mile of a subway station? What is their average income? How does that compare to the population that *don't* live near a subway station? These kinds of questions can be answered using a geographic information system, but an alternative to standard GIS is in-database analysis using spatial query. This workshop will introduce you to using spatial functions in SQL (using SpatiaLite), and visualization of the results (using QGIS).

Speaker Bio:

Lee Hachadoorian spent 11 years in tech before going to graduate school in geography, with a focus on GIS and urban analysis. He is now a Visiting Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College, where he teaches courses in GIS, geovisualization, urban geography, and urban policy. His research interests include residential location, urban spatial development, urban inequality, and spatial database optimization.

Preparation:

For Everyone:

Download the files and folders from my Dropbox (browse (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dikcur6ywt5f1yt/NguIn_v3n5) or download all files zipped (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dikcur6ywt5f1yt/NguIn_v3n5)), which include data, a full tutorial [not yet available], and some software.

The new version of QSpatiaLite is now available through the official QGIS Plugins Repository. After installing QGIS using instructions for your OS, go to Plugins→Manage and Install Plugins… to install QSpatiaLite.

Windows:

Install QGIS using the OSGeo4W installer (http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/). The express install will install several other desktop GIS applications in addition to QGIS. Use the advanced install to avoid installing the additional packages, or to browse and add more.

Binaries (32- and 64-bit) of SpatiaLite GUI 1.7.1 are included in the Dropbox. This is a standalone binary, you can run it from anywhere in your file system (including a networked or removable drive). Source is available from Gaia-SINS website ( http://www.gaia-gis.it/gaia-sins/spatialite-gui-sources/ ).

Mac:

Install the precompiled QGIS binaries hosted at KyngChaos (http://www.kyngchaos.com/software/qgis). You need to install the GDAL framework first (listed under "Requirements"), before installing QGIS itself.

Binaries (Intel and PowerPC) of SpatiaLite GUI 1.4 are included in the Dropbox. This is an old version that will lack some functionality. If you want a more recent version, you will have to compile from source (available at the Gaia-SINS website http://www.gaia-gis.it/gaia-sins/spatialite-gui-sources/). I have old instructions for compiling from source for Ubuntu at http://freecity.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2012/01/31/spatialite-gui/. They may be useful in helping to identify missing dependencies. If any participant is able to compile 1.7.1 before the workshop, I will copy the binary to the Dropbox for other participants to use.

Linux:

For Ubuntu-based distros, add the ubuntugis-unstable PPA and install QGIS and SpatiaLite 1.6 with the following commands:

sudo apt-get install python-software-properties
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntugis/ubuntugis-unstable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install qgis python-qgis qgis-plugin-grass spatialite-gui

For other distros, install QGIS following the instructions at http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/alldownloads.html#linux . For SpatiaLite GUI you will have to check your distro's repositories, or compile from the source at http://www.gaia-gis.it/gaia-sins/spatialite-gui-sources/ (http://www.gaia-gis.it/gaia-sins/spatialite-gui-sources/%29.). I have old instructions for compiling from source for Ubuntu at http://freecity.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2012/01/31/spatialite-gui/ . They may be useful in helping to identify missing dependencies.

Pizza and drink will be served.