The U.S. Census provides billions of pieces of often complex data about millions of exceptionally diverse people. For many urban planners, demographers, research professionals, educators, and students who work with the data, the big questions are: How do I begin to sort it all out? What does it mean? How can I manage the information faster and better? What can I learn by using it?

Unlocking the Census with GIS is an important new book describing how geographic information systems (GIS) can be used by novices and experienced users alike to better access, understand, manage, and analyze myriad kinds of census data and census-related information and present it in a spatial format.

This easy-to-navigate volume includes an introduction to the Census of Population and Housing; a look at the Economic Census and other economic data sources; hands-on explanations of how to acquire census data and census maps and then connect the two; a detailed tutorial on using American FactFinder, the Census Bureau’s main Web-based data access tool; guidelines on using databases to manage and link census data; helpful discussions of demographic, social, and economic variables; detailed explanations of housing and transportation data; and guides to disseminating the results of census analyses. An ample number of maps, tables, sidebars, and in-depth “boxed” examples and explanations help guide readers to a fuller understanding of the census and how valuable it can be to those using powerful GIS software tools.

As the authors note, the census can be “a dauntingly large and complex beast,” but Unlocking the Census with GIS is an essential key for researchers and planners using modern computer technology to better understand where and how people live, work, travel, spend, and play.

About the authors:

Alan Peters is a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Iowa and received his PhD in urban planning from Rutgers University in 1989. Most of his research focuses on economic development, where he has used GIS to help analyze such issues as tax competition and the effectiveness of employment creation policy. His other research includes the building of three-dimensional urban visualization models and the use of aerial photography to track land-use change.

Heather MacDonald is an associate professor in urban and regional planning at the University of Iowa, where she has served as chair of the planning program since 2000. She teaches graduate-level courses in housing, community development, and land-use planning. She graduated with a PhD in urban planning from Rutgers University in 1990. Her research focuses on housing finance, rural development, and homelessness.