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Community Mapping in Environmental Justice Communities: From Paper to the Web. John Prochaska UTMB Center to Eliminate Health Disparities Galveston, Texas. Community Mapping Overview. Purpose Information & Evidence Collection Informed Priority Setting Advocacy Community Empowerment.
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Community Mapping in Environmental Justice Communities: From Paper to the Web John Prochaska UTMB Center to Eliminate Health Disparities Galveston, Texas
Community Mapping Overview • Purpose • Information & Evidence Collection • Informed Priority Setting • Advocacy • Community Empowerment
Approaches • Varying scales of sophistication and technology • Sketches • Pre-developed paper maps, markers & stickers • Online freeware • Full-blown GIS development
Port Arthur Work • Developed Maps on • Assets/Strengths • Threats • History • Goals / Future
Group Activity • Manchester or Galena Park, Houston, Texas • Laredo Port of Entry • Port of Brownsville • Dona Park, Corpus Christi
Overall Process • Find a common landmark or three • Orient everyone to the map • Look first for positives • Places to eat - E • Places to worship/gather - T • Places to play - P • Places to learn - L • Places to heal – H • Places to earn – M • Keep tract of the labels in a legend • Look for threats • Environment • Air / Soil / Water - A • Noise & Vibration - N • Injury - I • Social Threats • Known areas of drug or other illegal activity - D • Areas of concentrated violence – V • Think broad to capture as much information as possible
Final Maps • What did this map look like in the past? • What should this area look like? • What should be here? • What shouldn’t be here? • 3-4 maps total coming out of the process
Now What? • Helps to plan a common vision • Set goals for concrete next steps • Provides a visual that can be interpreted by most policy makers and potential partners • Can be edited as plans & activities progress
Where can I get a large map? • Local city planning department • Central appraisal district • Area Council of Governments (COG) • Housing Authority • County Road/Bridge Department • Others (think about who uses maps) • May only provide a .pdf • Can cost about $80 to print at Kinkos
How to do it - Web • Google Maps: maps.google.com • Batchgeo: www.batchgeo.com • GPS visualizer: www.gpsvisualizer.com/draw • Great for combining multiple maps • Even iPhone and Android apps can do mapping • Many are free
Lessons Learned on Our End • Must be a community-engaged process • Local knowledge essential for data collection, interpretation, and movement towards action • They will be the ones using it for their community’s benefit! • Have some structure, but realize this is a free-flowing process • Reimburse participants for their time, if possible • Intensive process • Requires time/energy
Us Moving Forward • Advocacy • Using data collected to create change in Port Arthur • Technology • Wii-Table • Broadening Scope of Services offered • Training & Dissemination of Methods