It was enthralling to learn both about the genesis of GIS and the concurrent application of GIS. Although we did not use GIS on Thursday, we learned the basics on how to use a similar system called CartoDB. Above is screenshot of a map I had made from the website, which aims to study the pattern of graffiti complaints in NYC for the past month.

Both GIS and Cartodb function from a database in which information can be extracted to formulate visual representations. Visual representation or aids can facilitate different methods of analysis, or learning which are highly applicable for research and planning methodologies. While the art of mapping has started in the 1700’s, GIS has enabled multidisciplinary fields to track information in gratifying ways since the 1980’s.

Information can be understood in a series of plots, shapes or colors that in the context of the map, creates a new form of investigation. New patterns are plotted on a map, which are endless: they can can either be topography of a place, which is helpful for landscape architects, for tracking traffic accidents, which is helpful for transportation planners, for studying income brackets in a neighborhood, which is helpful for urban planners, and even for studying crime, which is helpful for the police force. All these possibilities make me feel quite fortunate to have access to these tools, as there is an endless sea of open databases on the web.

The time frame that my research is generally within is between the 1920s and 1960s. A number of my primary sources are maps and texts, such as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper archives; and many other secondary sources are also maps and text, such as articles found online. The Robert Moses website will provide many of the leads for locating governmental agencies involved in the city planning, finding documents and recorded information, and understanding political motives. The focus of my research is on Hudson Avenue, particularly the motive behind the urban renewal that caused it to be altered from the original construction. The context of my research is aimed at the point where Hudson Avenue intersects York Street. There were many major technological developments during the 1920s and 1960s, such as the radio and automobile. Aerial photography was used in surveying the landscape of Brooklyn. This timeframe also was just after World War I and enveloped World War II, which played a major role in the industry and urbanization of Brooklyn. The Navy Yard was utilized primarily for the wartime efforts. This also played a major role in the development of Vinegar Hill. Robert Moses and Mayor Laguardia, along with other influential agencies, played an important role in the development of Brooklyn and the relationships with nearby localities. There are many documents that can be retrieved from archives or online from governmental public records that can assist me with my research project. Knowing and understanding the contexts (primarily political and economic) for all of the urban development and renewal is a major aspect of truly capturing the accuracy of my research project.