Warnings on Authority and Power from the Crises In Flint, Michigan, USA

Flint is my hometown and where I served two terms as mayor from 2009-2015 including the start of the water crisis, the most recent and tragic of the disasters affecting the Vehicle City since the auto plant closing epidemic in the 1980s famously chronicled by Michael Moore in his first documentary film Roger & Me. The City of Flint, and mayors in particular, have faced difficult decisions in uncertain environments time and again, including during the current pandemic. Based on my own reflections and conversations with mayors, this paper presents a series of warnings on government and scientific authority and power including: a) the narrow scope of the bureaucracy; b) the problems of governing from afar; and c) the failure to respond in a timely manner to citizen activism. Each of these warnings, in turn, is the basis for recommendations on the ways in which data- and evidence-based decision-making processes may better incorporate a multi-dimensional framework of understanding; a triple-check process of verification; and a respect for local autonomy and capacity within a democratic system of good-faith governance. The paper also includes an update on Flint’s recovery and the positive policies and interventions in place to address both the COVID-19 pandemic and racism as public health crises.
FIRST AUTHOR
Dayne Walling, University of Minnesota, Department of Geography, Environment and 
KEY WORDS
Governance; Democracy; Local Government; Citizen Action; Water; Pandemic; Racism; Deindustrialization

A Framework to Analyze Flood Risk at a Continental Scale

Flooding is a consistently destructive issue, and as flooding increases due to climate change, more people will be affected by it. Flood maps show where floods might happen, but typically don’t show who and what is at risk. Flood risk assessments are needed that include hazard, exposure, and vulnerability data. The following is a proposal for a framework utilizing spatiotemporal analysis for flood risk assessments at a continental scale. Data used is SRTM elevation data and ECMWF runoff data, as well as various datasets showing exposure and vulnerability, including population density, poverty, and access to resources. This project utilizes spatiotemporal streamflow data to determine flood probability. By blending current methods in flood hazard prediction, with spatial data showing exposed and vulnerable populations, we can assess what areas are most at risk for flood events. The completed framework allows users to create a flood risk assessment of any region in the world because all the input data is globally available. This information can help leaders and organizations to make the proper preparations or do things to mitigate flood risk in the assessed areas of risk.
FIRST AUTHOR 
Deb Smith
​KEY WORDS
Flooding; Risk Analysis; Flood Risk; Flood Probability

Precipitation climatology and spatiotemporal trends over the Arabian Peninsula

Spatial patterns and temporal trends in precipitation and its spatial means and percentiles over the Arabian Peninsula (Arabia) during the period 1981–2016 were analyzed. Analyses were based on the precipitation dataset of the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) Full Data Reanalysis Version 8. First, the spatiotemporal characters of annual and seasonal precipitation are mapped and explored at different geographical levels (i.e., Arabia, Subtropical Arabia (STA), and Tropical Arabia (TA)) based on a weighting scheme to account for latitudinal changes in grid-cell area. Second, trend significance was evaluated using Mann-Kendall test applied to trend free pre-whitened data and trend magnitude was estimated using the Theil-Sen estimator. Results show: (1) 25% (75%) of Arabia receives greater (less) than 109.47 mm annually and has experienced a significant decreasing trend of -0.96 mm/y; (2) STA shows higher tendency to experience more frequent decreasing trends in annual and seasonal precipitations with higher rates compared to TA; (3) significant upward trends are detected in fall precipitation over TA for the spatial mean and 25th, 50th, and 75th spatial percentiles; and (4) spring is the wettest season for both Arabia and STA and has exhibited significant downward trends in spatial means and most spatial percentiles.
FIRST AUTHOR
Nasser A. Alsaaran, Department of Geography, King Saud University
SECOND AUTHOR
Ali S. Alghamdi, Department of Geography, King Saud University
KEY WORDS
Precipitation trend; climate change; trend analysis; Arabia; Arabian Peninsula

Flood Hazard Awareness at Old Dominion University: Assessment and Opportunity

Building resilience to flooding is a commitment of several universities. Although education programs at universities have been proposed, the demand for them has not been explored. The goals of this research are three-fold: i) to determine the origin of flood messaging on campus ii) to determine the role of on-campus flood-related awareness iii) evaluate the desirability of additional flood education. Results (n=110) show that students receive warnings through a variety of media sources and additional information from both in-class instruction and orientation-based programming, although the content varies from scientific to action oriented. There is higher perceived risk among individuals who experienced reduced access to campus. Many students who noted a campus flood risk expressed an interest in additional flood information. These findings could support the development of a campus wide flood awareness program at Old Dominion University and support other such activities at other universities.
FIRST AUTHOR
Nicole S. Hutton, Old Dominion University
SECOND AUTHOR
​Michael J. Allen
KEY WORDS
Flood, Education, Hazard, Perception

A Fair Candlemas: The Use of Folklore to teach Upper Air Meteorology and Climatology

This paper is the second in my geographic education series “Meteorology and Myth”. The purpose was to develop teaching modules which bridge topics in geography and atmospheric science with topics in history, art, folklore and culture. One question that students in my introductory “Weather and Climate” class would inevitably ask was if the “Groundhog Day” predictions are true. Although a groundhog and its shadow cannot predict the weather several weeks in advance, I found that there was a holistic teaching opportunity within the folklore. The legend does not make short-term meteorological sense. However, there may be long-term upper atmosphere circulation patterns, which have allowed the folk myth to arise in Europe, then survive in America. The lesson was not designed to “prove” if the Groundhog Day folk predictions are true. The point was to explain the relevant physical and cultural geographies in an interesting and accessible manner. Vivid and evocative imagery were used to make the atmospheric concepts engaging and memorable for general education students. Student outcomes include the skills to describe synoptic weather patterns, use climatic charts and explain climate change. A secondary pedagogical outcome was to develop student appreciation of cultural geography, folklore and religion.
FIRST AUTHOR
Dennis Edgell, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
KEY WORDS
Geographic Education; Folklore; Meteorology; Climatology
​

The Roll-Out of Cannabis Stores across Canada: Social Media Response to Government Policy

With Canada becoming the first of the G20 countries to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, there has been increasing interest in the emergence of this new retail market. With every province and territory in Canada having the choice to decide what the sale of cannabis will look like, there are growing questions and concerns about the potential implication surrounding these decisions. Media attention has mostly focused on the rules and regulations that will govern the provincial licensing and roll-out of cannabis stores across Canada. However, there has been limited research focusing on Canadian’s response to the cannabis legalization policy and the geographic differences in cannabis supply at the provincial level. This paper utilizes social media analytics to investigate tweets mentioning Ontario Cannabis Stores. This research has two main objectives: (i) to identify the nature of provincial messaging regarding cannabis legalization and roll-out; and, (ii) to identify the public’s response to provincial government messaging.
FIRST AUTHOR
Joseph Aversa, Ryerson University
SECOND AUTHOR
Tony Hernandez, Ryerson University
THIRD AUTHOR
Jenna Jacobson, Ryerson University
FOURTH AUTHOR
Evan Cleave, Ryerson University
​KEY WORDS
Social Media Analytics; Cannabis Legalization

The spatial threshold effect and its regional boundary of financial agglomeration on green
​development: A case study in China

Although financial agglomeration is a key approach to the green transition of China's economy and society, its economic benefits are far more concerned than its environmental benefits in existing researches. Moreover, few studies have examined the spatial threshold effect and its regional boundary of financial agglomeration on green development from the perspective of time-space, which may result in conflicting conclusions. We first theoretically analyze the mechanism of the spatial threshold effect based on agglomeration economies theory, polarization-trickle-down theory and information asymmetric theory; then empirically employ modified super slack based measure (SSBM) model to evaluate the current status of green development, and adopt spatial panel Durbin model and panel threshold regression (SPDM_PTR) model to identify the spatial threshold effect and its regional boundary by using panel data of 272 prefectural-level cities in China from 2003 to 2014. The results show: (1) Financial agglomeration has a "leap-forward" promoting effect on local green development, that is, high-level financial agglomeration > medium-level financial agglomeration > low-level financial agglomeration; (2) There are stage differences in the spatial spillover effect, specifically, the spatial spillover effect of high-level financial agglomeration is significantly stronger and opposite to medium-level and low-level; (3) The regional boundary of the spillover effect changes with the financial agglomeration level, for instance, the regional boundary of high-level financial agglomeration is 1480km, which is significantly larger than 860km of medium-level and 700km of low-level. Accordingly, to achieve the goal of using financial agglomeration to promote green development, the leading financial cluster should be built by combining the advantages of each region, thus form a dense financial agglomeration network covering different levels of the whole country. It is also important to develop differentiated financial agglomeration strategies and improve financial agglomeration level through internal reform and external leverage, hence exert the positive spatial spillover effect on a larger scale.
FIRST AUTHOR
Huaxi Yuan, School of Economic & Management, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Department of Geography, Kent State University, Kent 44240, USA
​KEY WORDS
Financial agglomeration; green development; spatial threshold effect; regional boundary; SSBM model; SPDM_PTR model

The Evolution of Cuba’s air transport network in the Embargo era; An analysis of Cuba’s lack of air connectivity with the U.S. between 1967 and 2017.

Prior to August 2016, there were no regularly scheduled commercial flights between the United States and Cuba. With improved relations between both countries, U.S. based airlines were given the green light to resume regularly scheduled operations. However, the enthusiasm resulting from the renewed relations casted a shadow on the ramifications that the lack of U.S. connectivity had on Cuba’s transportation network in the first place. This paper examines the impact of Cuba’s lack of connectivity with the U.S. air transport network using data from historical airline schedules between 1967 and 2017. Origin and destination matrices were created to reconstruct and map Cuba’s air transport network. Then, aggregate connectivity measures were used to assess the efficiency of the air transportation system, and total connectivity measures were calculated to assess the changes in accessibility for Havana in comparison to other major gateways in the region that had access to the U.S. Results indicate that although a lack of connectivity to the U.S. was a huge economic limitation, from an air transport perspective, this lack of connectivity to the U.S. could be interpreted as beneficial because it forced Cuba to broaden its network and as a result it made it less U.S. dependent.
FIRST AUTHOR
Hilton Cordoba
KEY WORDS
Transportation; Cuba; Airlines; Networks

 Virtual Hampton: an immersive virtual landscape platform as a virtual heritage tool

This poster discusses the development of Virtual Hampton as an immersive virtual landscape reconstruction for Hampton Plantation, a former rice plantation along the South Santee River and now a South Carolina State Park and Historic Site. The goal of this project is to develop a virtual landscape platform to be deployed at the park to allow users to explore the past landscapes and stories of Hampton before touring the park. In addition, the platform has the flexibility to update content as new information is made available and will allow park staff to highlight specific stories and content. The completed prototype of Virtual Hampton includes the virtual recreation of the early 19th-century plantation landscape, and demonstrations of the embedded media content that provides information about select features within the recreated landscape. The current phase of work focuses on spatial narrative elements to present the intertwined stories of the people who lived and worked at Hampton Plantation. This multimedia narrative content consists of short, themed spatial stories that are being termed “spatial vignettes.” These vignettes will enhance Virtual Hampton with the historical, archaeological, and ethnographic information that inform our knowledge of Hampton’s past cultural landscapes.
FIRST AUTHOR 
Susan Bergeron, Coastal Carolina University
KEY WORDS
Virtual heritage; virtual landscapes

An Examination of the Influence of Gentrification on Postindustrial Policing in New York City

This presentation concerns the testing of the postindustrial policing concept which posits that cities implement economic growth strategies designed to increase the presence of upper-class residents in financially depressed areas. This strategy typically creates conflict between the poorer older residents and the wealthier newcomers (gentrifiers) whose economic power facilitates the adoption of punitive policing tactics to aid the process of place-remaking. Using New York City as the focus of study, an examination of spatially oriented demographic, gentrification, and police stops data tends to statistically support the claims of a significant association between policing and the gentrification process.
FIRST AUTHOR 
Jay L. Newberry, Binghamton University
KEY WORDS
Policing; Gentrification; Residential Inequality; Race and place

METHODS OF CAPTURING AND ANALYZING BLIGHT: CASE STUDY YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.​

Previous methods for capturing fine-scale neighborhood built environments centered around surveys of residents and/or property inventories. Typical surveying is not only time consuming and costly, it potentially places the survey taker, often a volunteer, in a vulnerable position. The subject matter dictates that these surveys often occur in areas with high crime rates and where many “residents” are not inclined to be recorded or having their activities detailed. Spatial video (SV) surveys can be thought of as the next generation in fine-scale assessments and provides an alternative way of capturing a neighborhood, quickly, for multiple time periods and from the safety of a vehicle. Advances in SV technology has allowed for increased utilization in field applications to record environments. SV surveys were conducted in Youngstown, OH over a three-year period to capture changes in neighborhood blight. Three developed coding systems are utilized to analyze and track the changes in blight and overall built environment of two neighborhoods in Youngstown.
FIRST AUTHOR
Jennifer Burrell, Kent State University
​KEY WORDS
Spatial video; Built environment; Blight

SIMULATING THE SPATIAL DIFFUSION OF MEMES ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS

This article reports the findings from simulating the spatial diffusion processes of memes over social media networks by using the approach of agent-based modeling. Simulations were carried out to emulate and to allow assessment of the different levels of efficiency that memes spread spatially and temporally. Analyzed network structures include random networks and preferential attachment networks. Simulated spatial processes for meme diffusion include independent cascade models and linear threshold models. Both simulated and real-world social networks were used in the analysis. Findings indicate that the numbers of information sources and opinion leaders affect the processes of meme diffusion. In addition, geography still plays an important role in the spatial diffusion of memes over social media networks.
FIRST AUTHOR
Jay Lee, Kent State University, Department of Geography
SECOND AUTHOR
Zhuo Chen, Kent State University, Department of Geography
KEY WORDS
Spatial diffusion; Social media memes; agent-based models; network analytics

Invisible no more: An exploratory geospatial typology of illicit massage businesses in the Dallas-Fort
​Worth Metropolitan Area

Illicit massage businesses (IMBs) make up the largest sector of the commercial sex industry in the United States. To date, very little research examining the spatial dimensions of this industry exists, and what limited research exists treats all IMBs as equivalent features in space. This research addresses this shortcoming of previous research by drawing on analysis of landscape photographs of more than 150 IMB storefronts in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area, attribute data for each IMB drawn from online review websites, and neighborhood demographic profiles, this paper presents the first geospatial typology of illicit massage businesses in North America.
FIRST AUTHOR
Sean Crotty, Texas Christian University
SECOND AUTHOR
Mark Daku​, Texas Christian University
KEY WORDS
Illicit economy; Business geography; Landscape

Digging into spatiotemporal social media data: A dynamic version of segregation index

Most measures of segregation can be regarded as static measures. They have one summary index over the entire study period. However, the level of segregation is not constant within a period, and therefore, the dynamic measures are warranted. In this paper, we try to use the spatiotemporal social media data to extend the static exposure index to the dynamic version in a global and local perspective. Also, an empirical study in Chicago city is used to demonstrate the utilities of this extension. In the empirical study, we conclude that 1) different groups have different mobility patterns; 2) the daily mobility of the Chicago population contribute to three types of dynamic pattern of exposure index, i.e., negative, positive, and no effect, compared to static version; 3) the daily mobility leads to a significant increase of exposure of minority group to the majority group; however, a significant negative effect can be recognized for the peripheral area of groups.
FIRST AUTHOR
Qingsong Liu, Kent State University
SECOND AUTHOR
Jay Li, Kent State University
THIRD AUTHOR
Xinyue Ye, New Jersey Institute of Technology
KEY WORDS
Segregation; Spatio-temporal social media data; Dynamic index
​

The Role of Geography Space and Place in Social Media Communications: Two Case Studies of Policy
​Perspectives

This study evaluates how space and place in geography intersect with social policy in still nascent but developing rapidly. The objective of this research is to integrate the research collected during recent studies of fracking and the death penalty. These two case studies are exemplars of the potential that such research proffers. The primary disciplinary value of this review is to demonstrate the spatial value of communication and social media studies. This study adopted a communication-based theoretical framework as a lens to guide methodological choices in analyzing public perceptions. The social media application from Twitter was used as the engine to capture opinions of social media users engaging public controversies. This review locates connections in the literature between geographers/spatial scientists and communication media theorists.
FIRST AUTHOR
Adiyana Sharag-Eldin, Kent State University, Department of Geography
KEY WORDS
Social media; public perception; fracking; death penalty
​

Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Hydrological Regimes of the Richland Creek Watershed in Southern Illinois using a GIS-based Hydrologic Modelling

Rapid economic growth and urbanization have caused land use changes in different parts of the United States. An intensive land use change can occur due to urbanization, thus increasing impervious surfaces and altering the hydrological regimes in watersheds. The objective of this project is to study how changes in land use and land cover (LULC) can impact the hydrological processes in the Richland Creek Watershed (RCW) located in Metro St. Louis area. The North part of RCW has increased impervious surfaces due to increasing suburban land uses. A rainfall-runoff simulation was done using the Hydrologic Engineering Center- Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS) and its GIS extension Geospatial Hydrologic Modeling Extension (HEC-GeoHMS). Physical parameters, along with precipitation data and Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number method, were used for rainfall-runoff simulation for high storm events of 2001 and 2011, respectively. The simulated hydrographs obtained from HEC-HMS were calibrated and validated using observed discharge data for the same periods of the study. SCS lag time, initial abstraction and Muskingum coefficient were adjusted for the calibration of simulated hydrographs. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (r) and linear regression (R2) analysis were applied to ensure agreement between simulated and observed hydrographs. In addition, for the performance evaluation of model percent error in peak flow and volume will be determined. It is anticipated that at the subbasin level, subbasins of highly developed and with high impervious surface will generate more runoff compared to those of mainly agricultural lands. This research enhances the understanding of the interactions between LULC changes and hydrological regimes in the RCW.
FIRST AUTHOR
Shunfu Hu, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
SECOND AUTHOR
Prasanna Shrestha, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
KEY WORDS
Land use and land cover changes; hydrological regimes; hydrologic modeling; Richard Creek watershed
​

Rail Transit Investments and Economic Development: Challenges for Small Businesses

This research explores and uncovers local economic development challenges faced by small business owners along the North Tryon commercial corridor in Charlotte (NC) as a consequence of infrastructure construction works. North Tryon street represents one of the most important corridors in the city of Charlotte for its strategic role as Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s premiere gateway to the northeastern area of the city. The recent opening of the Blue Line light rail extension that connects downtown to the UNC Charlotte main campus has had a significant impact on North Tryon small business owners’ ability to stay in business. Findings show that the construction of the light rail extension has permanently altered accessibility and visibility along the corridor, which were the main business-location criteria used by business owners. Drawing on surveys and in-depth interviews with business owners, this research highlights the importance of small businesses in highly diverse areas and offers directions for the improvement and the creation of mitigation programs able to support businesses during and after infrastructure construction works.
FIRST AUTHOR
Sara Tornabene, UNC Charlotte
KEY WORDS
Economic development; displacement; small businesses; light rail

Craft Breweries as a Neighborhood Amenity

There are over 7,000 craft breweries in the United States. An estimated 83% of Americans live within ten miles of a craft brewery. Many urban dwellers, however, live much closer to such an establishment. Inspired by Oldenburg’s work on Third Places, this presentation argues that craft breweries are a neighborhood amenity, whose presence can have a positive impact on the quality of life of urban residents. This paper provides the conceptual framework for the other papers in this session, which will explore craft breweries from the perspective of property values, walkability, and crime.
FIRST AUTHOR
Neil Reid, University of Toledo
SECOND AUTHOR
Isabelle Nilsson, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
THIRD AUTHOR
Rebekka Apardian, University of Toledo
KEY WORDS
Craft breweries; neighborhoods; amenities
​

PERCEIVED RISK AND RESPONSE TO THE ICE THROW HAZARD: COMPARING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WITH ​OPERATIONS
​AND MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL IN TWO REGIONS OF TEXAS

Risk managers who work directly with wind energy know that accumulations of ice on wind turbine blades pose a substantial risk to wind farm employees as well as community residents in surrounding areas. As we continue to install more and more turbines, the level of risk exposure to residents and workers alike increases accordingly. Thus, the goals of this research, guided by the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM), were threefold: 1) to understand the extent to which the two major groups at-risk—community residents and operations and maintenance personnel at local wind farms—might differ in their perceived levels of risk to the ice throw hazard; 2) to understand the degree to which community residents and operations and maintenance might differ on choosing measures of protection for their affected areas; and 3) to identify protective action measures that all stakeholders—community citizens, wind farm employees, contractors, and land owners—are willing to undertake to reduce their risk exposure from the hazards associated with wind turbine ice throw. Findings demonstrated statistically significant differences between the two groups on: observed risk, perceived personal risk, risk to the community, levels of trust in safety leaders, best protective actions, and preferred warning systems.
FIRST AUTHOR
Denise Blanchard, Texas State University
SECOND AUTHOR
Gregory Klaus, Katoen Natie
KEY WORDS
Ice throw hazard; wind turbine hazards; protective action decision model; hazards risk perception
​

The Urban System in the Sultanate of Oman

The urban system in the Sultanate of Oman has witnessed remarkable development since the 1970s. This development has two major components: the first component is related to the distribution and ranking of Omani cities according to their size and importance. Some cities are growing very quickly in area and significance. The second component is related to the city as a system and includes all internal elements of cities like their physical and social environment (urban growth and its trends, urban morphology, etc.). This research was based on the theoretical framework of Brian Berry 1964, as he points out in his paper, “cities as systems within systems of cities.” The study examines the urban system in the Sultanate of Oman. It will detect the change in the hierarchy of Omani cities, the phenomenon of urban primacy, and to what extent the city of Muscat exercises the urban primacy over the urban system in Oman. Some Indexes, such as the rank-size rule and the urban primacy index are used in the study, based on the analysis of census data for 1993, 2003 and 2010. The paper will also investigate the internal structure of Omani cities and the changes that have occurred to that structure since the 1970s. Some Omani cities with different population sizes have been taken as case studies (Muscat, Nizwa and Barkaa)
FIRST AUTHOR 
Montasser Ibrahim Mahmoud Abdelghani, Department of Geography, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman & Minia University
KEY WORDS
Urban system; Sultanate of Oman; Muscat
​

Evaluating Sustainable Development in the Sultanate of Oman: Case study of Ad Duqm

Sustainable development is a buzzword that has gained attention recently all over the world. There have been efforts by national and international organizations to evaluate sustainable development. This paper focuses on evaluating sustainable development of a city called ‘Ad Duqm’, a city in the Sultanate of Oman boarded by the Arabian Sea from the east. Ad Duqm is a Special Economic Zone that is newly developed in Oman to diversify the income sources because of its strategic location. To achieve the aim of the study, the paper adopted a framework/indicators developed by the United Nation in 2016 to evaluate the sustainable development in Ad Duqm with some modification. Overall, this paper was successful in modifying international indicators using historical deductive method to end up with a framework that suits the Omani social, economic, and cultural context. Descriptive and quantitative approaches were used to evaluate the sustainable development indicators in Ad Duqm. The results show that economic and environmental indicators in the area seems to be sustained in achieving positive outcomes. It also reveals that while there have been noticeable and containable efforts in the social aspects, sustainable social outcomes have not yet been met in the area.
FIRST AUTHOR
Noura Khalifa Al Nasiri
SECOND AUTHOR
Asma Sabah Al Mamri
THIRD AUTHOR
Noof Said AlGhafri
KEY WORDS
United National Sustainable Development; sustainable development frameworks; Oman Special Economic Zone of Ad Dugm

A GIS-Based Approach to Measuring Diel Habitat Use Patterns

Analysing fine-scale movement patterns of animals is particularly useful in determining not only where animals may spend their time, but when and how likely they may be to interact with or utilize specific habitat resources. Incorporating a temporal dimension in animal tracking data has led to new methodological developments in GIS, but for practical conservation purposes, it is important to apply these recent advances towards an understanding of animal habitat use patterns at the population level. This research applies and extends two approaches from GIS movement analysis literature, the probabilistic voxel-based space-time prism and the comprehensive probability surface, towards quantifying diel habitat interaction probabilities for a Black skimmer (Rynchops niger cinerascens) population traversing Manu National Park, Peru and surrounding areas. Habitat interaction graphs were constructed summarizing animal interaction by habitat type and time of day for all individuals tracked. By applying these methods to a given population, this research demonstrates the utility of GIS-based methods for related conservation research.
FIRST AUTHOR
Rebecca Loraamm, Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma
SECOND AUTHOR
Kate Goodenough, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma
THIRD AUTHOR
Claire Burch, Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma
KEY WORDS
GIS; animal interactions; habitat utilization

The tide and its role in influencing coast line changes, Ras Al-Sawadi and Al-Seefa, Oman, a study in applied Geomorphology

Ras Al-Sawadi and Al Seefa are a coastal area along the coast line in Sultanate of Oman, Ras Al-Sawadi area is characterized by wide sandy beaches formed over thousand years due to the deposits of valleys flowing into Oman Sea and Al-Seefa has a narrow sandy beach formed by short wadies. Both areas are considered a tourist area, but its coast is currently being relegated to erosion. Both areas are tourist areas, but their coast is currently eroding. Remote sensing and fieldwork investigations indicate a change in the coastline in both regions over the past 20 years. Geomorphological studies trace the causes of this change to several factors, such as coastline shape, marine currents, waves, and engineering installations This study aimed to determine the role of tides as the main reason for coast line changes in the study area during the last 20 years using, IKONOS, QuickBird, DEM images and hydrography data. The principal results showed that the coastline in both study areas progresses sometimes and sometimes declines. These changes related to moon rise and tides whereas human activities are the second reason, and the geomorphological reasons are considered the third reason. However, the study recommends that the tides and the time of the moonrise should be considered a major factor in coastal changes, especially when observing these changes using remote sensing.
FIRST AUTHOR
Youssef, Sultan Qaboos university
KEY WORDS
Tide; Coastline changes; SLR; Moonrise

Using Virtual Reality (VR) to deliver an Iceland field geography experience to the on-line classroom

Increasing student enrollments in on-line education presents a number of challenges in delivering field geography content to the on-line classroom. A significant challenge is providing an engaging, interactive and tactile experience to maximize student engagement though a rich sensory experience that classroom and field experiences provide. Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment which offers the student a more robust learning environment. VR images or environments can be designed with interactive hotspots that offer on-line students enhanced immersive environments to experience geography. Students are able to interact with VR geographic content in a “seemingly real or physical way” that excites the senses. During a National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) trip to Iceland the Geocamp participants captured three-dimensional, 360 degrees field site images from the Southwest, the Golden Circle and Southeast Iceland. These three-dimensional images were each embedded with hotspots of information that include lessons targeted to site specific biotic and abiotic features and human geography attributes to bring a full Iceland field experience into the online classroom. This poster provides the overall integration of that content with featured geographic lessons to showcase the advantages of VR in the online classroom.
FIRST AUTHOR
Dianna Gielstra, National American University
SECOND AUTHOR
Dawna Cerney, Youngstown State University
THIRD AUTHOR
Ellen J. Foster, University of Mississippi
KEY WORDS
Virtual reality; immersive experience; geographic content; human geography attributes; physical geography attributes

Dumming Down?: Dummy Variables and Spatial Lags in Applied Economic Geography Studies

At least since the 1950s, Economic Geographers have made extensive use of dummy variables to capture otherwise unexplained variation in geographic phenomena. More recently, spatial lag models have enjoyed widespread popularity in many analytical contexts where the spatial dimension is thought to be important. Both techniques are used to capture geographic variation and dependence in some spatial variable of interest. Yet, to our knowledge, there has been no systematic assessment of how spatial lag models perform relative to similarly structured models incorporating place- or space-based dummy variables. In this paper we fill that gap by constructing several parallel models – some with dummy variables, others using spatial lags – to assess the merits of these regression-based approaches. We conduct the comparison using 2018 cost of living data for North Carolina counties and compare their relative performance using several goodness-of-fit measures.
FIRST AUTHOR
Harrison Campbell, UNC-Charlotte
SECOND AUTHOR
Ryan James, UT-San Antonio
KEY WORDS
Economic geography; spatial analysis; cost of living

Choice of location by China’s joint venture universities and its implications for higher education
​globalization

This study focuses on a group of nine joint venture universities which are independently operating in China. These universities are located in China’s economically well-developed east and southeast coastal regions. They charge high tuition to students and offer all-English teaching in China. This study aims to investigate how these universities were formed and why they were established in China in the context of higher education globalization trend. Intensive in-depth interviews and content analysis were conducted with four of the institutions. Seven administrators participated in the interviews. Preliminary findings suggest that foreign partners choose China for many reasons. The thriving economy make China more appealing to foreign universities which seek expansion outside their own country. Local government involvement and key persons are other two major factors. Three of the four institutions have Chinese local government as a crucial partner in financing situation. It determines why most universities are located in wealthy regions instead of choosing the location of their Chinese partner university. It reveals that globalization of higher education is still economically driven and leads to concentration of higher education resources in rich regions.
FIRST AUTHOR
Ping Mao, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
KEY WORDS
Joint venture universities; China; geographical location; higher education globalization

​Service-learning and geospatial skills: What do the participants think?

This project focuses on the perspectives and perceptions of the people who take part in geospatial skill focused service-learning experiences, specifically the students and the collaborative partner. Data was gathered as part of a newly transformed service-learning course. A collaborative partnership has been formed with the local Historical Society for this course as the service-learning partner. The revision of this course is part of a university wide service-learning initiative and the research will contribute to need in the literature to target better understanding of the participants perspective, rather than the process of service-learning, which has been established. To do so, it will categorically examine the use of GIS as a geospatial skill, the professional working relationship developed between students and the collaborative partner, and overall perceptions of the participants. Qualitative and quantitative data will be in the form of surveys, interviews, and classroom artifacts. Results are expected to suggest ways to revise the course, enhance the role of the student, and strengthen the relationship with the collaborative partner.
FIRST AUTHOR
Lisa Millsaps, University of Northern Iowa
KEY WORDS
Geography education; service-learning; GIS education

tHE pATH TO pOVERTY rEDUCTION IN gHANA

Poverty is an endemic problem affecting many developing countries including those in Sub-Saharan Africa. With COVID-19 pandemic and global economic slowdown, the percentage of people experiencing extreme poverty will increase in the years ahead. However, with good policy initiatives and political commitment, this problem can be averted or minimized. To remedy poverty problems in Ghana in the late 20th century, the government implemented poverty reduction strategies (Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy I and II). Remarkably, these policies led to more than 50% reduction in poverty, from 52.6% to 21.4% between 1991 and 2012. The proportion of people living in extreme poverty also declined tremendously.  However, the outcomes were not uniform in the country. Four regional disparities emerged consisting of, top (Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions), bottom (Upper West, Upper East, and Northern Regions), fluctuations (Central and Northern Regions) and consistent decline (Brong-Ahafo, Western and Eastern Regions). Several factors contribute to the north-south variation in poverty incidence. These include remoteness of the north from the southern economic hub and top-down policies that excluded northern rural dwellers from participating in the planning and implementation of these policies. This paper examines the institutional structures of the three-year (2002-2005) Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS). While there are numerous positive outcomes of the policy, a few shortcomings are identified and discussed.
FIRST AUTHOR
James C. Saku, Frostburg State University
KEY WORDS
Poverty; top-down policies; regional patterns

​"Ride with me": the advantages and challenges of driving interviews 

This paper aims to expand qualitative GIS and mobile interviews by discussing driving interviews as a research method that integrates interviews, videos, and spatial data. By using the research project "Between White and Black: Chinese in the South" as an example, this paper discusses both the phenomenological and epistemological implications of using driving interviews in studying everyday human experiences as racialized bodies. The driving interviews engage with the multi-scalar data by simultaneously collecting maps (macro), videos (meso), and audios (micro). Similar to walking interviews, driving interviews capture both topography and biography: place contexts and individual narratives in real time with locations and paths. Driving interviews have advantages over walking interviews as they are more effective in a rural setting where the field trips cover a vast geographical area, and more inclusive for people with mobility issues. This article also discusses the limitations and challenges of driving interviews, such as data dissemination and sharing. Driving interviews not only has tremendous value in scholarly research but also in the applied fields such as urban planning and design.  
FIRST AUTHOR
Shaolu Yu, Rhodes College
KEY WORDS
Qualitative GIS; Mobile Methods; Geo-narrative; Driving Interview; Positionality 

A Case Study of the Port Authority of Allegheny County Transit System

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is the second largest transit agency by ridership in Pennsylvania and the primary provider of public transportation in Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh. This paper assesses the quality of the Port Authority's service from the perspective of a transit rider in Allegheny County and determine various characteristics of the system as a whole. To accomplish this, a set of assessable characteristics that can be assessed for a transit service have been adapted from the book Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives by Jarett Walker. Then, a review of the Port Authority's own studies regarding service is conducted. Next, data about features of Port Authority service are collected and analyzed. Finally, a determination of how well the current Port Authority system serves Allegheny County and the trade-offs implicit in the current system are made.
FIRST AUTHOR
Matthew Brahms, University of Pittsburgh
KEY WORDS
Port Authority of Allegheny County; GTFS data

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