Goals and ideas - npr99/dotmap GitHub Wiki

I am new to GitHub, python, Vagrant, VirtualBox, and Processing so I am experimenting with the DotMap and RacialDotMap concepts. I have several ideas for ways to improve and build on the basic concepts.

• First I would like to use National Land Cover Database 2001/2006 (NLCD2006)(http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd2006.php) to help refine where the dots are placed. Data is visible at http://lcat.usgs.gov/lcat2/ Data downloadable from http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

Satalite data from LANDSTAT may provide data for 2010. This would build off of the work done by Dustin Cable (https://github.com/unorthodox123) -- Landsat provides 30mx30m raster data for the United States. The data has information on landcover. Specifically water, open space and pavement. Knowing the locations of these land cover types will help to place the randomly chosen dots in better positions.

• Second I would like to use data from LODES (see http://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/#lodes) which has block level jobs data.

• Third - the option of focusing on counties instead of states. This would help with the processing intensity.