Monitoring Cities
FINAL: NYPD Misconduct Analysis & Visualization
Contextualization and visualization of CCRB misconduct database. Exploration of correlation between crime and NYPD misconduct as well as correlation between misconduct and socio-economic variables.
Land Use in downtown Manhattan & Brooklyn (QGIS)
COVID-19 Deaths in the United States
Qualitative Analysis of Air Quality vs Water Quality
Investigation in correlation between air quality and its effects on water quality
High level research suggests that much of NYC's poor air quality is in close proximity to water (though manufacturing and insturial work play a role in that):
https://medium.com/@UpOutNYC/this-air-quality-map-of-nyc-shows-how-screwed-your-lungs-are-e2913a055ce6
https://medium.com/@UpOutNYC/this-air-quality-map-of-nyc-shows-how-screwed-your-lungs-are-e2913a055ce6
A burden of health quantitative analysis furthers this conjecture. The attribute table also suggests that there is a higher PM 2.5 mean in many of the census blocks in proximity to water:
Ecosystems and Air Quality
Body of research that links the negative impacts that air pollution can have on natural ecosystems https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecosystems-and-air-quality
Pollutants such as sulfur can lead to excess levels of acid in lakes and streams
Atmospheric nitrogen can reduce the biodiversity of plant communities and harm fish and other aquatic life.
EPA research on the environmental impacts of air quality supports the Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), set under the Clean Air Act to protect animals, soil crops, vegetation, and water from the impacts of air pollution.
Body of research that links the negative impacts that air pollution can have on natural ecosystems https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecosystems-and-air-quality
Pollutants such as sulfur can lead to excess levels of acid in lakes and streams
Atmospheric nitrogen can reduce the biodiversity of plant communities and harm fish and other aquatic life.
EPA research on the environmental impacts of air quality supports the Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), set under the Clean Air Act to protect animals, soil crops, vegetation, and water from the impacts of air pollution.
EPA Report: Effects on Air Pollution on Water Quality
https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/5981/report/F
Results from the paper:“Atmospheric deposition provides a significant portion of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and total nitrogen to the annual nutrient load of Lake Tahoe…”
Atmospheric deposition also contributes significant amounts of soluble reactive phosphorus and total phosphorus to the lake.
“Different engines (two stroke vs. four stroke) release substantially different amounts of MTBE into the air (and into the water through watercraft engines)...”
“Two-stroke engine cumulatively contributed more than 90 percent of the MTBE to Lake Tahoe”
Other sources on the mobile source air toxins including MTBE:https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-09/documents/chapter_13_mtbe.pdfhttps://www3.epa.gov/ttn/chief/conference/ei13/mobile/hodan.pdf
https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/5981/report/F
Results from the paper:“Atmospheric deposition provides a significant portion of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and total nitrogen to the annual nutrient load of Lake Tahoe…”
Atmospheric deposition also contributes significant amounts of soluble reactive phosphorus and total phosphorus to the lake.
“Different engines (two stroke vs. four stroke) release substantially different amounts of MTBE into the air (and into the water through watercraft engines)...”
“Two-stroke engine cumulatively contributed more than 90 percent of the MTBE to Lake Tahoe”
Other sources on the mobile source air toxins including MTBE:https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-09/documents/chapter_13_mtbe.pdfhttps://www3.epa.gov/ttn/chief/conference/ei13/mobile/hodan.pdf
Overlooked Narratives
NYC’s Drinking Water Supply and Quality Report for 2020 doesn’t draw any correlation between PM 2.5 , MTBE or air quality degradation to water quality despite the correlation clearly existing.
Have water conservation efforts, like the billion oyster project, help improve air quality in the city?
Given the timeline of the project and the improvement in air quality over that time span (showed below) there is some sort of correlation that exists but isn’t discussed.
NYC’s Drinking Water Supply and Quality Report for 2020 doesn’t draw any correlation between PM 2.5 , MTBE or air quality degradation to water quality despite the correlation clearly existing.
Have water conservation efforts, like the billion oyster project, help improve air quality in the city?
Given the timeline of the project and the improvement in air quality over that time span (showed below) there is some sort of correlation that exists but isn’t discussed.
Urban Surface Classification
Is there a correlation regional economic growth and vegetation?
West Village Economics
Methodology:
Used LandSat sensor data (captures 30 meters every 5 days going back to 1999)
Chose (somewhat) arbitrary points throughout the Village to compare
Tried to diversify residential vs commercial.
Used LandSat sensor data (captures 30 meters every 5 days going back to 1999)
Chose (somewhat) arbitrary points throughout the Village to compare
Tried to diversify residential vs commercial.
Raw data
Findings
Throughout most residential and commercial streets there hasn’t been much change in vegetation over the past 20 years (in some cases there are less).
Only through massive public infrastructure projects (Hudson River Park + Highline have there been drastic changes)
Throughout most residential and commercial streets there hasn’t been much change in vegetation over the past 20 years (in some cases there are less).
Only through massive public infrastructure projects (Hudson River Park + Highline have there been drastic changes)
Urban Surface Temperature
Correlating urban surface temperature sourced from google earth engine and trying to uncover correlation between pavement material and temperature in New York City relying on albedo and the urban heat island theory.
Albedo and Urban Heat Island
Albedo Definition: “Albedo is a measure of how much solar energy is reflected by a material. Pavements with lower albedo tend to absorb more solar energy, resulting in higher pavement temperatures, whereas pavements with higher albedo typically absorb less solar energy, resulting in cooler pavement temperatures.”
Albedo Definition: “Albedo is a measure of how much solar energy is reflected by a material. Pavements with lower albedo tend to absorb more solar energy, resulting in higher pavement temperatures, whereas pavements with higher albedo typically absorb less solar energy, resulting in cooler pavement temperatures.”
albedo visuals:
NYC Zoning Map:
Pigmented Dark Concrete:
“Standard in commercial districts C4-4 through C4-7, C5 and C6”
Evaluated area below Central park between 8th avenue and 4th avenue from 59th street to 42nd street (zones C-5 and C-6)
Qualitatively seems lower temperature than many areas
2016 Modis data: 31.6 by day, 26.21 by night (averages acquire after inspecting 10 random bands in that area)
“Standard in commercial districts C4-4 through C4-7, C5 and C6”
Evaluated area below Central park between 8th avenue and 4th avenue from 59th street to 42nd street (zones C-5 and C-6)
Qualitatively seems lower temperature than many areas
2016 Modis data: 31.6 by day, 26.21 by night (averages acquire after inspecting 10 random bands in that area)
Bluestone sidewalks:
Found in many residential neighborhoods including Cobble Hill
“Substantially higher cost than concrete”
“Solar Reflective Index (SRI) of natural stones has the potential to be a cool roofing or paving material… natural stone used as a building or landscaping material can decrease the urban heat island effect…”
Cobble Hill (R6) seems lower as well
Modis Data: 28.63 by day and 25.17 at night
Found in many residential neighborhoods including Cobble Hill
“Substantially higher cost than concrete”
“Solar Reflective Index (SRI) of natural stones has the potential to be a cool roofing or paving material… natural stone used as a building or landscaping material can decrease the urban heat island effect…”
Cobble Hill (R6) seems lower as well
Modis Data: 28.63 by day and 25.17 at night
Hexagonal Asphalt Pavers
Union Square & Richard Tucker Park (Broadway and Columbus Avenue)
Union Square → C6-4 → 33.31, 26.05
Richard Tucker Park → C4-7 → 31.17, 25.6
Union Square & Richard Tucker Park (Broadway and Columbus Avenue)
Union Square → C6-4 → 33.31, 26.05
Richard Tucker Park → C4-7 → 31.17, 25.6
Factors to consider: “Analysis showed that surface texture was a predominant factor influencing albedo for concrete pavements. However, surface texture depends on individual job specifications and construction quality, so it is a less consistent variable than coarse aggregate color which also showed a strong effect on albedo. However, a reliable model could not be established to predict albedo using pavement surface age, coarse aggregate color, and surface texture. Further research is needed to determine additional pavement characteristics that contribute to concrete pavement albedo.”
Nightlights
Mapping Urban Dynamics Using Night Lights Seen From Space. Initial Hypothesis: Increase in energy use would correlate with an expansion of nightlights over time.
For the city of St. Louis this hypothesis held true. The image shows the change and increase (red = increase, blue = decrease) in night lights captured by satellites from 1993 to 2012. The image on the right displays data sourced from the "City of St.Louis Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report" and shows the increase in city-wide energy consumption by from 2005 to 2010 in MMBtu (column furtherest to the right shows total value). source: https://database.aceee.org/sites/default/files/docs/local-energy-data.pdf
For the city of Portland, this hypothesis did not hold true. Similarly, the image on the left shows the increase in night lights in the greater Portland area from 1993 to 2012. In contrast though, the image on the right shows the decrease in energy consumption for the Portland are from 2006 to 2014.
Started to broaden my horizon and just look at where the biggest changes were globally.
Williston, North Dakota: “North Dakota saw explosive growth thanks to an oil boom from 2010 to 2015 and several cities witnessed exponential growth during that time. The Williston Basin, including the productive Bakken Shale formation, and several of the nation's largest oil fields are in western North Dakota. For better or worse, sitting atop one of the largest oil reserves in the world, once sleepy villages transformed into thriving modern-day boomtowns.”
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/100715/biggest-oil-towns-north-dakota.asp#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways,less%20than%20%2430%20in%202016.
Williston, North Dakota: “North Dakota saw explosive growth thanks to an oil boom from 2010 to 2015 and several cities witnessed exponential growth during that time. The Williston Basin, including the productive Bakken Shale formation, and several of the nation's largest oil fields are in western North Dakota. For better or worse, sitting atop one of the largest oil reserves in the world, once sleepy villages transformed into thriving modern-day boomtowns.”
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/100715/biggest-oil-towns-north-dakota.asp#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways,less%20than%20%2430%20in%202016.
Fort McKay/Fort McMurray, Alberta: “It is also one of the single biggest source sites of the carbon pollution that is choking the planet. This tiny First Nations community grew rich on oil, and was wrecked by oil. Local Cece Fitzpatrick grabbed what she saw as a last chance for Fort McKay and decided to run for chief, promising to stand up to the industry which came here 50 years ago.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/may/28/carbon-bomb-canada-tar-sands-fort-mckay-town-sold-itself
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/may/28/carbon-bomb-canada-tar-sands-fort-mckay-town-sold-itself
Maturin, Venezuela: “Venezuela has the largest proved oil reserves in the world But most of Venezuela’s proved oil reserves consists of extra-heavy crude oil in the Orinoco Belt. The Orinoco contains an estimated 1.2 trillion barrels of oil resources.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2019/01/29/charting-the-decline-of-venezuelas-oil-industry/?sh=7ebeb5aa4ecd
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2019/01/29/charting-the-decline-of-venezuelas-oil-industry/?sh=7ebeb5aa4ecd
Krakow and Katowice: Katowice Power Station: “In 2000 a new unit of BCF-100 type with a heat capacity of 200 MW and electric generation capacity of 135.5 MW was added.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katowice_Power_Station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katowice_Power_Station
Overall conclusion: changes in nightlight does not equate to energy use/carbon emission but globally can (in many instances) be correlated to opportunity to harvest energy.
Digital Surface Models
Using Google Earth Engine (GEE), QGIS and other data sources to explore global elevation levels and their correlations to inundation levels, natural disasters, and socioeconomics.
Rasterized elevation levels in New York City rendered in QGIS (yellow being the highest elevation, black the lowest, purple in the middle)
Average elevation per census block
Average per census block with elevation mean
Hurricane Sandy damage contrasted with census blocks
Hurricane Sandy damage mean contrasted with census blocks - source: https://geo.nyu.edu/catalog/stanford-jp095bg5089
New York City median household income from 2015 (sourced from ArcGIS)
Paris Elevation Map rendered in qGIS - https://www.data.gouv.fr/en/datasets/arrondissements-1/
Mapping Populations
Using Google Earth Engine (GEE), QGIS to explore global population data and US Census Bureau data.
2015 Population Density for greater North East region of the United States rendered in Google Earth Engine
Percent change in population density from 2000 to 2015
US Census Blocks for New York City rendered in QGIS
US Census Tracts for New York City rendered in QGIS
Population Density per Census Block
