The Map Room Tutorial
This tutorial should provide the information you need to use the Map Room. It is divided into 2 sections:

• 3 Steps to a Map - Describes the setup of the Datahouse, and how you can get the information you need in three easy steps
• Tools - How to use the tools (in the "toolbox" to the right of the map) to work with the map

Our work on the Map Room is always progressing. We want your feedback to help us tailor the Datahouse to your needs and to make the Map Room as easy to use as possible. Please let us know what you think of the data and maps here and what improvements could be made to make them better.

Three Steps to a Map

We have designed the Map Room to be easy to use by people without formal training in GIS. There are three steps to using the map. The steps are outlined below:

1. Choose View

Your first step to creating a map is to select the area you want to focus or zoom in on. You can enter in your address, neighborhood, census tract, or a number of other "geographies".

Looking for U.S. Census Data? One thing to keep in mind as you are choosing a geography is that you will need to be in the "Census Tract" geography before you can get information on and make thematic maps with certain census statistics such as income or home values. However, within any geography you can use the "Select single" tool to get the following Census data:

• total population
• race & ethnicity
• sex
• age - distrbution and median
• housing units
• vacant housing units
• tenure (housing units owned vs. rented)
• total households
• household types
• average household size
• average family size

2. Explore Data

After you have selected your view, you can start looking at the characteristics of that area. We call this the "exploration" phase because it is a way of looking at the data and evaluating if there are things that stand out about one place compared to another.

To it easier to find the data you want to explore, we have grouped the data into seven categories: demographics, housing, environment, health & safety, community facilities and other. Under each category, you will find data, which are also called features. To see a list of the data, go to the Available Data (link to below) section.

Understanding Layers
Under each category you will find "layers" of data. There are two checkboxes next to each layer of data. These checkboxes enable you to "turn on" layers and get information about them. Checking the square box turns on the layer, or makes it visible. Clicking on the circle allows you to get information about a layer. You can turn on as many layers as you want, but you can only get information about one layer at a time.

Using Tools & Changing Views
As you are exploring data, you can use the tools on the right-hand side of the screen to zoom in and out, "pan" (or move) your map, start over, select census tracts and measure distances. You can also go back to Step 1 and change your geography.

Thematic Mapping
One important thing to understand about GIS-based maps like the Datahouse is that data comes in one of three formats: polygons, points or lines. The only polygon data available through the Datahouse are census tract data. Most of the other data are points (public schools, for example) or lines (streets).

Of these data formats, polygons lend themselves most readily to thematic mapping. Thematic maps show the spatial distribution of feature characteristics.

In the Datahouse, there are two ways to view thematic maps based on census tract data. The first way is to use the "Select single" tool on the right-hand side of the screen to choose a census tract and view a table showing basic demographic and housing data about that tract. In the far right column of the table, there is a link that says "map". Clicking on this link will give you a thematic map of whatever characteristic you choose. You can use this tool in any geography.

The second way to view thematic maps for census tract data is to choose census tract as your geography in Step 1, and then choose a tract characteristic that you would like to map in the demographics category in Step 2.

3. Create A Map

Once you have settled on the data you want to display and have adjusted the view (what you want to include on the map) you can go to the print screen. Here, you will add in a title for your map and you can print it out to add into your presentation, or to have in your hand while walking around your neighborhood.

Map Room Tools

These are the tools you see in the box on the right-hand side of the page. You use these tools to interact with the map. Click on a tool to choose it.

Zoom in. Choose this tool, then draw a rectangle over the area you want to zoom in on. Draw a rectangle by clicking and dragging on the map. Alternatively, if you click on an area on the map with this tool, you will recenter and zoom in to point where you clicked.

Zoom out. Click on this tool and draw a rectangle to zoom out a lot. Click on the map to zoom out a little.

Move map. Use this tool to "pan" the map, or drag it within the viewscreen: a little to the left, right, up, down, etc. It's like sliding a paper around on your desk.

Measure. Use this tool to measure distances between points on the map. Choose the tool, then click a starting point on the map. Then click another point. The map draws a line and tells you how long it is. You can continue to make lines to measure a route. Click clear and then measure again to start over.

Clear. Click on this to clear or "erase" any selections you have made, such as data features or census tracts. Note: selected features turn yellow. Selected census tracts turn red. Also use this tool to clear measurement lines.

Get Data. Choose this tool then click on a census tract to get a table showing basic census data about that tract. The table also includes the same data for the city of Oakland, so you can compare the tract to the city average. These tables contain the following data:

• total population
• race & ethnicity
• sex
• age - distribution and median
• housing units
• vacant housing units
• tenure (housing units owned vs. rented)
• total households
• household types
• average household size
• average family size

Compare Tracts. Choose this tool then click on a number of census tracts to get census data about those tracts.

Start over. Click on this to start from scratch and begin with a new map of Oakland.

Advanced Tools. These new tools allow you to select features within a "buffer" or within a circle around other features or points on the map.