BTAA-GIN Collection Stories

By Cecilia Smith. What are the items? The BTAA Geoportal collates spatial layers from local and state agencies that cover a range of themes, including infrastructure. Among these layers are bridge datasets at the city, county, and state levels. Browse the  bridges of BTAA Counties What BTAA Library submitted the item? All 13 members of the BTAA Geoportal have submitted datasets of bridges in their states. Interesting tidbits: The types of data on bridges differ among states: Some datasets, like Nebraska Bridges , include the date of bridge construction and reconstruction for all bridges in the state. The oldest listed bridge in the dataset was constructed in 1888. IowaDOT provides individual feature layers for bridges proposed to replace the Black Hawk Bridge in Lansing, IA, including alternatives called the Purple Bridge , Blue Bridge , and Green Bridge . Maryland’s Historic Highway Bridges contains historical bridges throughout the state. Images of the bridges can be viewed b...

By Melinda Kernik A scan of the 6 x 6 foot hand-drawn Composite Intrinsic Suitability map and derived GIS data. View Featured Item: Shapefile of the 1968 Ecological Study for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area: Composite Intrinsic Suitability What is the item? In 1968, Ian McHarg created a series of maps showing the climate, geology, and environment of the Twin Cities in Minnesota . These maps were commissioned by the Metropolitan Council, a first-of-its-kind regional governing body concerned about the impact of poorly managed urban development on natural spaces. The maps and report sought to determine the most suitable land uses for the region using an "ecology-first" lens. A 6 x 6 foot, hand-drawn copy of McHarg’s Composite Intrinsic Suitability map is currently kept at the Borchert Map Library . Excitingly, it is now available as digitized vector data as well! This new format makes it easier for researchers to examine land use change and the impacts of regional planning....