Making Sense of Census Data With Google Earth

mikemuch writes "Imran Haque has developed a mashup of Google Earth with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, called gCensus. The app uses the XML format known as KML (Keyhole Markup Language), which can create shapes and colors on the maps displayed by GE. Haque had to build custom code libraries (which he's made available as open source) that could generate KML for the project. He also had to extract the relevant data from the highly counter-intuitive Census Bureau files and store them in a database that could handle geographic data. gCensus lets you do stuff like create colorful overlays on maps showing population ages, race, and family size distributions."

Comments

For the people, by the people.

[skoaldipper]

The Census is equally important as voting. Special interest groups representing minority organizations work closely with state and local governments when they draw up political districts. What an awesome tool to hold those officials accountable and give other groups a voice - open access for everyone.

Re:I knew from the headline

[Reality Master 101]

The word that conveys the work and technical details involved is "integration". Yes, it's four syllables.

(shaking fist) DAMN YOU KIDS! LEAVE MY DICTIONARY ALONE! I'M TOO OLD TO LEARN NEW LANGUAGE USAGE!

Or to put it another way, DAMN YOU KIDS! STAY OFF OF MY LAWN!

(It actually irritated me too, until I realized that my irritation was a symptom of my "over 30" age, and then promptly got over it)