Analysis - ArcGIS

In ArcMap we started out with a Landuse layer of the GVRD that included zoning. (For example commercial, industrial, mixed use, and open and undeveloped...) The other set of layers were individual landuse layers. (These included rivers, roads, bridges...) Then we also had the Raster layer then we imported from IDRISI that we were previously working on. (Click here to go back to the IDRISI analysis.)

The most important thing here was that the layers overlap correctly. This is so the analysis would be correct.

This is done in ArcToolbox. We converted an ASCII file to a Raster that is usable in ArcMap.	This is the resulting image that is our potential areas with the correct amount of space and the appropriate slope.

We projected all the data layers to NAD 83 UTM Zone 10 which allowed them to overlay correctly. For those layers that needed projecting we used the projection tools which are also in ArcToolbox.

You can see here that the raster layer in the background fits well with the overlying vector landuse layer. Once these are together we can start the analysis.

Our analysis is done by selecting by location. We then take the selected features and create a new layer. Each step refines our potential sites until I feel we are close enough to a good recommendation.

First we needed to convert our raster layer to polygons. This way we can use different analysis techniques.
	Then we can clip out the areas that are not on the North Shore. This is done by Selecting by location. The location being North Van City and District and West Van District.
Here is the resulting landuse layer with the potential areas highlighted.

This is our base map within ArcMap. I then digitized all the parks and removed them from any potential area. This was a very time consuming part.

The next step was to look at the effect of water on the North Shore. First I selected all water layers. This included creeks, lakes, rivers and sloughs. Then I created a buffer of 10m around all. This buffer will give me large enough polygons so I may exclude areas with water moving through the center. Water can create many problems on a field. Being near a water source could cause it to be a wet or easily saturated soil. This would cause problems is efficiency and usability of the field. The North Shore gets a lot of rain and if the field continually must be closed then there is no point in building it.

	To buffer the water we must first join all the water parts together. This is done through a union.
	Now we take the water union and buffer a 10m zone all the way around. These buffers are all the way around the water union with round ends. I did choose to dissolve the boundaries if there is overlap.
	These are the areas that we disallowed because of their intersection with the water buffer.

We also looked at area again as we ended up cutting some areas and the resulting areas were now too small to be considered.

This was an easy step. By going into the attribute table I calculated area by adding a new field and then sorting the results. I selected any with an area above 5000 square meters. This result is the result we put back into IDRISI.

Now onto the Results...