The purpose of my project was to do spatial analysis on Port Moody and decide where the best place for a new recreation centre would be and which kind of facilities were needed.  In doing this I took interest in the location of the local parks and their uses so I would not duplicate the amenities they provided to the community.  Using census data, some help from Port Moody city planners and my own knowledge of the area I broke the municipality down and placed the recreation centre were it was most needed.

   I used the census data as a general breakdown of the area.  I queried those areas for the output I wanted, reducing the three census areas to leave just the ideal one remaining.  Of the census data I thought that the ideal information to use would be total population, area,  income and age.  I set arbitrary numbers for both low and high population density and income which I felt best represented the result that I wanted.   Two age groups that I looked at was teenagers (10-19) and that of seniors (65+).

    Looking at income allowed  for the low income areas to be singled out of the municipality.  I wanted to ideally place a recreation centre in a low income area as I made the assumption that the people in this area would not have excess funds to spend on recreation.  The use of public recreation centres is generally free and would provide entertainment for the entire family.  Although the lower income persons would be able to use a recreation centre placed in a wealthier area it would be out of their way.  Low income individuals may not have a mode of transportation to get them to the recreation centre in another area.

    Bus routes is also a coverage that I created.  Placing the centres close to these routes would potentially increase the amount of people they would draw.  This will allow those people who do not own a car and those who can not drive, a way to get to these recreation centres.

     Using total population and area per census tract I  calculated the population density.  This allowed me to find the most heavily populated areas and place the recreation centres where it would get the most use.

    Age would helped me decide what kind of facilities would be needed as both teenagers and seniors require specialized facilities.  If the area I was to build in had a large number of either age group then it may be a deciding factor for the type of facilities.  The teenagers would need a facility that would capture their interest as Port Moody is located between two malls "Coquitlam Centre" and "Lougheed Mall".  Both malls cater to teenagers and are filled with them each weekend.  Any recreation facility built would be in direct competition with these malls.  Seniors require an area that will house their social functions and cater to any kind of disability they may have.

    From the street  network file I clipped all the roads from Port Moody into a new theme.  Using my general knowledge of the area,  I clipped out the roads which were the largest and busiest within Port Moody.  Once I decided which area I want to place the recreation centre in, I  intersected the major roads with it.  I  made the assumption that parents will allow their children to walk to a recreation area but may not let them cross a major road while doing it.

    Plotting the current recreation centres and the parks in Port Moody allowed me to analysis their distance between one and other.  To place a new recreation centre too close together to others would be a waste of the facilities.

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