Preview
Creation Date
2019-01-14
Description
Sam Tomko-Jones mapped density of homicides in Chicago through 2017 and the service areas of Level 1 Trauma Centers in Geo 344: Geographic Information Systems III: Spatial Analysis for Sustainability during the Spring of 2018. Level 1 Trauma Centers are equipped to treat victims of traumatic injuries such as gunshot wounds. In 2018, the University of Chicago opened a Level 1 Trauma Center, the South Side’s first Level 1 center in 27 years. The mapping project aimed to evaluate where the majority of homicides in the city occur in relation to Level 1 Trauma Centers. The Kernel Density tool was used to map high and low densities of homicides, with high density of homicides falling mostly in Chicago’s West and South Side. With the use of the Network Analyst tool, the service areas of the 10 Level 1 Trauma Centers were portrayed using 2-mile bands of actual street routes, starting at the trauma centers and expanding outwards. What these two maps suggest is that the areas with the highest homicide densities are still in need of more Level 1 Trauma Centers.
A previous Map of the Month, from November 2014 (located here) by student Alex Williams similarly mapped hotspots of homicides and the service areas of nearest Level 1 Trauma Centers. Comparing the two maps, the change in service area is visible with the addition of University of Chicago’s new Level 1 Trauma center, with large sections of the West and South side now no longer beyond a 10 mile driving distance.
A previous Map of the Month, from November 2014 (located here) by student Alex Williams similarly mapped hotspots of homocides and the service areas of nearest Level 1 Trauma Centers. Comparing the two maps, the change in service area is visible with the addition of University of Chicago’s new Level 1 Trauma center, with large sections of the West and South side now no longer beyond a 10 mile driving distance.
Keywords
trauma, gis, service area, chicago, violence, homicide