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Puzzle

Azavea Newsletter Puzzle: Philadelphia Public LandStat Application

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 4 Issue 3, July 2009

Map generated in the LandStat application

We’re excited to help make Philadelphia land records information available through the newly public LandStat application. Want to learn more about LandStat? Head to http://www.phillylandstat.com to check out the database and find the answers to this month’s puzzle.

On the welcome page click ‘Mapping and Analysis’ (click on ‘Register’ only if you want to save your work). In Step 1: ‘Select a Geographic Area,’ select ‘All Ward’ from the menu. In Step 2: ‘Create a Project,’ select ‘Property Type’ in the drop down menu under ‘Select a Category.’ A list of available indicators will appear. Select ‘Parcels, Residential, Count’ and click ‘Add.’ Then select ‘Parcels, Commercial, Count’ and click ‘Add.’ In Step 3: ‘Name the Project,’ give your project a name and click ‘Save’ to view the results. The resulting information can be viewed in five ways: map, table, statistics, scatter, or rank.

1. Click ‘Map’ to view the number of residential parcels displayed by city ward. In the mapping features on the left, click on ‘Search’ and enter 340 N. 12th Street (Azavea’s office address) into the box and click ‘Find.’ Then click on the ‘Map Breaks and Colors’ menu located in the same column. What is the range of residential parcels for the ward in which Azavea is located? Hint: It is the smallest range.

2. Click on the ‘Statistics’ tab to view a variety of statistics related to residential and commercial parcels in your project. You can now compare the two indicators you chose for your project: select ‘Parcels, Commercial, Count, 2008′ from the ‘Indicator 2′ drop-down menu. What is the minimum number of commercial parcels in any ward?

3. Click on the ‘Table’ tab to view the number of residential and commercial parcels in each ward. In Ward 15, what is the number of commercial parcels and the number of residential parcels?

Again, be the first to send in all 3 correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble! Send your answers to info@azavea.com

Azavea Newsletter Puzzle: Play with Election Data Like You Were Working for an Elections Commission

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 4 Issue 2, May 2009

KIF Local Sample Data by Council District

With the launch of a new Kaleidocade Local Sample, Azavea is excited to make available local election data in a user-friendly web interface.

Want to learn more about Philadelphia’s elections but just don’t have the time to visit city hall? Head to http://sample.azavea.com/KIFLocal/ to check out the new database and find the answers to this month’s puzzle. Be the first to send in all 3 correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble! Send your answers to info@azavea.com

On the home page, create an account or click ‘Anonymous Login’. On the start page, click ‘Mapping and Analysis’. In Step 1: ‘Select a Geographic Area’, select ‘All Wards’ from the menu. In Step 2: ‘Create an Indicator Collection’, select ‘Philadelphia Mayoral Elections’ under ‘Select a Category’. A list of available indicators will appear. Select ‘D-Michael Nutter, Vote Count, 2007 General Election’ and click ‘Add’. Then select ‘R- Al Taubenberger, Vote Count, 2007 General Election’ and click ‘Add’. In Step 3: ‘Name the Indicator Collection’, give your collection a name and click ‘Save’ to view the results.

1. The resulting information can be viewed in four ways: map, table, statistics, rank. Click ‘Table’ to view the number of votes each candidate received in each ward. In Ward 21, how many votes did Mr. Nutter and Mr. Taubenberger each receive?

2. Click on the ‘Rank’ tab at the top of the window to view the top and bottom ranked locations, meaning the wards in which each candidate received the most and fewest votes. In which ward did Mr. Nutter receive the fewest votes? Hint: He received 922 votes in that ward.

3. Click on the ‘Statistics’ tab now to view a variety of statistics related to the votes each candidate received. Select ‘R- Al Taubenberger, Vote Count, 2007 General Election’ from the ‘Indicator 1′ drop-down menu. What is the maximum number of votes that Mr. Taubenberger received in any one ward?

Again, be the first to send in all 3 correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble! Send your answers to info@azavea.com

Azavea Newsletter Puzzle: Explore Muralfarm.org

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 4 Issue 1, February 2009

One of Philadelphia’s many murals (and a clue to one of the puzzle questions’ answers).

We are excited to announce the launch of Muralfarm.org, a new web-based database that enables users to search through and view information about murals produced by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Muralfarm.org is powered by Sajara, Azavea’s geographic digital asset management software.

Want to learn more about Philadelphia’s many murals but just don’t have the time to take the fabulous bus tours? Head to www.muralfarm.org to check out the new database and find the answers to this month’s puzzle. Send your answers to info@azavea.com. Be the first to send in all 3 correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble! An adventure AND a reward, life couldn’t get much better!

1. A large, two-part mural is located at the intersection of Aspen Street and N. 39th Street. Use the address search function on Muralfarm.org to locate the mural. What is the title of the mural?

The ‘Magic Wall’ mural. Do you know where it is located?

2. Several artists were involved in the creation of this mural including Students from the University of Pennsylvania, Angela Crafton, and Donald Gensler. Click on Angela Crafton’s name to view other murals she has created. One of her murals is entitled “Magic Wall.” At what address is this mural located?

3. Click the ‘Search this address’ button located below the address to find other nearby murals. The closest mural to “Magic Wall” is a mural entitled “A Window of Stories.” What is the ‘Theme’ assigned to this mural?

Azavea Newsletter Puzzle

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 3 Issue 6, December 2008

Image courtesy of ‘Nina‘ via Flickr.com

Throughout the year, we’ve enjoyed sharing news about the projects, staff members, travels, partnerships, and dozens of other things that make Azavea an exciting place. To give you one more chance to review 2008 in the life of Azavea, this month’s puzzle requires a quick trip through the past year’s newsletters in search of a holiday greeting. That’s right – we’re breaking out the word puzzle! Find the missing words to fill in the below sentence. All archived newsletters are available at http://www.azavea.com/Library.aspx.

___(1)___, gatherings with___(2)___ and ___(3)___, ___(4)___ and ___(5)___cake? It must be the holidays! Azavea wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season and happy new year!

1. According to the intro paragraph of the May/June 2008 newsletter, what type of storm did Azavea staff encounter in Denver in the middle of May?

2. According to the title of the first article in the January/February 2008 newsletter, what type of tree does ‘The Root’ help you map?

3. According to the biography for Sean McGinnis (Project Manager) in the March/April 2008 newsletter, for whom does Sean enjoy cooking?

4. According to the intro paragraph of the September/October 2008 newsletter, what did we try to mitigate by occupying ourselves with some great election-related work?

5. In the July/August 2008 newsletter, there is a small quote to the left of the article entitled “Why Make a Wild Guess…” According to that quote , it’s exciting to see how “our staff research bears ______.”

Send your answers to info@azavea.com. Be the first to send in all 5 correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Azavea Newsletter Puzzle: Elections, Schmelections – Let’s Play a Game!

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 3 Issue 5, October 2008

You may have noticed that there happens to be an election going on. Here at Azavea we’re always paying attention to elections across the country and around the world to keep our Cicero Elected Official Lookup as up to date as possible. In honor of the upcoming presidential election and our new election data available on Cicero, this month’s puzzle gets a little political.

1. The second debate between the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates was held on October 7, 2008 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Using the Cicero Live Demo and the address for Belmont University (1900 Belmont Blvd Nashville, Tennessee), find the name of the Congressman who represents the Nashville area in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hint: He is a Democrat and represents District 5.

2. The President of the United States resides in the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. The District of Columbia has one (non-voting) representative who sits in the US House of Representatives. Using Cicero Live and the address for the White House (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington DC), find the name of that Congresswoman. Hint: She is a Republican whose district type is ‘National Lower’.

3. US Presidents often meet with foreign leaders at home and abroad. In May 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia visited the United States. If the new US President wanted to reciprocate with a similar gesture, he would probably travel to the Parliament House in Australia to meet with the Prime Minister. Using Cicero Live and the address of the Parliament House (Parliament Drive in the city of Canberra in the province of Australian Capital Territory in the country of Australia (AS)), find the name of the Member of Parliament who represents Canberra. Hint: She is a member of the Australian Labor Party.

Send your answers to info@azavea.com. Be the first to send in all three correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble! The winner will be announced in our next newsletter.

Puzzle: Explore MetroPhilaMapper’s Indicators and Learn About the Region

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 3 Issue 4, August 2008

Sample map from MetroPhilaMapper, powered by Kaleidocade^TM.

Temple University’s MetroPhilaMapper, powered by Kaleidocade^TM, provides the public with a powerful tool for learning about and analyzing regional demographic and quality-of-living data. This month’s puzzle will take you on an exploration of the application. Be the first to send in all three correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Open the MetroPhilaMapper application. Either log in annonymously or register for a free account. Click on the ‘Make a Map’ button. Select ‘All Municipalities’ from the drop down menu. In the ‘Category’ drop down menu select ‘Arts & Culture/ Federal and State Funding for Arts and Culture, 2004′. Click on the ‘Add’ button to add this choice to your ‘Project’. Then name your project and click the ‘Save’ button to proceed.

1. MetroPhilaMapper enables users to view results in five ways: map, table, statistics, scatter, rank. Click on the ‘Table’ icon to view the amount of funding various municipalities received in 2004. How much funding did Philadelphia receive? Hint: Use the arrows in the ‘Federal and State Funding’ column to sort the results into descending value.

2. MetroPhilaMapper provides information on the Greater Philadelphia region. Now, click on the ‘Map’ tab. Click the arrows next to ‘Search’ (first link in the map legend area on the left of the map) to access the address search function. Enter “Downingtown, PA” into the search box and click ‘Find’. What is the range of funding that Downingtown received in 2004? Hint: The colors on the map correspond to the map legend visible under the ‘Search’ function.

3. Since the range of any indicator can be quite large, MetroPhilaMapper provides some additional statistics. Click on the ‘Statistics’ tab. What is the mean for ‘Federal and State Funding for Arts and Culture, 2004′?

Send your answers to info@azavea.com. Be the first to send in all three correct answers and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble! The winner will be announced in our next newsletter.

The winning caption from the last newsletter’s PhillyHistory.org mystery photo puzzle was sent in by Nikki Cross, City Planner for Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Winning Entry: “Philadelphia scientists test an early protype of an underwater breathing apparatus. Their big secret? A common garden hose.”

Puzzle: PhillyHistory – Explore Historic Maps of Philadelphia

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 3 Issue 2, April 2008

Azavea is excited to introduce a brand new search page for Sajara and the addition of 5,000 maps to PhillyHistory.org. In honor of the new maps (and just because we love all things geographical), get your map and street finding skills ready for this month’s puzzle!

1. PhillyHistory.org features a volume of the historical Hexamer & Locher maps courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia and the digital scanning center at the Philadelphia Athenaeum. Head to www.phillyhistory.org and search for the intersection of 4th Street and Market Street. Find the Hexamer & Locher Plate 11A map from 1860.

What is the name of the street that used to connect 4th Street and 5th Street just south of Market Street? Hint: It’s also a synonym for a businessperson.

2. Although that street existed in 1860, records show that its name changed. Head to the DOR Historic Streets Index and search for the name of the street. The section of this street from 4th Street to 5th Street just south of Market Street had a name change recorded in 1897.

What was the new name of the street? Hint: It still exists in that location under that name.

3. Since 1895, a landmark Philadelphia building has sat in this same area from 4th to 5th Street just south of Market. On PhillyHistory.org, enter the intersection of 4th Street and the street you found in #2 to find a photo of this building on the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the name of the building located at the intersection? Hint: A food court is now located in this building.

Be the first to send an email with all three correct answers to info@azavea.com and we will send you a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Puzzle: Cicero Live

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 3 Issue 1, February 2008

It’s a clue! Cicero maps of our representative voting districts.

Try Cicero Live!

1. Azavea is located at 340 N. 12th Street in Philadelphia, PA. Using Cicero, find the United States Democratic Senator who represents the area where Azavea is located. What is the name of that Senator?

2. Using the link included on the same Cicero results page, go to the website for the Senator from Question 1. On the frontpage of that website, find the address for the Senator’s office in Pittsburgh. What is that address?

3.Using the address from Question 2, go to Cicero and find the name of the Congressman representing District 14. What is the Congressman’s telephone number?

Extra Credit: Dave, the lead software developer for Cicero, works at Azavea’s office in Burlington, Vermont. Test your research skills and find an address located in Burlington. Plug that number into Cicero and find the name of any elected official who represents the City of Burlington. What is the name of that elected official?

Be the first to send an email with all three correct answers to info@azavea.com and we will send you a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

A Historic Puzzle!

By Deb Boyer Published in

Vol. 2 Issue 6, December 2007

A famous female aviator who later mysteriously disappeared in the Pacific Ocean was photographed upon her arrival at the Philadelphia airport.

1. Do a “Keyword” search on PhillyHistory using the name of the aviator to find the photograph of her in Philadelphia (hint: her first name was Amelia). What year was she photographed at the Philadelphia airport?

2. In the year this aviator arrived in Philadelphia, travel by airplane was still a unique and exciting experience. Philadelphians used the subway as one form of transportation to make their way around the city. Do a “Keyword” search using the word “subway” and a “Time Period” search using the answer from question #1 to find a photograph of where some of the subway cars were stored. What was the name of the subway yard? Hint: It’s still in use as a transportation center today.

3. After setting many aviation records, the female pilot disappeared during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. What year did she disappear? Using PhillyHistory, find a photograph from that year and tell us why it is your favorite.

Be the first to send an email with all three correct answers to info@azavea.com and we will send you a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

A “SMART” Puzzle

By Chip Hitchens Published in

Vol. 2 Issue 5, October 2007

The SMART System of the US Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) makes a wide range of data available to anyone interested in and professionals involved in identifying, halting, or preventing juvenile delinquency.

Let’s say that you represent an organization in Pennsylvania that is working to curb juvenile crime, and you’re going to use the SMART System to apply for a grant relating poverty to crime. Register with the SMART system, then press the Mapping and Analysis button (no search text is required) and choose Pennsylvania > Counties. Then choose the ‘Economic’ indicators that will help you answer the following questions:

1. Using the map, what County in Southeastern Pennsylvania sticks out as having a disproportionately high percentage of children living in poverty?

2. What three counties have the highest percentage of families living in poverty (use most recent indicator data)?

3. Using the appropriate ‘Crime’ indicators, answer the following question: Name the three counties reporting the highest juvenile crime rate.

Be the first to send an email with all three correct answers to info@azavea.com and we will send you a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

A “Traumatic” Puzzle

By Megan Heckert Published in

Vol. 2 Issue 4, August 2007

The American Trauma Society’s TRAMAH website uses algorithms developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University to understand and map access to trauma center hospitals across the country.

Visit the application and compare the three states with Azavea offices (Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington.

1. In which state does the largest percentage of the population have access to trauma care by ambulance within 45 minutes?

2. Which state has the smallest percentage of land coverage within 45 minutes?

3. Explore the US map. Three states have 100% of their population with access via helicopter or ambulance within 60 minutes. Name two of them.

Be the first to send an email with all three correct answers to info@azavea.com and we will send you a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Puzzle!

By Megan Heckert Published in

Vol. 2 Issue 3, May 2007

Question 1: In addition to our Philadelphia location, Azavea has offices in Seattle, Washington and Burlington, Vermont. Visit the OJJDP SMART application to learn about indicators of juvenile delinquency in those states. Under the ‘Education’ category map the % of 5 to 17 year olds not enrolled in school, 2000 by county in each of these two states. Find the top ranked county in each state and each of their values. (Note: top ranked in this case is the county with the highest percentage not in school.)

A.Which county had the higher value?
B. What was that value?

Question 2: The PhillyHistory.org website contains a link to the Historic Streets Index (under ‘Links’), which tracks street name changes over time. Visit the Historic Streets Index and type the name of the county you answered for question 1/A. The index will tell you that this street name changed into two different street names. What did it change to?

C. New Street Name #1
D. New Street Name #2

Question 3: Of the two streets identified in Question 2, only one still exists, as noted in the Historic Streets Index. Visit the Connect Services website, and search for hospitals within 1 mile of the intersection of that street + the number you found in Question 1/B.

E. How many hospitals are within 1 mile?
F. Of the hospitals located within 1 mile of that address, what is the name of the hospital located furthest to the north?

Be the first to send an email with all six correct answers to info@azavea.com and you will win a $10 gift card to Starbucks!

Scavenger Hunt

By Abby Fretz Published in

Vol. 2 Issue 2, March 2007

Take a trip through a number of our applications and be the first to answer the questions below to win a $25 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. Send your answers to info@azavea.com.

Azavea Business Development Manager Megan Heckert grew up in Germantown, and was quite pleased to discover that the Mural Arts Program recently completed a mural called “Growing un in Germantown”. Visit the muralBase website and find that mural (hint: it’s in zip code 19144).

1. What is its address?
2. The artist’s bio indicates that she studied in two different cities. Which city comes first when listed in alphabetical order? Make sure to write down the answers!

Now visit Phildelphia’s CityMaps website and search for city services at the mural’s address.

3. In which police district is the mural located?
4. Which elementary school catchment is it in?

Now visit the website for Azavea’s Cicero™ Elected Official Service. Search for the representative whose street address is the answer to questions 3 and 4 in the city you answered for question 2. Answer these final questions for a chance to win the gift certificate.

5. What is the district number?
6. Who is the representative?

Photo Contest

By Abby Fretz Published in

Vol. 2 Issue 1, January 2007

Over the past several months we’ve introduced you to PhillyHistory.org, an engaging website Azavea created for the City of Philadelphia Department of Records (DOR). The city archives house over 2 million photographs, dating back to the late nineteenth century. The DOR came to Azavea, seeking a way to digitize, organize and store this historic collection. PhillyHistory.org allows users to search for images by location, address, keyword, or date, and purchase these photographs.

As we continue to unearth the fascinating photos stored in the city archives we look for opportunities to share them with you. Explore the website and be the first to answer the questions below to win a $25 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. Send your answers to info@azavea.com.

PhillyHistory Quiz
What famous opera house opened in 1870 in Philadelphia, became a burlesque theater in the 1940s and today attracts a much different music-loving crowd?

A. Do a Phillyhistory ‘keyword’ search under the theater’s modern name and look for a picture of the interior of the theater. What is the the word painted upside down on the ceiling?

B. What guest band played at that theatre on New Year’s Eve, 2006 (Azavea is proud to have added this band to our office music playlist)?

C. List the name of two of the acts (found on posters outside the theater) in the theater’s ‘seedier’ days.

PhillyHistory.org “Guess That Photo!”

By Abby Fretz Published in

Vol. 1 Issue 2, Fall 2006

Week after week Azavea interns continue to unearth striking photographs from the Philadelphia Department of Record’s City Archives and post them to PhillyHistory.org. The photographs cover over 150 years of Philadelphia history and range in topic from waterways and transportation to architecture and education. Can you guess the Philadelphia location, year the photograph was taken, and the activity taking place in this photograph from PhillyHistory.org? Be the first to send an email to info@azavea.com, with all three correct answers and you will win a $25 gift card to Borders.

Continue your visit of the streets of Philadelphia at the Atwater Kent Museum.

Don’t miss…
How Philly Works: Streets as Barometers of Urban Life
October 6, 2006 – September, 2007

How Philly Works: Streets as Barometers of Urban Life includes paintings, photographs, prints, objects and documents, using William Penn’s vision for Philadelphia to explore street activity over 300 years. Drawn almost exclusively from the City Records Department, individual City Departments and the Atwater Kent Museum, the exhibition showcases the recent program of the Records Department to make its holdings available on the Internet. The exhibition features the Philadelphia City Charter, drafted by Penn in 1701, the wampum belt believed to have been given to Penn by the Lenape tribe, a waywiser from 1750 used to measure consistent city blocks, historic regulatory measures from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, and police paraphernalia from the late 1800s. How Philly Works will be on exhibition until September, 2007.

Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia is at 15 South 7th Street, one block west of Independence Hall, between Market and Chestnut Street. It is open for general admission Wednesday-Sunday from 1-5 p.m. School and group tours are scheduled everyday from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Admission is: adults, $5; seniors and children 13-17, $3; members and children 12 and under, free. The Museum Store is open Monday and Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday through Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

For program information call 215.685.4830 or visit www.philadelphiahistory.org.

Funny Council Boundaries

By Chip Hitchens Published in

Vol. 1 Issue 1, Fall 2006

Think those council boundaries look strange? That’s because they are a result of a process called Gerrymandering. The word “gerrymander” is named for the American politician “Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814). The term was coined by combining the politician’s last name with the term “salamander,” to describe the appearance of a new electoral district Gerry created to hinder the electoral aspirations of his political opponents. Think you can name this Gerrymandered city? Be the first to send an email to info@azavea.com, and if you guess the city you will win a copy of “Past Time, Past Place: GIS for History” from ESRI Press or a $25 gift card to Borders.

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