Welcome to another DirectionsMag podcast! We’re honored to continue hosting these valuable resources in partnership with our friends at URISA. Today we are discussing what's next for GIS professionals after April 2020's Census. We explore: Uses of Census data and time lag issue, Challenges of using new Census data, Redistricting, Ethics, and Preparation.
Audio
You can also download or listen via iTunes.
Video
Additional Information and Resources
US Census is transitioning from American FactFinder to the data.census.gov platform. With American Factfinder going offline 31 March 2020, no 2020 Census products will ever be available on American FactFinder, https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
The implication for GIS users that do not frequently use Census data is that they will have to learn the new https://data.census.gov/ platform in order to be able to access 2020 Census data tables. If you have not accessed data since Summer 2019, this tool is new.
One way of preparing for the future would be to learn the new tools by searching for the data tables and products from the 2010 Census that you would like to use in the 2020 Census. The data.census.gov platform is operated by the Census's Center for Enterprise Dissemination Services and Customer Innovation (CEDSCI)
Background on PL94-171 redistricting data: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2000/dec/redistricting.html
Example of 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) release schedule: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/news/data-releases/2018/release-schedule.html
2020 Data Release: https://2020census.gov/en/important-dates.html
The 2020 Census Operational plans (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/planning-management/planning-docs/operational-plan.html) lists these milestones in 5.6.1 Data Products Dissemination.
“Boundaries that Matter: Partisan Gerrymandering of U.S. Congressional Districts”, GIS Professional, January/February 2018, at http://www.urisa.org/clientuploads/directory/Documents/The%20GIS%20Professional/2018/janfeb2018.pdf
“The Role of the GIS Professional in Issues of Equity and Social Justice”, GIS Professional, January/February 2019, at https://www.urisa.org/clientuploads/directory/Documents/The%20GIS%20Professional/2019/JanFeb2019.pdf).