Project Lead Developers: Dr. Juan Duque and Boris Dev, PhD Candidate

What the software does

GeoGrouper clusters areas on your map into regions based on what you consider are important variables or attributes.

The data you will need:

a map (ArcGIS shapefile)

variables (.dbf or .csv files)

The software offers a selection of clustering algorithms. You choose the ones that best match your objectives for defining regions. The result is a new regional map, from which you can continue clustering, plot other variables onto, or export the map into other GIS software.

Quick start steps:

1. Look at GeoGrouper regionalizations in the: Map Gallery.
2. Download the Windows alpha-version (linux and mac versions not ready yet).
3. After starting the software, play with the China data set we included by following the instructional pop-up windows.

Why regionalize geographic data?

Visualization

Viewing how areas nest into regions can reveal new geographic patterns in the data

Data reduction

Reducing the size of a very large set of geographic observations simplifies analysis and presentation

Design Functional Regions (Districting Problem)

Electoral, Sales, School, Health-care, etc.

Statistical Analysis Using Geographic Data

Remove spurious spatial autocorrelation prior to regresssions

Special Software Features:

1. It's free.
2. New algorithms seen in academic journals
3. Import and Export of standard ArcGIS/ESRI shapefile data
4. Regionalizations can be sequentially nested
5. Interactive map views of different regionalizations with a tree graph
6. Zooming
7. Stochastic simulations of spatial processes