Using the Census CD Neighborhood Change Database (NCDB)

Note: This help guide was written for students in PPS 264S.80 – Urban Policy, but the steps are generally applicable to anyone using the CD's.

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The Data and GIS Services computer cluster provides limited access for students to save files to the hard drive of machines.  These instructions are designed for students who either:

1.) Scenario 1: Need to produce a shapefile for their MSA and get the data for the MSA in one step.

OR

2.) Scenario 2: Have already downloaded shapefiles for the counties in their MSA, merged the files, but still need long form data for their maps.  Please note that the CensusCD contains MSA data for the 2000 Census.  Data will not reflect recent changes in MSA definitions!

The instructions that follow, provide step by step instructions for each type of student.

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Scenario 1: I need to create a map for my MSA and get all of the related data for the MSA.

I. Start the Neighborhood Change Database:

1. The CensusCD Neighborhood Change CD is in available at the Perkins Reference Desk.
   

2. Place the CD in the computer.  The “NCDB” program is located in the “Data Applications” folder  on the “Data Services” computers, and in the “Mapping Applications” folder on the “Map” computers.  The program is labeled “NCDB.”

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II. Select the year, msa, and counts that you desire from the database.

1.) You will see a menu that resembles the one below in Figure 1.  Do NOT select file or new request.  Instead, begin by selecting the year that you need for your study (usually "All Years Normalized to 2000).

Figure 1

 

2.) Under the “Area” menu, select the MSA that you are using for the project under the geography menu.

3.) Under the “Counts” menu, select the indicators that you need for your project (I am omitting a detailed discussion about search strategies. Detailed instructions for searching the NCDB are available in the set of manuals on the same table as the computer).

4.) After choosing your counts, select “Run – Map.”  A map of your MSA will appear on the screen.

5.) Select File – Export – to ArcView’s Shape.

6.) The computer will prompt you that the export is complete.  Close the map.  Close the NCDB.  You are ready to generate your map in ArcMap.

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III – Getting your data into arcmap

1.) Open “ArcMap” on the machine (it is located in the “Utilities, Editors, and Viewers” folder on the “Data Services” computers, and in the “Mapping Applications” folder on the “Map” computers.)

2.) When “ArcMap” opens, select “a new empty map.”

3.) Select the “File Menu.”  Choose “Add Data”

4.) Navigate to the folder c:\NCDB\

5.) Select the NONAME.shp file.  Your map should appear in the browser.

6.) Right click on the layer (NONAME) and select “Open Attribute Table” to ensure that your indicators arrived with the map.

7.) At this point, you need to save the map to a permanent location (so that you can access it later or add more data!).  Right click the “NONAME” layer and select “Data – Export Data”  You will see a window that resembles the one below in Figure 2.  In the field labeled “Output shapefile or feature class, enter the following location (replacing “<email>” with your email address):

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\<email>

Figure 2

 

8.) ArcMap will ask you would like to add the exported data to the map as a layer.  Choose “yes.”

9.) You should now have two layers in the browser. Right click on the “NONAME” layer and select “Remove.”

10.) The final step is to print the documentation for the data fields in your new map. (see Figure 3 for details) Open the Microsoft Word Viewer (on the desktop of the workstation). Select File...Open, in the file name box type:

C:\NCDB\NONAME.doc

Figure 3

 

Click open.  Print the codebook immediately.

11.) You are now ready to start your analysis.

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Scenario 2: I already have the map for my MSA, but I would like to add Census 2000 data from the Neighborhood Change Database.

1.) Follow the same steps listed in scenario one.  The process of generating a map in the Neighborhood Change Database will provide the data that you will merge with the map that you have created in ArcGIS.

2.) At this point, you should have a printed codebook for the data generated in step one and the Neighborhood Change Database should be closed.  You should also close the newly exported layer in ArcGIS (this is the layer that you obtained only to get the new Census data). Open the “Shared Documents” folder on your desktop and select the folder where you saved your map from the Neighborhood Change Database.

3.) (Figure 4) Delete the following files (the “filename” will vary depending on the name of your extract):

<filename>.prj
<filename>.sbn
<filename>.sbx
<filename>.shp
<filename>.sbx

Figure 4

 

4.) The <filename>.dbf file will be the last file remaining (atlantamsa.dbf in Figure 4).  This is the file that holds the data from the NCDB CD.  You may now start (or return to) ArcMap and join the data from this file with an existing layer of your dataset.

5.) You are now ready to create your maps for the project!