GST 101 Introduction to Geospatial Technology��Unit 5 – Creating and Editing Geospatial Data�Module 5.1 – How Geospatial Data Can Be Created Using Geocoding����� � �

Ann Johnson

Associate Director

ann@baremt.com

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Based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE 1304591, DUE 164409, DUE 1700496, DUE 1937177, Due 1938717 DUE 1937237, 2030206 and 2015927. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Esri ArcGIS Pro - Geocoded Addresses

Topics Covered in Unit 5 include

• Module 5.1 - How geospatial data can be created using address information and geocoding techniques
• Module 5. 2 - How locational geospatial data can be created using Global Navigation Satellite Systems
• Module 5.3 – How other methods can be used to creating geospatial data

Location, Location, Location

• Business and government agencies collect addresses of their users
• This is valuable and useful information, but it does not really tell where an address is located geographically
• How can these tables of addresses be used to create a map, find an address or navigate to a location?
• Geocoding is a technique that can take the addresses and locate them geographically
• The new database of locations can then be used by geospatial technology to
• Produce a map of the addresses
• Help emergency responders find the location or
• Produce shortest path routes for delivery drivers to navigate to addresses
• Allow businesses to focus their marketing to specific areas
• And many, many more!

Geocoding

• Geocoding transforms a description of a location to a geographic location
• The description can be a table of zip codes, cities, street addresses or a descriptor for the location
• Three things that are needed to geocode address descriptions are:
1. A Table of Addresses with one address or description for each feature you want to locate
2. An Address Locator that specifies the rules it uses to match location description information (address) to a location, how closely the address needs to match the address in the Table and where to output the resulting location dataset
3. A Reference Map Dataset, with the type of data (such as street centerlines with address information ) that can be used by the Address Locator to determine the geographic location of the address

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Components of a Geocoding Process – From a Table of Addresses to a Map of Address Locations

Reference Map

Table of Addresses

Geoprocessing Tool in Esri’s ArcGIS Pro with needed inputs to the Address Locator from the Table of Addresses

Map with Geocoded Addresses

Geocoded Locations��This is a simple graphic of a Reference Map with linearly referenced street names and range of values for “To and From” address numbers on the Left (even) and Right (odd) side of each Street��An address of 156 5^th St NE would be located on the map by the Address Locator to the middle of the even side of the street halfway between 134 to 178 – even if the location is NOT the true location of the address!���

• Address databases should be “Cleaned” before trying to Run a Geocoder

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• Even after Cleaning, some addresses will not be matched automatically

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• Some will need to be matched manually by correcting the table data, reference data or lowering the allowable variance to the rules

Geocoding Workflow

Create an�address locator or Select an Online Locator Service

Match addresses

Build or obtain a reference data set

Clean or standardize your Addresses in the Address Table

Unmatched addresses

Rematch addresses – may need to correct reference data, lower rules on a match or Address Table

New geographically located data set

Steps suggested for ArcGIS Pro

• Six steps for Geocoding

Address Locators

• New Address Locators can be created to match the style of data in the Table of Addresses
• Composite Address Locators can use data from multiple sources
• Online or Premium Service Address Locators can be used by Organizations that have purchased them and may require additional credits or payments when they are used
• Some commercial delivery companies use locations that have been collected for each address rather than use geocoding – a process that is more accurate than using geocoding

Applications of Geocoding

• Any application where a list of locations need to be plotted on a map or navigation system
• Businesses use the addresses of their customers for many purposes such as target marketing, sales territories and gap analysis
• Police departments use it to identify where and what types of crimes occur in different parts of a city to help them see where more officers or other interventions may be needed
• Real estate agents have websites that show where properties for sale are located
• Individuals trying to find a specific type of service or retailer can use an online search engine to find one near their location

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See GeoTech Center website (https://geotechcenter.org) �for additional Model Courses and other curriculum resources. ���������Note: some content is a derivative of other authors���

Ann Johnson

Associate Director

ann@baremt.com

​

2-16-2021 V5