| Affiliations: | None |
| Project Leader: | Robin Saywitz rsaywitz@tamu.edu Political Science |
| Faculty Mentor: | Dr. Scott Cook , Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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M 5:00-6:00PM |
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Team Size:
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8
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| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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– If interest exists, there may be an opportunity to present a poster at the fall Undergraduate Research Expo. – There is a strong possibility that this project will continue and/or similar projects will be offered in future semesters.
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Team Needs:
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We are seeking 3-8 team members who are enthusiastic about environmental politics, public policy, and geography. Team members do not need any prior research experience. Preference will be given to students who have taken at least one social science course on data analysis and management, including but not limited to POLS 209, POLS 309, STAT 201, STAT 211, STAT 212.
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Description:
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Evaluating the quality of city service provisions (e.g., pothole servicing, park maintenance, etc.) is often complicated by data limitations. In our project, we will use existing image data (from Google Earth) to generate pothole data for the city of Houston. Ultimately, the data collected by the team over the course of the fall semester will be compared to public service request information (311 calls) to evaluate Houston’s responsiveness. Among other questions, this will allow us to examine whether the quality of service varies across city council districts. Team members will conduct virtual “in-person” neighborhood canvassing along local streets in Houston, TX. Traditional canvassing entails walking down the street and recording observations on the physical conditions of an area. However, on this project canvassing will take place virtually. Team members will use Google Earth to virtually “walk down the street” to view, evaluate, and record the condition of local roads in Houston by identifying and tagging potholes. Through this process, team members will learn how to use Google Earth. |