Module 1 — Population

Module #1 — Modeling a Synthetic Population

A synthetic population is a simplified representation of the actual population. The synthetic population matches various statistical distributions of the actual population, and therefore, is close enough to the true population to be used in modeling. Often, a synthetic population is modeled rigorously through demographic data.

For the first module, you are not expected to create a wholistic population model. Instead, focus on the intent and methods of your model. Based on your interest, define a population to study — think deeply about who this community/ group of people is, and the assumptions that could be made about them. Consider the following:

• Distribution (where is the population distributed)
• Demographics (Age, Gender, Race, Income, Education)
• Behavior & Life Modes (Preference, Travel Mode, Destination Factors)
• Agency (why is this population worth studying, how can it be applied later?)

The goal of the first module is to start thinking about design problems methodically. The process of defining a synthetic population is a data model on its own, but will also become an integral part of your urban analysis model in the later modules.

Due Date: Feb 09

Modules

• Grasshopper (Computational Modeling)
• Urbano (Spatial Data Processing in GH)

Post

submit your post to the class publication by Feb. 09 (Weds) before class and include the following:

• A Catchy Title + Authors Name
• A short description of the study population, why this group is interesting/ important, and any key characteristics.
• A “Conceptual Diagram” of your model
• How it works — dive a little deeper into your model, and explain the dynamics and relationship between the components in your diagram. Highlight any specific mechanics or variables in your explanation by formatting it with code blocks (add ` in front of your text) or “quotation” (select in editing mode).
• Data Sources — most importantly, document the datasets and research collected to create your population model. These will be especially useful in future assignments and can be share with the class!
  (See here for GSAPP’s GIS Data Library: https://www.arch.columbia.edu/gis/data)

Example Conceptual Diagrams

Creating a Medium Post

1Go to Medium and sign up for an account (its free).

2Click your profile image at the top right of the page and select “New Story”.

3Change the title and write your story. Use the + icon to add in videos links and images.

4When you’re ready to publish, click the green “Publish” dropdown at the top of the page. Type in the tag “Student Work” and then hit “Publish”. This tag is important as it will ensure that your post is submitted to correct page. Your story is NOT yet submitted to the publication.

5 Add the story to the publication [full instructions here]. Click the “…” button in the top-right corner of the page. Select Add to publication from the dropdown list. Choose the “Data Mining the City 2022” publication you intend to submit to and click Save. If you are a writer for the publication, then your story will be immediately submitted to the publication editors for review. The editors of that publication will have a chance to review your draft. Readers will not see your story in the publication until it is reviewed and added to the publication.