Georgia Geospatial Conference

3:30pm-4:15pm
"Measuring the Effects of the Atlanta BeltLine on Residential Property Values": Ryan Davis
The Atlanta BeltLine, a large-scale urban redevelopment plan currently underway in Georgia’s capital, promises to redefine the city’s landscape in the coming decades. Based along a 22-mile ring of defunct railroad tracks surrounding the city’s core, the BeltLine—when completed in 2030—will connect 45 neighborhoods with paved trails, open green space, public art and light rail integrated with Atlanta’s public transportation network. Of the many benefits touted by BeltLine proponents, is the notion that property values will inevitably rise as a direct result of the economic stimulus provided by long-term development. Consequently the perceived elevation in property values ultimately leads to concerns of home affordability for traditionally low-income neighborhoods along the corridor.

This paper will measure the effects of the BeltLine’s development on nearby residential real estate values through the use of geographically weighted regression analysis and data provided by a multiple listing service. GWR measures local coefficients of multiple independent variables contributing to a single dependent variable, single family dwelling sales price, by assigning more weight to those data sample points that exist closer to the estimate point. Because the BeltLine neighborhoods consist of diverse socioeconomic demographics and varying types of housing, GWR is chosen as a method for its ability to create explanatory models that more accurately depict the spatial variation in heterogeneous housing markets than more traditional hedonic pricing approaches that incorporate average global coefficient values across a wide study area. The findings will demonstrate the different levels of impact that Atlanta BeltLine development has upon surrounding neighborhoods.

4:15pm-5:00pm
"Damage Assessment and the GIS Connection": John Cox & Andrew Harrison
Please join us for our presentation about GIS-based Damage Assessments. In this presentation you will learn about preparation and steps taken after disasters in Wakulla County FL, Georgetown County SC, Volusia County FL and Maui HI. You will also hear real world examples of how EM Directors, GIS Managers and Assessors across the country have been using GIS and Assessor’s appraisal (CAMA) data to be able to quickly and accurately perform damage assessments in their communities. After a disaster, the need to rapidly calculate and report damages to homes, businesses & public assets is critical. This session will also show you how via a GIS portal the EM Directors were able to monitor the teams’ progress in real-time while tracking the progress from the Emergency Operations Center.