Digital Map Database Guide

Decision-Making Information

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Introduction

This Guide is focused on accessing, using and updating the ProximityOne version of the augmented Census Bureau TIGER/Line files with associated demographic-economic data for mapping, routing and geospatial analysis.  Many non-Census file are also included in the ProximityOne Digital Map Database (DMD).

The TIGER/Line files are derived from the Census Bureau's TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) database of selected geographic and cartographic information. TIGER is used by the Census Bureau to support the mapping and related geographic activities required by the decennial and economic censuses and other statistical programs. TIGER/Line shapefiles are available for public use and are typically used to provide the digital map base for GIS (Geographic Information System) and mapping applications.

The TIGER data (entirely geographic data) are critically important to demographic-economic data analysis, logistical applications and related geographic applications.  Software and many other data must be used with the TIGER data to make them useful.  This Guide provides information on how this can be done -- how you can better harness and expand on the power of the TIGER data. 

The annually updated TIGER data serve as the basis for all well-known Web based maps. However, there are gaps, omissions and other updating needs not met by the TIGER files without updating and augmentation.  This is in part the result of how the the TIGER data are scoped and updated to meet the Bureau's data collection and tabulation needs.  It is also the result of varying quality/scope/timeliness of data from partner organizations.  This Guide provides information on what we, and you, can do to update and extend the TIGER data to make the resulting composite data the best possible -- for your applications.  

The Guide provides:

1 - a companion to the ProximityOne GIS/DMD Certificate Program

2 - a guide to the structure and use of the ProximityOne DMD

The DMD shapefiles contain data that can be used with GIS software to represent different types of point, line, and polygon geography covering the U.S. earth surface. The DMD shapefiles, and related derivative products, play an important role

in wide-ranging geospatial analyses and decision-making information solutions.

The Guide has been developed by ProximityOne. Warren Glimpse, founder of ProximityOne, developed the Columbia, MO GBF/DIME file used as the prototype for the TIGER/Line program and is developer of the CV XE GIS software and Web-based GIS applications/tools that facilitate use of the TIGER/Line data with other wide-ranging data in applications such as pattern/trend analysis, geospatial processing and location-based operations. Glimpse worked with hundreds of government agencies on the Census 2010 LUCA program to improve the coverage and content of the TIGER database and in turn the quality and accuracy of Census 2010.

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© 2017 ProximityOne

5/29/2017