Eli Knaap - geosnap: The Geospatial Neighborhood Analysis Package | SciPy 2024

GeoSNAP is an open-source neighborhood analysis package developed at San Diego State University for analyzing geographic and demographic data

The package provides tools for data collection, harmonization, interpolation and visualization of neighborhood-level data across different time periods

Key features include:

• Automated data retrieval from census and other government sources
• Conversion between different geographic boundaries and time periods
• Calculation of 40+ segregation measures
• Creation of geodemographic typologies
• Neighborhood change analysis and simulation
• Network-based accessibility analysis

Traditional challenges in neighborhood research that GeoSNAP addresses:

• Inconsistent boundary definitions over time
• Data spread across multiple sources and formats
• Computationally intensive spatial calculations
• Need to harmonize data across different administrative boundaries

The software uses efficient data formats like Parquet and Apache Arrow instead of traditional shapefiles for better performance

While developed with US data, the analytics can be applied globally - British, Canadian and Dutch researchers are already using it

Future development focus includes:

• Building more GUI-level interfaces
• Expanding data resources for other countries
• Enhanced simulation capabilities
• Improved scenario analysis tools

The package is particularly useful for:

• Academic research
• Urban planning
• Public policy analysis
• Social equity studies
• Marketing applications

Key applications include studying:

• Neighborhood change and gentrification
• Segregation patterns
• Access to services and opportunities
• Environmental justice
• Educational outcomes