Reposting of Informal Map

It has come to our attention that our map became inaccessible on our webhost. We have created an account so it doesn't get deleted. Here is the website for downloading the Informal Location Map.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mbyhdxwytmy

Presentation Informal Map

Because of the dark screen for the powerpoint, we had to change the color of the boundaries. This is the modified map for that

http://www.mediafire.com/?j3em3e2wjzv

Revised: Informal Location Map

The location map previously posted has been revised into smaller locations so that the data is represented in a better way. The informal activity is represented by the following colors:

Beggars: Teal

Bag Sellers: Red

Other Vendors: Yellow

Flower Sellers: Purple

Within this map, each location has a count on how many of each activity is located there. One big difference is that the Beggars are represented a little differently. The beggars do not roam around in the sited location, but stay still. Therefore, they are represented as a single pin per beggar. All other informal activities are represented by area with a pin. There exactly location at the time of observation is indicated by a polygonal shape.

This map can be downloaded at the following address (updated filed added Dec. 15, 2009):

http://www.mediafire.com/?ddmy1wm1dw0

Keep in mind that you still need GoogleEarth in order to open this map. The address for this download is located in the previous post.

Informal Activity Location Map

Since the main focus of our project shifted towards the formal economy moreso than the informal, the informal data we have collected systematically while doing the formal field work is being displayed next year in a map for future projects. This map is broken up into the 6 sestieri, then into sections of the sestieri depending how heavy the data we found was. On each division, there is a pin for Beggars, Bag Sellers, Other Vendors (which included the cornstarch toys sellers, magicians, umbrella sellers, wallet sellers, belt sellers, etc.), and Flower Sellers. By clicking each pin, a summary stating the location (street, bridge) and the number of informal activity will appear off of GoogleEarth. There are colored polygons in those respective categories placed on the map in the proper location. This file has been uploaded to MediaFire.com and can be found at the following website to download:

http://www.mediafire.com/?j3cdf2m32hj

As a note, to view this file on your computer, you need to have Google Earth installed. It's a free program and can be downloaded here:

http://earth.google.com/intl/en/download-earth.html

May it provide help to future groups for their in depth search on how these informal activities effect the Venetian formal economy.

Shift in Project Objectives

It's been recently decided that we need to shift our project mission and objectives. Because we spent the vast majority of our efforts working on the formal economy (three weeks of store data collection), we didn't gather enough information on the informal sector or flooding to justify making full-fledged objectives out of the data we do have. As such, here is our new project outline.

Mission Statement:
The main goal of this project is to document the evolution and current state of Venice's formal economy, as well as explore contributing factors such as tourism and the environment.

Objectives and Methodology:
1. To document Venice's current formal economy, focusing on the retail, restaurant, and hotel sectors.
1.1 Investigating the current retail sector of Venice
1.2 Investigating the current hotel sector
1.3 Investigating the current restaurant sector

2. To compile information about and display the evolution of the Venetian formal economy and lay a foundation for future projects.
2.1 Compile information from past projects into one source of data
2.2 Standardize data collection and entry for future projects

3. To establish a platform from which future analysis and documentation of the informal sector and the effect of floods on the formal economy can take place.
3.1 Locating and quantifying the informal activities
3.2 Assessing the impact of losses accrued by flooding during high tides

With these new objectives in mind, we have started creating our deliverables. The full list of everyone's project deliverables can be found on Venipedia, but since the server is currently down, here is what we plan to present:
A paper report on our project findings
A Powerpoint presentation to be delivered next Thursday (invite only, sorry!)
A standardized field collection form that future projects will be able to use to collect their data
An updated 2009 store database
A standard database compiling data from the 2004-2007 surveys with the 2009 database
MapInfo layers marking the locations of all stores, restaurants, and hotels in San Marco and Cannaregio
A sliding map made of the layers detailing the stores at each location throughout the years
A checkbox map allowing users to select which type of store is displayed
Suggested maps and graphical displays for future projects regarding the informal economy and flooding

Right now, we are waiting on files from the VPC so we can send them to Venice 4.0, who is creating our maps. We've started work on our final paper and are finalizing our Powerpoint today and tomorrow. It looks like we're going to work over the weekend in hopes of finishing a little early. Only one week until presentation day!

Done with field work!

We're done with all of our field work now and are coming into the home stretch. Our database is being finished up today and soon we will have our maps all done. Now to write that final report.

Also, we were given two books about Migropolis, which was a project going on when we got here that had information regarding everyone's project. There are maps on there that have exactly what we need, so we'll be scanning those and getting the maps off of them to use with our final results.

Additionally, we are using The Venice Report (downloadable here) for some information that will be used in our final report.

Deliverables

We have been planning out the deliverables for our project. You can view a PowerPoint of our proposed deliverables here.

Additionally, we have a photo album on the bottom of this page that shows some of the store photos we took. Try to count just how many stores sold glass, masks, and trinkets. Souvenir shops abound here, especially by Piazza San Marco.