GIS Research

My GIS research project is an interesting one. For my research, I chose to examine GIS as it relates to economic development. I decided to analyize the subject through three different persepectives: the urban planner, the economist, and the policy-maker. My undergraduate studies allowed me to experience this topic through the urban planner point of view. During my undergrads, I studied economics and urban policy at ASU through the business school. The program focused on theoretical concepts as well as macroeconomic ideas. My graduate studies have allowed me to focus on economic and regional development through the eyes of the public policy-maker. My focus on GIS has given me the opportunity to use mapping and geographic analysis to measure policies, private business strategies, and urban planning techniques in the area.
http://www.box.net/shared/yya9vsg52l
This is a link to one of the maps I have created. I collected data on all 50,000+ employers in the greater Phoenix area and did a statistical comparison based on amount of employees and spatial relation to other employers (distance, cluster, etc). I discovered a theory that urban planners like to call the Concentric Ring Theory. This theory is often used by city planners in transportation projects and policy. As you can clearly see in this case, the city planners (MAG & ADOT!) have used the concentric rings of phoenix to map the most effective locations for the Arizona Highway Project. The highways match perfectly with the circle's concentration rings. You be the judge!
I also measured the effects that Chandler's policy and public decision-making  had on the urban enterprise zone made up of Intel, Microsystems, and the peripheral companies. Does our current systems support this enterprise zone?