Mapping the locations of existing and proposed post office closings in the Kentucky Appalachian area

 We partnered with the Appalachian Center to map the locations of post offices in the fifty-four county Appalachian region of Kentucky.  Number of proposed post office closings unusually high in this region (approximately 90).  Map both the existing locations and the post offices slated for closure.  How will these closures affect the local population and community?

 Shane at the Appalachian Center contacted the ARC and provided us with shapefiles for Kentucky and the fifty-four county region. ◦ Shane also gave us data on rurality and broadband internet coverage  Population characteristics from the census  Post office locations from U.S. Postal Service website  Geocoded post office locations  Joined census data table to shapefile  Created choropleth maps

 Produced approximately 30 choropleth maps, each one representing a characteristic  Created an interactive map which displays the locations of the existing post offices and those to be closed using geocommons.com ◦ Location points are linked to images on the UK Appalachian Center’s Post Office Project website page