An Algorithmic Framework for Labeling Road Maps

Given an unlabeled road map, we consider, from an algorithmic perspective, the cartographic problem to place non-overlapping road labels embedded in their roads. We first decompose the road network into logically coherent road sections, e.g., parts of roads between two junctions. Based on this decomposition, we present and implement a new and versatile framework for placing labels in road maps such that the number of labeled road sections is maximized. In an experimental evaluation with road maps of 11 major cities we show that our proposed labeling algorithm is both fast in practice and that it reaches near-optimal solution quality, where optimal solutions are obtained by mixed-integer linear programming. In comparison to the standard OpenStreetMap renderer Mapnik, our algorithm labels 31% more road sections in average.Comment: extended version of a paper to appear at GIScience 201

Label Placement in Road Maps

A road map can be interpreted as a graph embedded in the plane, in which each vertex corresponds to a road junction and each edge to a particular road section. We consider the cartographic problem to place non-overlapping road labels along the edges so that as many road sections as possible are identified by their name, i.e., covered by a label. We show that this is NP-hard in general, but the problem can be solved in polynomial time if the road map is an embedded tree.Comment: extended version of a CIAC 2015 pape

Recognising Multidimensional Euclidean Preferences

Euclidean preferences are a widely studied preference model, in which decision makers and alternatives are embedded in d-dimensional Euclidean space. Decision makers prefer those alternatives closer to them. This model, also known as multidimensional unfolding, has applications in economics, psychometrics, marketing, and many other fields. We study the problem of deciding whether a given preference profile is d-Euclidean. For the one-dimensional case, polynomial-time algorithms are known. We show that, in contrast, for every other fixed dimension d > 1, the recognition problem is equivalent to the existential theory of the reals (ETR), and so in particular NP-hard. We further show that some Euclidean preference profiles require exponentially many bits in order to specify any Euclidean embedding, and prove that the domain of d-Euclidean preferences does not admit a finite forbidden minor characterisation for any d > 1. We also study dichotomous preferencesand the behaviour of other metrics, and survey a variety of related work.Comment: 17 page

Placing Labels in Road Maps: Algorithms and Complexity

A road map can be interpreted as a graph embedded in the plane, in which each vertex corresponds to a road junction and each edge to a particular road section. In this paper, we consider the computational cartographic problem to place non-overlapping road labels along the edges so that as many road sections as possible are identified by their name, i.e., covered by a label. We show that this is NP-hard in general, but the problem can be solved in O(n 3 ) time if the road map is an embedded tree with n vertices and constant maximum degree. This special case is not only of theoretical interest, but our algorithm in fact provides a very useful subroutine in exact or heuristic algorithms for labeling general road maps

Waterfront construction in New York Harbor

The following chapters are devoted to the various phases of that branch of construction which is followed from the offshore side of the waterfront. This branch, in the parlance of the building trades, is known as dockbuilding. Years ago all waterfront structures in New York Harbor were constructed almost entirely of timber and experience taught that the most economical approach for building docks and wharves was made by utilizing floating piledrivers and derricks. Thus it happened that dockbuilders became skilled both in the use of wood framing tools and in handling marine equipment. Modern dockbuilders must have, in addition to those skills, the ability to build forms for concrete construction, handle steel and concrete piling, and operate mechanical labor saving devices. It is recognized that, in the construction of modern waterfront facilities, dockbuilding is not the only trade represented. The ironworkers, masons, metalsmiths, and so forth however, may ply their trades in any location, whereas dockbuilding is a specialty confined to the waterfront. Were it not for the act that portions of it include such other operations as dredging, subaqueous pipe and cable laying, and diving, this text might have been appropriately entitled Dockbuilding rather than Waterfront Construction. The problems that confront the promoters and designers of waterfront facilities have not been considered to any great extent and it has been attempted to describe in the chapters that follow only the various types and methods of construction peculiar to the waterfront, together with the materials, plant, and labor required for them. While the subject of waterfront construction is far from being exhausted in the following chapters, the more important kinds of facilities, types of construction and varieties of plant prevalent in New York Harbor have, in varying degrees of detail, been described. Chapter One may, at first, seem to digress considerably, but it is believed that the incidental information contained therein may prove of interest to someone unfamiliar with historical geology. The latter part of the chapter will be found to contain more pertinent information. In the second chapter, as In the first, there will be found paragraphs not closely pertaining to the subject of construction. They have nevertheless been included because a broader background for the chapters that follow is thus provided. In gathering some of the material assembled herein the services provided by the Public Libraries of Newark, New Jersey, and New York City, the Engineering Societies Library, and the American Museum of Natural History were utilized. Some of the information, not to be found in books and many of the photographs with which the text is illustrated, were generously contributed by a number of organizations whose representatives were considerate enough to give some of their own valuable time to be of assistance. Particularly helpful in this respect were: United States Corps of Engineers United States Coast and Geodetic Survey United States Geological Survey Port of New York Authority Tri Borough Bridge and Tunnel Authority New York City Department of Public Works New York City Board of Transportation Allen N. Spooner & Son, Inc. Morris & Cumings Dredging Co. Inc. Merritt Chapman & Scott Corporation Atlantic, Gulf Pacific Co. Massey Concrete Products Company National Association of River and Harbor Contractors McKiernan Terry Corporation Vulcan Iron Works Bucyrus Erie Company Ellicott Machine Corporation Superior Lidgerwood Mundy Corporation United States Pipe and Foundry Company Carnegie Illinois Steel Corporation McGraw Hill Publishing Company To both the individuals and organizations by whom time end material for this thesis was contributed the writer is indebted

Neighborhood Mapping and Neighborhood Planning: Revealing the Relationship in New York City, 1970-2015

Maps are a central tool to explore spatial relationships used both for analysis and implementation within the urban planning field. However, although they tend to be envisioned as scientific, rational, and objective depictions of the ground, the process of mapping follows a set of abstraction steps that imply the subjectivity of the represented. Maps are affected by the context and process of their creation and carry specific understandings or knowledge frameworks. As they are constantly used in the planning practice, this subjectivity intrinsic in the spatial representations can highly affect how the represented spaces are planned. In this way, a feedback loop is initiated, where the context and situation on the ground affects the representation while also this one ends up informing plans and policies that will be applied to the ground. This thesis uncovers the extent and implications of this feedback loop between the represented and representation or between mapping and planning. The research focuses on a specific topic, neighborhoods, and follows it through a case study, planning in New York from 1970 to today. The results of this temporal comparison display patterns that support the existence of a relationship between the goals of each plan, the operationalization of neighborhood that derives from those goals, their representation in the form of maps and the planning practices applied. Therefore, this work shows a case of both how the context can affect the way in which cities are represented and how the representation of cities through mapping has influenced the urban practices deployed in it. This study is essential for planners to understand the underlying mechanism in which power can exert its influence through maps and be aware of the agency that our profession plays in this process

Mortar Analysis for Archeological Stratigraphy: The Stadt Huys Block and Seven Hanover Square Sites

The architectural remains uncovered by archaeological excavations offer a unique and invaluable opportunity to analyze early building materials. In particular, the benefits of using mortar to date periods of construction in architectural features have been widely acknowledged in the fields of archaeology and architectural conservation. However, mortars collected as loose fragments from within stratified layers have been generally disregarded. The central aim of this research is to demonstrate that mortars from these contexts are diagnostic artifacts. The mortars in this analysis were excavated from the Stadt Huys Block and Seven Hanover Square excavations in 1980. Together, these sites represent some of the earliest and most continuous history of development in New York City, beginning with the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. A study of mortars collected from these sites can supplement information on building practices for a period in which there is little to no extant building stock to reference. Petrographic analysis has revealed distinctive compositional characteristics in historic mortars of the early Colonial Period in New York City. This analysis has also demonstrated how mortar analysis can serve as an additional tool for dating and contextualizing archaeological deposits. This study can serve as a demonstration of how the fields of archaeology and architectural conservation can benefit from the informational resources that they can provide each other

Making Sense: Reflections on Developing a Social Studies Curriculum for Five- and Six-year-olds

This paper is a reflection on the writing of a social studies curriculum for five and six-year-olds-a study of a neighborhood construction site. It examines the way in which one teacher\u27s commitment to offering children meaningful content evolved into the formulation of her educational philosophy, as influenced by such progressive educators as John Dewey, Lucy Sprague Mitchell, and Caroline Pratt. Part One of the thesis is divided into three major sections. The first consists of a developmental overview of five- and six-year-olds. The second describes the connections between understandings of basic child development, understandings of a particular group of children, and the selection of a subject for study. It also outlines the rich scope of knowledge that a construction site holds out for exploration and offers a perspective on how kindergartners absorb and process that knowledge. The third section examines the relationship between methodology-specific acts of teaching curriculum-and educational philosophy. It details one teacher\u27s philosophy of education as a rationale that supports her development of curriculum. Part Two of the thesis provides the complete curriculum guide for the study of a neighborhood construction site. Part One, a framework for developing curriculum, and Part Two, the curriculum guide, are designed as discrete yet related documents. Throughout, this thesis considers how teaching and learning can be relevant to the grown-ups and children working together in school every day

Shaken and Stirred: Tactile Imagery and Narrative Immediacy in J. D. Salinger\u27s Blue Melody, A Girl I Knew, and Just Before the War with the Eskimos

J.D. Salinger’s ‘A Girl I Knew,’ ‘Just Before the War with the Eskimos,’ and ‘Blue Melody,’ contain key thematic and narratological elements that contribute to the development of character through repeated reference to tactile imagery and through each character’s reaction to the sensations associated with tactile images. Salinger’s descriptions of tactile interaction allow readers to see his characters connected in ways that were increasingly difficult in the 1950’s, where widespread cultural changes contributed to increasing physical and emotional distancing. Critics have argued that “vision” is at the heart of many of Salinger’s characters’ struggles, since they “seek” a level of human connectedness not found in other narratives. However, Salinger\u27s stories do not provide a mere record of observed physical characteristics as some claim; instead, they present concrete physical details that take both the character and the reader beyond sight to touch, in an effort to create the intimate space necessary for redemption. Using theoretical work by critics who focus on tactile imagery pinpoints how Salinger’s characters situate themselves in relation to the world around them and how setting and other narrative mechanics influence character. Salinger’s attention to tactile imagery influences character in a profound way creating a “narrative of immediacy” where closeness is further reinforced through tactile physical descriptions, attention to gesture, and use of conversational popular vernacular