A Planning based Evaluation of Spatial Data Quality of OpenStreetMap Building Footprints in Canada

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is an editable world map where users can create and retrieve data. Building footprints are an OSM dataset that is of particular interest, as this data has many useful applications for planners and academic professionals. Measuring the spatial data quality of OSM building footprints remains a challenge as there are numerous quality measures that can be used and existing studies have focused on other OSM datasets or rather a single quality measure. The study performed in this thesis developed a set of ArcGIS models to test numerous spatial data quality measures for OSM building footprints in a sample of mid-sized Canadian municipalities and gain a comprehensive understanding of spatial data quality. The models performed tests by comparing to municipal datasets as well as determining other quality measures without a reference dataset. The results of this study found that the overall spatial data quality of OSM building footprints varies across mid-sized municipalities in Canada. There is no link between a municipality’s location or perceived importance and the level of spatial data quality. The study also found that commercial areas have a higher level of completeness than residential areas. While the models worked well to test numerous spatial data quality measures for building footprints and can be used by others on other building footprint datasets, there exist some limitations. Certain tests that identify potential building footprint errors need to be checked to see if they are indeed errors. Also, the models were not able to measure any aspect of shape metrics. Suggestions for further studies include measuring shape metrics of building footprints from OSM as well as encouraging and subsequently monitoring OSM contributions in a particular area

A comparison of injuries to moped/scooter and motorcycle riders in Queensland, Australia

Background The popularity of moped and motor scooter riding in Australia is increasing. However, there is a paucity of information about their safety, especially in comparison to motorcycle riding where riders require specific licensing, education and training. Given it is widely established that motorcycle riders are overrepresented in road injury statistics, consideration of moped and scooter riders as a sub-group of all motorcyclists is required for accurate understanding of injury patterns and the acute care needs of this group. Method A comparison of demographic, injury and acute care characteristics between seriously injured moped/scooter riders and motorcycle riders was undertaken using data from the state-wide trauma registry in Queensland, Australia, from 2006 to 2010. Results A total of 206 moped/scooter riders and 2667 motorcycle riders were identified. Motorcycle rider injury admissions significantly decreased over time (p < 0.01), whereas no change was observed for injured moped/scooter riders. Moped/scooter riders sustained a greater percentage of head/neck (+8.6%), facial (+3.0%) and abdominal injuries (+2.3%), whereas motorcycle riders sustained a greater percentage of upper extremity (+4.0%), thoracic (+3.9%), spinal (+3.6%) and lower extremity injuries (+2.6%). There was no statistically significant difference in injury severity, length of acute hospital stay, admission to ICU or survival to discharge from acute care between injured moped/scooter riders and motorcycle riders. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that riders of mopeds/scooters and motorcycles may have different injury patterns, but sustain similar overall injury severity. This analysis fills a gap in transport crash data, where there is limited information on the nature of injuries sustained. While moped-related injuries cannot be isolated in ICD-10 health coding, it is anticipated that ICD-11, due for release in 2015, may provide a moped-specific code; however, this will not address the issue of the apparent interchangeable use of the terms 'moped' and 'scooter' when reporting or documenting such injuries in health data systems including the medical record. Improved identification of moped-related cases in health data is required to increase potential for linkage across health and transport crash data, which may be used for further evaluation of injuries sustained by moped and scooter riders