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Concept Visualization Lab

The Concept Visualization Lab

The Concept Visualization Lab (CVL) creates multi-dimensional visualizations and proto-types to display research findings in dynamic and interactive graphics. Custom designed for each project, the specialized software is available for free to the public below. Whether it is a state-wide study or an examination of a local issue, the CVL visualizations can make data come alive. The CVL is located on the University of Houston central campus in room 315 in McElhinney Hall. Click here for map and driving directions.

The Hobby School places an emphasis on the use and development of interactive data presentation tools.  A recent iteration is "LiabilityView" which presents data on public pension liabilities across the 11-county Houston region. This modeling program was presented at the recent Greater Houston Partnership's (GHP) Leadership Forum on Municipal Finance.  It can be found at the GHP's Municipal Finance Resource Center: http://www.houston.org/municipal-finance/

The Center for Public Policy worked with actual Houston Police Department Uniform Crime Reports to develop this unique visualization that shows the decline in East End crime events versus total City of Houston crime events for years 1999 through 2011.

Applications

Follow the instructions below to download the free software to start your own analysis:

  1. Right click the file (in red), click "Save target as..." and save to your desktop.
  2. Double click the file on your desktop.
  3. Double click the folder with the file name.
  4. Double click on the file name.
  5. Click "Extract All".
  6. Click "Extract".
  7. Double click on the folder that appears after extraction.
  8. Double click on the application.

Binview: Software that displays the count and location of recycle bins around the campus of the University of Houston that was used to determine a better distribution of bins.

Budgetview: A visualization that displays federal budget information for the United States Government.

CEDview: A visualization that displays each use of the Taser by the Houston Police Department over the years since HPD began deploying Conductive Energy Devices (CEDs or Tasers).

Clusterview: A visualization that looked at household energy usage (a 7 variable visualization) in an attempt to determine the relationship between consumption and the metrics of a house (size, age, location, etc.). Corresponds with Energyview.

CVL Model: The original CAD model of the CVL that was generated to estimate the cost of materials and find optimum placement of furniture.

Election View 04: A visualization that displays key demographics and voting data for the 2004 presidential election in Texas.

Election View 08: A visualization that displays key demographics and voting data for both the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections in Texas.

Evacsim: A "stylized" visualization of hurricane evacuation created for the 2008 SSPEED conference.

GEEMDview: This visualization shows all of the violent crimes within the Greater East End Management District (GEEMD) from 1999 to 2011. Over these years, crime declined in the East End versus total City of Houston crime events.

Lottoview 07: A visualization that displays the results of the 2007 Texas lottery survey.

Lottoview 08: A visualization that displays the results of the 2008 Texas lottery survey.

Nasview: A visualization created for the City of Houston that depicts the results of the CoH Needs Assessment Survey.

North Houston Popuview: A version of Popuview presented by HCPP at the North Houston Development Conference. Corresponds with North Houston Development Conference.

Northwest Houston Popuview: A version of Popuview presented by Center for Public Policy at the Northwest Houston Chamber of Commerce economic development conference. Corresponds with Northwest Houston Conference.

Popuview: The basic visualization backbone of most of the other tools built for Center for Public Policy that use census demographics as a primary variable.

Termview: A visualization tool that looks at city-official term limits across several major cities in the United States.

Spreadsheets

Follow the instructions below to download the free software to start your own analysis:

  1. Right click the file (in red), click "Save target as..." and save to your desktop.
  2. Double click the file on your desktop.
  3. Double click the folder with the file name.
  4. Double click on the Excel file.

Birthrate: A set of charts generated using 1909-2009 US birth rates vs. fertility rates.

Energyview: A data-mine solution that extracted the highest and lowest energy consumers in the Houston area by ZIP. Corresponds with Clusterview.

Greater Houston Preservation Alliance: A set of spreadsheets that detail the actual and forecast property values of historic districts vs. non-historic districts.

Montgomery County Census: The materials provided by Center for Public Policy to officials from Montgomery County that forecasts demographics out to 2022.

North Houston Development Conference: The materials presented by Center for Public Policy at the North Houston Development Conference. Corresponds with North Houston Popuview.

Northwest Houston Conference: The materials presented by Center for Public Policy at the Northwest Houston Chamber of Commerce economic development conference. Corresponds with Northwest Houston Popuview.

Texas Census 2010: A set of spreadsheets that compiles all of the 2010 census data for Harris County at the Block Group, Tract, and County level.

For CVL reservations / inquiries please contact:

Isaiah Warner
Hobby School of Public Affairs
306 McElhinney Hall
Houston, Texas 77204-5021
inwarner@uh.edu ▪ 713/743-3976

CVL location: Room 315 in McElhinney Hall. Click here for map and driving directions.

CVL phone number: 713/743-8685

Learn more about the Hobby School's research projects at www.uh.edu/hobby/cpp/