Assume that you are a planner for a hotel chain and that you want to buy a hotel to expand into the downtown Atlanta area. You want to see whether in downtown Atlanta there is a hotel that will meet your criteria. (NOTE: When I refer to "downtown Atlanta," I mean the area where the "downtown streets" can be found.) You know that, based on your experiences in previous cities where you have hotels, that in order for a hotel to be successful, it must meet the following five required criteria:

(1) The census tract in which the hotel is located must have a minimum population in 2003 of at least 1,500 people in order to have enough potential customers nearby for it to be profitable.

(2) The hotel must have a minimum revenue of at least $7,000,000.

(3) You want to be sure that there are no other hotels in the same census tract that have revenues of at least $7,000,000, because that would be too much competition.

(4) You want the census tract in which the hotel is located to have a per capita income of at least $10,000 per person, because you want customers nearby who have at least moderate incomes. (Note: in determining this, be very careful where you click. Do not click on a street, highway, or hotel.)

(5) The hotel should be located relatively close to a highway to make it easy for travelers to find it. It does not have to be right next to a highway, just close to it.

(6) There is also one optional criterion: You would prefer that the population of the census tract in which the hotel or hotels are located should have an average age (field "AVERAGE_AG") of 50 or more because those who are older are more likely to have family visitors during holidays..

To solve this spatial problem and produce a quality map, you must:

(1) Open the Map Document "Atlanta.mxd" that we have been using, which will reveal three layers in the Table of Contents on the left;

(2) Add the layer "hotels" to the Table of Contents;

(3) Display on the map the five classes of per capita incomes (field is "PER_CAPITA) for the layer census tracts using the "Layer Properties" dialog box. Be sure to use the default color scheme ArcMap provides;

(4) Edit the legend for census tracts so that you change the title of the layer from "Census Tracts" to "Per Capita Incomes" and add dollar signs ($) to each of the five categories of per capita incomes. In each category, you should display the data only in dollars, not in cents;

(5) Display the five classes of revenue for the layer "hotels" (field is "REVENUE") in graduated symbols (circles) using the "Layer Properties" dialog box.. You may need to change the color of the circles if it is too similar to the colors representing per capita incomes;

(6) Edit the legend for hotels so that you change the title of the layer from "hotels" to "Hotel Revenues" and add dollar signs ($) to each of the five categories of hotel revenues;

(7) Use the "Query Builder" found on the tab "Definition Query" in the "Layer Properties" dialog box to display ONLY those census tracts that have populations in 2003 (field is "POP_03") of at least 1,500.

(8) Use the "Query Builder" found on the tab "Definition Query" in the "Layer Properties" dialog box to display ONLY those hotels that have revenues of at least $7,000,000. (Be careful when selecting the number in the Query Builder. Make sure it is in the millions.)

(9) Change the title of the layout from "Atlanta" to "Atlanta Hotel Project." Make sure that the font size of the title is large enough to read.

(10) Put in the subtitle "Investment Decision" below "Atlanta Hotel Project." Make sure that the font size of the subtitle is smaller than that of the title, but still large enough to read.

Your Assignment, which is due on March 2:

(1) Produce a map layout with your name typed on it (using the menu for Insert / Text) while using ArcMap. I do NOT want you to write your name on the map.

(2) Print out the map layout, which should show the following:

(a) The legend (in the Table of Contents) should have 5 classes of per capita incomes and 5 classes of hotel revenues, as specified above;

(b) The layers "Downtown Streets" and "Atlanta Highways" are also displayed;

(c) Display only those census tracts that had populations in 2003 of 1,500 or more;

(d) Display only those hotels that had revenues of at least $7,000,000;

(e) The layout title is "Atlanta Hotel Project";

(f) The layout subtitle is "Investment Decision" placed below "Atlanta Hotel Project"

(g) Your Name

(3) Then, for the written part of your report in a paragraph or two on a separate piece of paper, describe what advice you would give to your hotel chain as to whether there is a hotel or hotels that they should purchase in the downtown area of Atlanta. Justify why you are giving that advice. Does the hotel or hotels that you recommend for purchase meet all of the criteria--both required and optional--noted above? Discuss each criterion--both required and optional--listed above as to whether it was met for the hotel or hotels that you recommend for purchase. What is the name or names of the hotels, if any, that you would recommend for your company to purchase? Is there at least one hotel that met all the required criteria? If so, what is the name of that hotel or hotels?

Good Luck.