1. The Working Waterfront: A Baseline GIS Inventory of Water Dependent Businesses in South Mobile County Introduction The Mobile metropolitan area is experiencing a substantial increase in population. Located on the central Gulf coast and home to the city of Mobile, Mobile County serves as an attractive venue for business and the population that follows. With large industries locating in Mobile County such as the new ThyssenKrupp steel mill, which is expected to create up to 52,000 direct and indirect jobs, the future looks promising for the area’s economy (Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce 2007). However, concerns have been raised among owners of waterfront dependent businesses in the area relating to the threat of residential and condominium development along the shoreline in south Mobile County. Such concerns include the out-pricing of their use of the land and a reduction in public access to the water. The goal of this project was to take an inventory of waterfront dependent businesses within the area of interest and complete some simple analysis. Study Area The area of interest for this study (Figure 1) includes portions of Mobile County south of Interstate 10 outside the corporate limit of the city of Mobile. We also included the waterfront dependent businesses along the Mobile Causeway in our inventory. Results and Analysis Data and Methods The inventory included a survey and mapping analysis in a GIS. Fieldwork was conducted in order to plot the locations of each business. Aerial photography was used in the GIS analysis to correctly locate and digitize business footprints, industrial waterfronts, and public/private access points along the water. Distances from the waterfront were then recorded and mapped for the businesses. In addition to the inventory, the GIS was used to analyze and map data by census block group in order to display the demographics of the study area (Figure 2). While in the field, we were also able to take pictures of the study area (Bottom) and interview many of the business owners. This allowed us to gain a better understanding of the overall environment. Figure 4. Public and Private Water Access Points Figure 2. Demographics of the Study Area Figure 1. Study Area for Working Waterfront Inventory Figure 3. Distance (Mi) of Businesses from Waterfront The GIS analysis of the study area found the following: Analysis of Business Location (Figure 3) Total number of businesses in inventory: 184 Businesses within.25 miles of accessible waterfront: 125 / 68% Businesses between.25 and.5 miles from accessible waterfront: 15 / 8% Businesses between.5 and 1 miles from accessible waterfront: 14 / 8% Businesses between 1 and 2 miles from accessible waterfront: 13 / 7% Businesses between 2 and 3 miles from accessible waterfront: 5 / 3% Businesses between 3 and 5 miles from accessible waterfront: 8 / 4% Businesses over 5 miles from accessible waterfront: 4 / 2% Analysis of Water Access (Figure 4) Total distance of accessible waterfront: 270.523615 miles Total distance of industrial waterfront in study area: 16.885318 miles Total water access points outside industrial waterfront: 463 Public access points outside industrial waterfront: 38 / 8% Private access points outside industrial waterfront: 425 / 92% The demographics reveal a majority of the population within the study area is White, with substantial Asian/Pacific population in Bayou La Batre and Black population in the Irvington and Theodore communities. In the interviews conducted, it was apparent that the opinions of local business owners regarding residential waterfront development were mixed. I found that the owners of waterfront dependent businesses such as shipbuilding and seafood processing were against such redevelopment of the waterfront. Those who owned more service oriented businesses were more in favor of developments that would attract new residents and tourists. “The price of waterfront property is going up and is going to continue to go up. You have to maximize to use of the land, even if that means changing its use.” -marina manager “We need the waterfront. We need it for the survival of our business.” -seafood processor “See this road out in front. Soon it will be lined with gated communities. They’ll run me out of business. I can’t afford a half-million dollar house. I don’t have any friends that can afford half-million dollar houses. They’ll run us out of business and we’ll have to move.” -seafood vendor “The industrial waterfront is not providing jobs due to globalization and the storms. Tourists bring in the cleanest dollars you will find and they create jobs through a trickle-down effect.” -restaurant owner GIS can be a valuable tool in collecting an inventory and studying it’s spatial characteristics. Future, more in-depth studies could find such a baseline inventory and analysis a valuable asset. Mac Martin References Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. 2007. Website: www.mobilechamber.com. Last accessed: September 11, 2007.www.mobilechamber.com U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2007. Website: www.census.gov. Last accessed: September 11, 2007.www.census.gov Community Planning / Auburn University, AL 36849