This data layer contains the boundaries of Newton's election wards and precincts. The Wards2002 layer shows the wards/precincts that will take effect January 1, 2002.
Purpose
This layer is intended for researchers, students, and policy makers for reference and mapping purposes, and may be used for basic applications such as viewing, querying, and map output production, or to provide a basemap to support graphical overlays and analysis with other spatial data.
This layer will provide a basemap for layers related to public policy, urban planning, and related areas of interest (including defining boundaries, managing assets and facilities, integrating attribute databases with geographic features, spatial analysis, and presentation output.)
Supplemental Information
There is no routine maintenance, however, after each federal census, the boundaries are redone.
Temporal Extent
Currentness Reference
approximate ground condition
Time Instant
1998
Bounding Box
West
-71.270496
East
-71.156694
North
42.368102
South
42.282882
ISO Topic Category
boundaries
Theme Keyword
Municipal
Theme Keyword Thesaurus
HGL Category Keyword Thesaurus
Theme Keyword
Political divisions
Administrative divisions
Theme Keyword Thesaurus
LCSH
Place Keyword
Newton
Massachusetts
Place Keyword Thesaurus
GNIS
Temporal Keyword
Access Restrictions
Access is granted to licensee (Harvard University) only. Available only to Harvard University affiliates.
Use Restrictions
For educational, non-commercial use only.
Status
Complete
Maintenance and Update Frequency
As needed
Point of Contact
Contact Organization
City of Newton GIS
Delivery Point
Information Technology Department
Delivery Point
City Hall Room 107
Delivery Point
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
City
Newton Center
State
MA
Postal Code
02459-1400
Country
USA
Contact Telephone
617-796-1180
Contact Telephone
617-796-1000
Credit
GIS data supplied by City of Newton GIS.
Native Data Set Environment
Microsoft Windows NT Version 4.0 (Build 1381) Service Pack 6; ESRI ArcCatalog 8.2.0.700
Data Quality Information
Logical Consistency Report
For layers containing line or polygon features, Newton's data layers are "topologically clean". This was verified with Arc/Info software version 7.x in 1998 and is an ongoing part of data maintenance for the relevant data layers.
Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report
The map correctly depicts the locations of ward and precinct boundaries for election purposes. However, when used at a parcel level, there are sliver polygons created when the two data layers are overlaid.
Lineage
Source
Originator
City of Newton GIS
Publication Date
Unknown
Title
Newton GIS Parcels Layer
Source Scale Denominator
1000
Type of Source Media
computer program
Source Temporal Extent
Time Period Information
Single Date/Time
Calendar Date
1992
Source Currentness Reference
ground condition
Contribution
Some Attribute information for this layer were derived from the PARCELS datalayer.
Spatial Data Organization Information
Direct Spatial Reference Method
Vector
Point and Vector Object Information
SDTS Terms Description
SDTS Point and Vector Object Type
G-polygon
Point and Vector Object Count
31
Spatial Reference Information
Horizontal Coordinate System Definition
Planar
Grid Coordinate System
Grid Coordinate System Name
State Plane Coordinate System
State Plane Coordinate System
SPCS Zone Identifier
2001
Lambert Conformal Conic
Planar Coordinate Information
Planar Coordinate Encoding Method
coordinate pair
Coordinate Representation
Abscissa Resolution
0.000476
Ordinate Resolution
0.000476
Planar Distance Units
survey feet
Geodetic Model
Horizontal Datum Name
North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid Name
Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major Axis
6378137.000000
Denominator of Flattening Ratio
298.257222
Vertical Coordinate System Definition
Altitude System Definition
Altitude Datum Name
National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929
Altitude Resolution
1.000000
Altitude Encoding Method
Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
Entity and Attribute Information
Entity Type
Entity Type Label
Wards Precincts
Entity Type Definition
ESRI Shapefile. Polygons represent feature areas
Entity Type Definition Source
ESRI, Newton GIS
Attributes
NWTNWARDPY.AREA
Internally calculated feature area in map units
Definition Source
ESRI
PERIMETER
Internally calculated feature perimeter in map units
Definition Source
ESRI
WARD_
Internal Feature Identifier
Definition Source
ESRI
WARD_ID
Internal Feature Identifier
Definition Source
ESRI
WARD
Ward number
Definition Source
Newton GIS
PRECINCT
Precinct number
Definition Source
Newton GIS
WP
Numeric code combining Ward Precinct numbers
Definition Source
Newton GIS
T
TYPE
WARD_PREC
Numeric code combining Ward Precinct numbers
Definition Source
Newton GIS
NWTNWARDPY.FID
Internal feature number. (Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.)
Definition Source
ESRI
SHAPE
Feature geometry. (Coordinates defining the features.)
Definition Source
ESRI
SHAPE.AREA
Internally calculated feature area in map units
Definition Source
ESRI
SHAPE.LEN
Internally calculated feature length in map units
Definition Source
ESRI
Distribution Information
Format Name
Shape
Distributor
Harvard Geospatial Library
Name
Metadata Reference Information
Metadata Date
20021011
Metadata Contact
Contact Information
Contact Person Primary
Contact Person
Contact Organization
Harvard Geospatial Library
Contact Address
Address
Office of Information Systems
Address
1280 Massachusetts Avenue
City
Cambridge
State or Province
MA
Postal Code
02138
Country
USA
Contact Voice Telephone
617-295-12417
Contact Facsimile Telephone
617-496-0440
Contact Electronic Mail Address
hgl_ref@hulmail.harvard.edu
Metadata Standard Name
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
