This tutorial is designed to show the user how to use ArcGIS software and the Districting extension to prepare and submit a plan for the Competition. Please refer to the document “FINAL Rules of the Competition” for details and rules about this project including the rules and procedures of the competition.

This tutorial, which also serves as a manual, provides instructions on how to use many of the tools, functions, and options available in ArcGIS and the Districting extension that will help the user create proposed plans for this project. However, because the tutorial was written in a relatively limited timeframe many functions and options of the software that may also be useful are not covered. Persons with more experience with GIS software in general and with ArcGIS in particular may be able to more easily learn and use these additional functions.

Please follow the tutorial carefully as missed steps or incorrect specifications or actions can cause errors and much frustration. Please expect that it will take several practices and some hours of work to become comfortably efficient with the software.

The software is the product of ESRI and may not always work as expected or desired. The authors of this document are only responsible for the tutorial and the two tools that were created to assist the competition – the Compactness Tool and the Fragmentation Tool.
Any errors or significant omissions in the tutorial or completion tools may be corrected in subsequent versions.

Download pdf Districting Competition Tutorial Using ArcGIS 9.3 and Districting Wizard