Professor

Chris Seeger

Professor, Landscape Architecture
Extension Specialist, Extension
Extension Specialist, Landscape Architecture

Education

MLA, Iowa State University, 1997
BLA, North Dakota State University, 1995
BS, Environmental Design, North Dakota State University, 1995
Certificates and Registrations:
Certified Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) 2008
Registered Landscape Architect (2004  Iowa #444)
 

On the Web

https://faculty.sites.iastate.edu/cjseeger/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-j-seeger/

Research Interests

Professor Seeger specializes in the integration of geospatial technologies, data science and visualization with collaborative design technologies (crowd-sourcing, Public Participation GIS and Volunteered Geographic Information) to develop local current datasets and indicators that can be used in the planning and design process. His research includes the utilization of crowdsourcing technologies to document and model the built environment for the purpose of creating healthy, sustainable communities that include safe routes to schools, connected trail systems, and environments/programs that promote healthy lifestyles. 

In addition to this research, Professor Seeger leads the ISU Extension and Outreach Indicators Program which aims to provide community demographic, health and economic data resources to the public and local decision makers. He is also a co-leader of the ISU Data Science for Public Good Young Scholars Program.

Professor Seeger teaches an Introduction the Web Mapping and an Introduction to GIS as online courses in the College of Design. He also co-leads the ISU Extension and Outreach Geospatial Technology Program which provides GIS workshops and publishes monthly Tasksheets on geospatial and technology related topics.

Current Projects

For more information, please vist:

https://faculty.sites.iastate.edu/cjseeger/ or https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_Seeger

Current Scholarship

• Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects - Merit Research Award, 10/23/2020

  Research Merit Award: Community and Block-level Transportation Analysis in the Age of Open Data

• NACDEP 2020 North Central Region Runner Up in the Educational Material team category, 06/01/2020

  “Geospatial Technology Task Sheets: A simple approach to increasing geospatial technical capacity,” a project by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Geospatial Technology team of Christopher J. Seeger, Bailey Hanson, Amy Logan, Austin Dunn, Thomas Petitti and Ahmad Alhammadi, was the National Association of Community Development Professionals (NACDEP) 2020 North Central Region Runner Up in the Educational Material team category. The team created the Geospatial Technology Tasksheet series to provide ongoing support to citizens striving to improve their geospatial technical capacity. Designed to provide quick, easy instructions for performing specific tasks using a variety of geospatial tools, the 160 free-to-download, double-sided tasksheets were downloaded more than 8,000 times in 2019.

• NACDEP 2020 North Central Region Winner and National Runner Up in the Innovation and Creativity team category, 06/01/2020

  “Improving Community Mobility Through Spatial Data Science, Open Data and Interactive Visualization,” a project by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development (CED) team of Christopher J. Seeger, Bailey Hanson, Cassandra Dorius, Austin Dunn, Erin Mullenix, Rakesh Shah and Jonathan Sherwood, was the National Association of Community Development Professionals (NACDEP) 2020 North Central Region Winner and National Runner Up in the Innovation and Creativity team category. The project examined low ridership of Marshalltown Municipal Transit’s public transit system. Beginning with minimal available data, the team created innovative methods to build an accurate dataset that was then analyzed and used to inform where system updates should be made to better serve the community.

• The Urban Forest: A Contributor to Physical Activity Levels in the Built Environment?, 07/01/2005
  From: The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council 2005 Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program

  Amount: $48,102

  Role: PI

  Co-PI's Susan Erickson, Landscape Architecture; Gary Hightshoe, Landscape Architecture; Greg Welk, Human Health and Performance

  
  

  Fewer than 40% of Americans get the recommended amount of physical activity in their daily lives. This has prompted increased interest in the built environment’s effect on physical activity levels of the population. However, little research has been done relating vegetation patterns to outdoor recreation preferences. This study will track three population groups who regularly walk or run and will monitor their activity using GPS technology to determine their preference for routes along vegetated areas . Findings from this study will inform elected officials, planners and recreation designers about the role of the urban forest in promoting physical activity and healthier residents.