Granite City, Illinois (Census  2000)

Nursing 401: Foundations of Public Health

Sample Windshield Survey -- Outline of Granite City, Illinois 62040

Windshield Survey

These survey question can be answered by observation of the community and by using the following print and electronic sources.

1. Electronic

• Internet sites -- community homepages, commercial sites providing community information and statistics, online directories -- e. g. Yahoo -- Churches
• United States Census information -- presents most demographical statistics excluding birth and religion
• Books and periodical articles

2. Books

Engelke, Georgia. (1976) "Old Six Mile": an early history of Granite City. Granite City, IL: Midland    Press.

3. Periodical Articles

• Online databases

4. Archival/Personal Collections

• pictures in private collections
• pictures in library archives

5. Interviews

• BASIC DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION -- the basic demographic information (race/ethnicity, age, sex, educational level, income, poverty status, school enrollment, occupations types/unemployment can be found, with two exceptions --  birth and religion, by using the United States Census American FactFinder .
• The American FactFinder page (United States Census)
• Commercial Profiles
  • epodunk
  • city-data.com

Sample tables from the American FactFinder.

Race

Educational level

Poverty Status

School Enrollment

Occupations types/unemployment

Charles Melvin Price Support Center
Granite City, IL

Smaller Neighborhood Information (census tract information)

Two individual addresses in Granite City which are about two miles from each other share -- the state, the county, the MSA, the Urbanized Area, the township, the place, school district, the 1% Public Microdata area, the 5% Public Microdata area, the 3-digit zip code,  the 6-digit zip code, the congressional districts and the voting district.

Smaller geographies that are not shared by these two addresses are census tract, block group, block, the State Senate and House districts, and traffic analysis pattern. NOTE: data that is readily available at the larger geography level, is not always available for the smaller geographies in the Sample Data ( Census 2000 Summary Tape File SF-3, but is available for 100 per cent data.)

COMMUNITY CORE

  Boundaries

1. Physical   Interstates 64, 55, 70, 255, and 270.

    Old Route 66         

2. Natural

    Horseshoe Lake

   Chain of Rocks Canal  Click on Browse and then Geographic Location and then Granite City

 3. Economic

• United States Census of Manufacturers

                B. History

• HISTORY OF GRANITE CITY
• VISITOR'S GUIDE TO GRANITE CITY
  • Niedringhaus Grade School Circa 1900 and 1954

Demographics (obtain from Census Information) However, commercial sites also repeat the information from the census.

Race

• DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000
  Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data
  Geographic Area: Granite City township, Madison County, Illinois
• In Census terms ethnicity often refers primarily to Hispanic populations.

Ancestries -- Reported in the 2000 Census

Values & Beliefs

Yahoo Directory of Churches in Granite City

Physical Environment -- How does the community look? (observational)

• Granite City is highly industrialized.
  • Air Quality

Housing & Zoning (obtain from Census information)

• What is the age and architecture of the houses and buildings. (observational)
  • 
• What type of construction materials are use, condition, detached, or attached.? (observational)

Open Space

• Is there space around the houses? observational
• How is it used? Is the space residential or commercial, public or private? observational
• Are there lots of lawns? observational

People

• Who do you see outside in the community? observational
  • children, housewife, mother with her baby? observational
• Do you see people you wouldn't expect, such as teenagers or school-aged children during the day? observational
• Are there salesmen or other professionals walking in the community? observational
• What types of animals do you see? observational

Health & Social Services

• Evidence of acute or chronic health conditions such as drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness, accidents?
  • Drug Rehab and Treatment Centers
• Are there homeless or abuse shelters?
  • article on abuse
    • Use of Domestic Violence Services Across Race and Ethnicity by Women Aged 55 and Older. by  Grossman, Susan F. and Lundy, Marta in Violence Against Women; Dec2003, Vol. 9 Issue 12, p1442.
• What types of clinics, hospitals, doctor offices, etc are there?
  • Granite City is home to the Hope Clinic which is nationally known.
• How far is it to the nearest hospital or urgent care clinic?
  • The hospital is on Madison Avenue, which is considered the main street in town.
• Are there child care facilities?
  • Switchboard yellow pages

Economy --

• Is it a thriving community or a struggling community? observational
  • Some of St. Louis' suburbs on both sides of the river also were among the socioeconomically stressed. Jennings, Berkeley, St. Ann, Spanish Lake, Ferguson, Overland, Bellefontaine Neighbors, and Lemay in Missouri; and Cahokia, Alton, Granite City, Belleville and Wood River, Ill., all had negative stress indices, which indicates heavy stress loads
• Are there shopping centers or neighborhood stores?
  • The community experienced the suburban sprawl which left the downtown in a state of decline.
• Are there grocery stores within walking distance. If not how far away? observational
  • Yes, there are grocery stores, but not necessarily within walking distance.
• Do you see trash or abandoned cars & houses, are there a lot of real estate signs? observational
• Are there industries & places for employment?
  • Throughout its 100-year history, Granite City has been home to heavy industry.

Transportation.

• How do people get around? observational
• What type of private & public transportation is available? observational
  • Granite City, Illinois Bus Routes
• Do you see people walking, riding bikes? observational
  • Confluence Trail
• Are there buses? observational
  • Granite City Shuttle
• Is the public transportation accessible and how frequently is it available? observational
  • Granite City Shuttle
• Is there a major highway nearby? observational
  • Six Interstate Highways are all within five miles of the city. I-270 is only three miles to the north, while I-70 and I-55 are three miles to the south. Four miles to the south is I-44 and I-64 is five miles south. I-255 is only three miles east of the city. Four State Highways - 3, 162, 111, and 203 - criss cross the city, linking it with U.S. 40 four miles south and with neighboring communities.
• Can people with disabilities get around easily? observational

Safety

• Are there sidewalks and bike trails for people to travel safely?
• What types of protective services are available, fire, police, ambulance?
  • East West Gateway Coordinating Council -- Public Officials Directory -- Madison County 
    • page 6 of this PDF provides information on Granite City
  • Granite City Police Department
• Are they visible in the community?
  • observational
• Do you feel safe in the community?
  • Yes, the crime rate is relatively low. The UCR Reporting Agencies' Crime Index Offenses (population, year, rate of change, rate per 100,000, total crime index, murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault/battery, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson rates for Granite City (p. 96 of 172 pages) are shown below.
  • Crime statistics for 2002 & 2003
  • Illinois State Police

Politics & Government

• Are there signs of political activity, such as election signs or billboards? observational
  • East West Gateway Council of Governments Public Officials Directory 2004
    • page 10 of 182 lists the officials for Granite City

Communication/Media

• Are their common areas where people gather?
  • observational
• Are their neighborhood hangouts, school yard, store, park, etc.
  • observational

Education

• Are their schools in the area?
• How do they look?
  • This is purely observational, but I attended an event several years ago at the high school, and the school was immaculate.
• What is the nearest elementary/middle school? observational
  • Are there libraries?
    •  Granite City Public Library District (includes one branch)
      
      Granite City Public Library District, serving an area of 37,000 residents, has a collection of 132,000 books and periodicals; in addition, there are 6,000 CDs, records, cassettes and other audio materials, as well as 3,600 video items, such as DVDs and VHS tapes. Internet terminals are available for use by the general public.
      
      Staffing consists of 25 employees, of whom 4 are fully accredited librarians, plus volunteers. The system comprises one central library and one branch library. Annual expenditures on the library collection total $115,000. Patrons make 132,000 visits annually, and check out materials 280,000 times. Forty-four percent of all check-outs are children's materials.
  • Are there children of school-age visible in the neighborhood during the day? (observational)

Recreation

• Where do children play?
  • parks and playgrounds
• What facilities for recreation do you see, ball fields, parts, pools?
  • Granite City Park District
  • Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
• Who is using the facilities?
  • Tales From the Old YMCA

   

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