Block Boundary Suggestion Project - Delineation

Block Boundary Suggestion Project (BBSP)
Participant Guide for Geographic Update
Partnership Software (GUPS) Standalone
GUPS Standalone Guide – Instructions for Participating in BBSP Using GUPS Standalone

Last updated August 2024.

U.S. Census Bureau

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................................................................
Section 1.

Block Boundary Suggestion Project Overview ...................................................

Section 2.

Suggested Workflow ........................................................................................

2.1 Linear Feature Review ......................................................................................................
2.2 Area Landmark Review .....................................................................................................
2.3 Legal Boundary Updates ...................................................................................................
2.4 Linear Feature Extension Review ......................................................................................
2.5 Prototype Block Review ....................................................................................................
2.5.1 Block Size Review ........................................................................................................
2.5.2 Block Shape Review ....................................................................................................
2.6 Block Boundary Suggestion Flagging ................................................................................
2.7 Block Area Grouping Delineation......................................................................................
2.8 Block Boundary Review.....................................................................................................
2.9 Review Change Polygons and Geography Review ............................................................
2.10 Submitting Updates to the Census Bureau .......................................................................
Section 3.

Getting Started ................................................................................................

3.1 System and Hardware Requirements for Installing GUPS ................................................
3.1.1 Installing GUPS ............................................................................................................
3.2 Census Bureau Spatial Data ..............................................................................................
3.2.1 Accessing the Census Bureau Spatial Data Through the Census Web Option ...........
3.2.2 Accessing the Census Bureau Spatial Data Through the My Computer Option .........
Section 4.

GUPS Basics: Map Management, View, and Tools .............................................

4.1 Starting GUPS (Map Management) ..................................................................................
4.1.1 Creating a New BBSP Project ......................................................................................
4.1.2 Opening an Existing BBSP Project ...............................................................................
4.1.3 Opening a Shared BBSP Submission ...........................................................................
4.2 Page Layout .......................................................................................................................
4.2.1 Map View ....................................................................................................................
4.2.2 Menu, Standard Toolbar, and BBSP Toolbar ..............................................................
4.2.3 Manage Layers Toolbar...............................................................................................
4.2.4 Table of Contents ........................................................................................................
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4.3 Status Bar ..........................................................................................................................
Section 5.

BBSP Update Activities in GUPS Standalone......................................................

5.1 Linear Feature Review ......................................................................................................
5.1.1 Adding a Linear Feature ..............................................................................................
5.1.2 Deleting a Linear Feature ............................................................................................
5.1.3 Restoring a Deleted Linear Feature ............................................................................
5.1.4 Editing a Linear Feature’s Attribution (Name and MTFCC) ........................................
5.1.5 Splitting an Existing Linear Feature.............................................................................
5.2 Area Landmark Review .....................................................................................................
5.2.1 Modify Area Feature Tool ...........................................................................................
5.2.2 Boundary Correction by Adding Area to Area Landmark ...........................................
5.2.3 Boundary Correction by Removing Area from an Area Landmark .............................
5.2.4 Creating a New Area Landmark ..................................................................................
5.2.5 Removing an Area Landmark ......................................................................................
5.2.6 Modifying an Area Landmark......................................................................................
5.3 Legal Boundary Updates ...................................................................................................
5.3.1 Adding or Removing Area for both Legal Changes and Boundary Corrections ..........
5.3.2 Submitting Legal Changes ...........................................................................................
5.3.3 Submitting Boundary Corrections...............................................................................
5.3.4 Adding a New Legal Entity ..........................................................................................
5.3.5 Deleting a Legal Entity ................................................................................................
5.4 Linear Feature Extension Review ......................................................................................
5.4.1 Reviewing and Assigning Flags to 2020 Feature Extensions.......................................
5.5 Prototype Block Review ....................................................................................................
5.5.1 Block Size Review ........................................................................................................
5.5.2 Block Shape Review ....................................................................................................
5.6 Block Boundary Suggestion Flagging ................................................................................
5.6.1 Block Boundary Criteria ..............................................................................................
5.6.2 Assigning a 2030 Block Boundary Suggestion Flag .....................................................
5.6.3 Assigning a 2030 Block Boundary Suggestion to Multiple Features...........................
5.6.4 Creating a 2030 Linear Feature Extension ..................................................................
5.7 Block Area Grouping Delineation......................................................................................
5.7.1 Creating a Block Area Grouping ..................................................................................
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5.8 Block Boundary Review.....................................................................................................
5.8.1 Reviewing Your Block Boundary Suggestions .............................................................
5.9 Performing Validation .......................................................................................................
5.9.1 Reviewing Change Polygons .......................................................................................
5.9.2 Reviewing Legal Boundary Changes Including Legal Documentation Changes .........
5.9.3 Conducting a Geography Review ................................................................................
5.10 Submitting Updates to the Census Bureau .......................................................................
5.10.1 Creating a Share with Another Participant File ..........................................................
5.10.2 Creating Your Submission to the Census Bureau .......................................................
Section 6.

File Submission Through the Secure Web Incoming Module (SWIM) .................

Appendix A

Area and Linear Feature Updates Allowed by MTFCC ........................................

Appendix B

Street Type Abbreviations ................................................................................

Appendix C

MTFCC Descriptions .........................................................................................

Appendix D

Shapefile Data Dictionary .................................................................................

Appendix E

Acronyms .........................................................................................................

Appendix F

BBSP Participation Support ..............................................................................

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: 2030 Census Planned Tabulation Block Boundaries by MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code
(MTFCC)............................................................................................................................................
Table 2: Description of Block Boundary Flag Values........................................................................
Table 3: Block Size Indicator Values.................................................................................................
Table 4: Description of Block Boundary Flag Values........................................................................
Table 5: Area Landmark Updates Permitted ...................................................................................
Table 6: Linear Feature Updates Permitted.....................................................................................
Table 7: Street Type Abbreviations..................................................................................................
Table 8: Complete List of MTFCCs ...................................................................................................
Table 9: Shapefile Layers, Geographic Levels, and Layer Names ....................................................
Table 10: American Indian Areas – Legal .........................................................................................
Table 11: American Indian / Alaska Native Areas – Statistical ........................................................
Table 12: American Indian Tribal Subdivisions – Legal ....................................................................
Table 13: American Indian Tribal Subdivisions – Statistical.............................................................
Table 14: Alaska Native Regional Corporations ...............................................................................
Table 15: Prototype Block Shapefile ................................................................................................
Table 16: Congressional Districts .....................................................................................................
Table 17: Hawaiian Homelands .......................................................................................................
Table 18: School Districts .................................................................................................................
Table 19: State Legislative Districts (Upper / Senate) .....................................................................
Table 20: State Legislative Districts (Lower / Senate) .....................................................................
Table 21: Urban Growth Areas ........................................................................................................
Table 22: Census Block Groups ........................................................................................................
Table 23: Census Blocks – Current ...................................................................................................
Table 24: Census Blocks – Census 2020 ...........................................................................................
Table 25: Census Tracts ...................................................................................................................
Table 26: Census Designated Places ................................................................................................
Table 27: Consolidated City .............................................................................................................
Table 28: County and Equivalent Areas ...........................................................................................
Table 29: County Subdivisions – Legal (MCD)..................................................................................
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Table 30: County Subdivisions – Statistical (CCD)............................................................................
Table 31: Incorporated Place ...........................................................................................................
Table 32: States and Equivalents .....................................................................................................
Table 33: Subarrios ..........................................................................................................................
Table 34: Edges ................................................................................................................................
Table 35: Area Landmark .................................................................................................................
Table 36: Hydrography Area (water) ...............................................................................................
Table 37: Topological Faces – Geographic Entity Relationships ......................................................
Table 38: Topological Faces – Area Landmark Relationships ..........................................................
Table 39: Topological Faces – Hydrography Area (water) Relationships ........................................
Table 40: Linear Feature Names ......................................................................................................
Table 41: Acronyms..........................................................................................................................

U.S. Census Bureau

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Suggested Workflow .........................................................................................................

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