URBPD 442 Urban and regional geospatial analysis

1
URBPD 442 Urban and regional geospatial
analysis This course provides theoretical and
practical skills for analyzing spatial patterns
and phenomena in metropolitan areas. Students
will explore the functionality of geographic
information systems (GIS) as an effective tool
for analyzing and modeling complex spatial
relationships within urban environments. Emphasis
is given to data integration and modeling through
both raster and vector systems. Selected case
studies will be used to highlight data
limitations and methodological complexities. In
addition to the theoretical and technical
foundations of GIS, students will develop and
hone problem solving and spatial thinking skills,
both critical to success in this course and your
academic career. Problem solving is basic to the
scientific method and refers to the process you
will use to understand and reach a conclusion
about something unknown. Spatial thinking is the
process of understanding and recognizing objects
within space and recognizing the importance of
the space surrounding those objects and the
relationships that occur within the whole system.
Skills developed in this class will conclude with
a final application (project) emphasizing
principles and methods of spatial analysis
applied to urban ecology problems in the central
Puget Sound region. http//courses.be.washington.
edu/UDP/422/.
2
Geog 360 Principles of GIS Mapping (Elwood). Our
gateway GIS course. This course is about the art,
science, and technology of making and/or using
maps to represent locational relationships among
phenomena. Provides an introduction to the
concepts, terminology, software, and hardware
involved in computer-aided mapping as a component
of geographic information systems (GIS). Lectures
emphasize basic concepts for understanding the
process of geographic information representation
and use. Methods and techniques learned in this
course are applicable to GIS. In addition, this
course adopts a sustainability theme through
which we understand information development and
use. Sustainability is one of the major themes
in geographic studies world-wide as well as
within the Geography Department at the University
of Washington. Geog 367 Economic Uses of GIS
(Andreoli). Uses of area data and the geographic
information systems (GISs) that handle them in
routing, marketing, service-are assessment, and
site location. Considers key economic- geography
concepts, marketing approaches, questions of data
availability and suitability, and GIS. Geog 462
(Coastal GISthe old Geog 460) (Nyerges).
Combines lectures about fundamental concepts in
geographic information systems with hands-on
computer lab assignments about coastal
environment-society issues. Coastal feature data
measurement, characterization, and movement
related to the land-water and environment-society
dynamic. Prerequisite Geography 360 or an
equivalent. Students who have taken Geog 460
should NOT take Geog 462.
3
Geog 461, Urban GIS. (Elwood). Designed for
students with previous introductory-level
coursework in GIS who wish to develop further
expertise in urban applications of GIS. Within
this focus on urban applications, students
explore urban spatial analysis and decision
making in a GIS environment, including project
planning, spatial data acquisition, data
preparation and coding, analysis and
visualization of project findings, and
communication and implementation of project
results. Students gain experience in locating and
obtaining geospatial data from local, state, and
federal government sources developing primary
data for urban spatial analysis and analyzing
and representing these data using a desktop GIS
software. We examine a range of urban
applications of GIS by local government, but also
non-governmental users such as neighborhood
activist organizations, paying particular
attention to the differing hardware, software,
data, and human resources and needs of these
different user groups. Geography 360 or an
equivalent is a prerequisite background for this
course. Geog 465. GIS Databases and
Programming (Nyerges) Database management is the
core technology in a GIS. This course explores
GIS data models, database development, database
management systems used in GIS, and GIS
programming. Students receive hands-on
experience with the Python programming language
applicable to GIS database work, particularly
related to extending current commercial GIS such
as ArcGIS Geog 469, GIS Workshop (the current
Geog 463) (Elwood). Practical experience
applying geographic information system (GIS)
tools to analyze spatial data. Workshop format
involves team-based work on GIS application
project for community or university partners
diverse backgrounds encouraged
4
http//gis.washington.edu/home/courses/index.html