Sequence: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems & Spatial Data

Sequence Summary

This sequence of modules introduces foundational concepts in geographic information systems (GIS) and the use of spatial data for urban research and as part of design processes. Modules provide a conceptual overview of fundamentals of spatial data, coordinate reference systems, and elementary geoprocessing techniques that is software agnostic.

Why?

The increasingly widespread availability of up-to-date (or even real-time) spatial data is changing the landscape of possibility for design workflows and methods of urban analysis. Having a robust understanding of concepts central to spatial analysis makes it possible to develop fluency in methods of spatial computation across a range of platforms and software environments. Geographic information systems is not a software, but rather a set of related methods which can be implemented in a range of softwares and programming languages.

earths surface and latitude and longitude diagram

Images from this sequence: approximations of the shape of the Earth via NASA, and Latitude and Longitude explained.

Modules

What is GIS?
This module will introduce geographic information systems (GIS) and their application for research and design of the built environment.
Spatial Data
This module introduces vector and raster spatial data types and discusses the different forms of representation and abstraction required by each. It asks readers to think critically about the affordances and limitations offered by each type of spatial data.
Coordinate Reference Systems & Projections
This module covers fundamental concepts related to coordinate reference systems and map projections -- in other words it provides answers to the questions: how do we define location? and how do we represent the round earth on a flat plane?

Images from this sequence: Earth in the Goode homolosine projection. Credit: Antti Lipponen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What's next

After completing the Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Data module sequence you may choose to continue learning spatial concepts in multiple processing/software environments.

Within the Smorgasbord Introduction to GIS with QGIS provides an introduction to the application of these concepts in open source desktop GIS software QGIS. And Working with Spatial Data in Python applies these concepts using Python.