GIS and the Urban Environment PDF Print E-mail
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Dates: April 24, May 1, 8, 15
Time: Saturday morning 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Downtown Campus, Fifth Floor - Room 516 (88 4th Street San Francisco, CA 94103)
Course #: TM112  Enroll Now
Cost: Early Reg. $150 | $180
(Early registration fee is available up to one week before the start of class)
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Beginner: No GIS experience needed
 
 
 
Overview
This workshop is designed for those students interested in the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to the study of complex urban environments, with a focus on land use planning, transportation analysis and demographic analysis. Fundamentally, the workshop will provide (1) an overview of the myriad ways in which GIS is being used today to analyze geospatial data pertaining to urban settings and (2) approaches to solving multi-faceted urban problems.  Students will explore GIS concepts and applications using state-of-the-art software, ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.3.  No prior experience with ArcGIS is required and a portion of the first class session will be devoted to an overview of GIS.  

This workshop is designed to focus on a primary topic during each class session: land use zoning and site selection will be addressed in the first session, transportation planning and analysis will be considered during the second session, and demographic analysis using U.S. Census Bureau data will be the focus of the final session.
 
The three-week workshop will cover:
   • Case studies in which GIS was used to analyze or solve an urban planning issue
   • Thematic map design and analysis
   • Hands-on use of ArcGIS 9.3 to explore typical urban planning issues
   • Cartographic principles and techniques
 
 
Workshop Includes
• Hands on lab time and opportunities to work one-on-one with the instructor
• 1 year access to ESRI's Virtual Campus course, Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning Using ArcGIS 9 ($145 value)
• Access to the CCSF lab during the semester
• Certificate of Completion
 
 
Who should take this workshop?
Planners, technicians, manager, engineers, community activists, students or anyone looking for practical experience using Geographic Information Systems to map and understand urban land use and transportation systems. 
 
 
 

Prerequisites
• A basic understanding of ArcGIS 9.3 is recommended, but not required.  Students with prior experience using ArcGIS may be asked to assist other students with in-class assignments as a shared learning experience.

 

• Students should possess an intermediate-level knowledge of the Windows operating system and Microsoft Excel.  This includes creating new files and folders, creating and managing new worksheets in Excel, familiarity with a wide range of file types (e.g. TXT, CSV, XLS, SHP, DBF) and transferring data between computers using a flash drive, web-based file transfer service (e.g. www.YousendIt.com) or CD/DVD.

 

• Additional skills expected: storing, copying and management of multiple data types; managing multiple windows and applications; and techniques for saving work frequently.

 

• A strong motivation to learn, explore and have fun with computer applications is essential.  This workshop will require a significant degree of independent work and relies heavily on student initiative.

 

• An openness to working with other students in the class as a shared learning experience in order to complete assignments, build contacts in the professional GIS world and to support relatively new GIS learners.

 

 

Organization

The structure of each class will generally consist of a short lecture followed by 2 - 2.5 hours of hands-on lab time and a short break halfway through the class period.  The instructor will open up as much class time as feasible in order to work individually with students and support their learning goals.  Homework assignments and readings may be distributed in order to reinforce GIS concepts and techniques.
 
 
Required Textbooks
No textbook is required for this workshop.  However, it is strongly recommended that students purchase Getting to Know ArcGIS 9, Second Edition, by Robert Burke.  It is available from many online and in-store retailers including Amazon, Borders and Stacey’s.  The book should be used as a self-study resource for reviewing fundamental ArcGIS concepts and tools.  The textbook provides an excellent foundation and is used in the introductory Quick Start workshop offered by our GIS Education Center at least twice per year.  We will not use this textbook in class.
 
Make sure your copy of the book comes with an evaluation CD for ArcGIS (Note: be wary when ordering from online retailers as evaluation CD's may be faulty or not included).  The CD will be valid for 180 days once activated.
 
 
Recommended Hardware and Software
The classroom computers are available for students to complete lab assignments and homework during open classroom hours.  If a personal computer is used to complete work started in class, a USB flash drive and/or a rewriteable CD/DVD is strongly recommended for saving files and transferring them to the personal computer.  GIS data files can be large, so media with at least 2 GB of capacity are recommended.  Some web-based services such as YouSendIt.com and TransferBigFiles.com provide free transfer of single files up to a certain size, usually 1 GB.  Multiple data files can be consolidated into a single ZIP file prior to transfer.  Notification of successful transfers arrive via email.

To take full advantage of the workshop resources, each student should have access to a computer with an Internet connection and have access to the following software:  Microsoft Internet Explorer (or Firefox), Adobe Acrobat Reader (available free at www.adobe.com), Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Powerpoint.
 
 
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