PLAN 5120
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
FOR PLANNERS
Fall 2009 Course Syllabus
Urban and Environmental Planning
School of Architecture, University of Virginia
Professor David Phillips
Thursday 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. Campbell 105
Open Lab: Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Campbell 105 (schedule some portion)
Prerequisites
Graduate Planning and upper level undergraduate Planning majors will receive priority
enrollment, however students from other disciplines throughout the University are welcome.
Students should have a basic working knowledge of MS Windows operating system, University
network system and Internet skills. A review of Excel or data base management software
concepts (Access) would be helpful.
Course description and methods:
GIS is a data management tool, a mapping tool, a visualization tool and a spatial analysis
engine. While this is an introductory GIS course, it will focus on how urban and environmental
planners and others in social sciences or related fields of study can use Geographic Information
Systems to address current planning problems. Since planning issues are part of our everyday
life in either urban or rural America, this focus should provide some grounding even for the nonplanning major. A major focus of the course will be the conceptual and practical underpinnings of
establishing and using a Geographic Information System. The major focus will be on
understanding the concepts by doing GIS. Readings will address policy issues of establishing
GIS in various governmental or regional settings. Some specific applications to planning and
other public systems problems will be examined through lectures and readings.
Practical technical training will be undertaken through the use of the ArcGIS software package on
PC computers in the GeoStat Center and School of Architecture Labs. Raster and 3D analysis
will also be introduced.
Students will develop a small GIS project of their own choosing after the fundamentals of GIS
have been mastered.
Maps are intended to communicate information some of which derives from analysis. The
cartographic quality of course products will receive critical attention.
Requirements
This is a learn by doing course so exercises and projects will receive the following weight:
Fundamental GIS Exercises: 50%
Practical GIS Development 40%
Consistent Preparation and Participation 10%
Readings
Olmsby et.al., GETTING TO KNOW ARCGIS Desktop 2nd edition .ESRI PRESS:
Reference: William Huxhold, Eric M. Fowler, and Brian Parr, ArcGIS and the Digital City, ESRI
PRESS
Longley, Paul A., Michael F. Goodchild, David J. Maguire and David W. Rhind, GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND SCIENCE,2nd ed.,Wiley and Sons, 2005.
About the instructor
Professor Phillips is a full time planning faculty member who has taught computers, geographic
information systems and quantitative methods for a number of years. His website is:
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~dlp/
Number of Students Authorized to Enroll: 20
Satisfies Requirement (Building Elective, Preservation Certificate, etc.): Professional
Planning Elective
Detailed Schedule:
Sessio Date
n/
Week
Topic/Readings
Exercise
1
Introduction to the Course; Introduction
to Computers in Planning & Geographic
Information Systems
Exercise Tasks::Establish Accounts,
Locate Home Directory and
Home2/Courses Directory, Establish
your own folder.Find the GTKAG data;
Aug 27
The Course Requirements, The Computer
Exercises
The Applied Project
Examples of GIS applications in planning.
Orientation to the GEOSTAT and School of
Architecture Computer Lab. Communications, ESRI
Software,
Explore ArcMAP and ArcCatalog.
Getting to Know ArcGIS, Read
Chapters 1 & 2 Review the
Exercises: Chapters 3 & 4.
Google Earth Exercise
Introduction to GIS
Information;Non-Map Attributes;
Hardware/Software; Data Base Management; GIS
Functionality; Raster/Vector Contrasts.
READINGS: Getting To Know ArcGIS (GTKAG),
Chap 1-4. Reference: Longley, GISS:1-33; 157175..
See: ARCUser from ESRI at:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0609/summer2009.html
Alternative Text: Kennedy, Michael, Intro. GIS: A
workbook Approach, Wiley 2nd ed. 2009
2
Sept 3
Thematic Mapping with ArcMap
Exercise Tasks: Thematic Mapping
and Map Composition Assignment
Introduction to Thematic Mapping
Colors: Color Brewer:
Receive the GIS Applications Assignment
Map Updating; Zoning; Redistricting; Housing
Policy; Land Records; Environmental Studies;
Infrastructure Management Etc.
Research Directions on Thematic
Mapping of Census Data:
http://www.agocg.ac.uk/reports/visu
al/casestud/dykes/introd_1.htm
READINGS: Applications: Longley, GISS: pp. 35-60.
Longley, GISS: pp. 60-83, 96-99.
Reference: GTKAG: Read Chapters 5, 6, 18, 19
3
Sept 10
Map Projections and Coordinate
Systems
Complete the Thematic Mapping
GIS Applications Reporting by students
READINGS: Longley, GISS: pp. 109-126
Exercise Tasks: Projection exercise
Review GTKAG exercises 13a and 13b
Do Handout Virginia Projection
Exercise.
Reference:
GTKAG: Chapter 13;.
4
Sept 17
Exercise Tasks:
Capture, Data Importing, Digitizing, Data Quality Creating a GIS Geodatabase
Reference:
Building a GIS Geodatabase: Data
Blending Spatial Data
GTKAG:Chap 14 thru 17.
Data Capture: Digitizing, Importing, Purchase,
Conversion, Precision, Accuracy and Scale,
Map Document Preparation
READINGS: Longley, GISS: pp. 183-224
Reference: GTKAG:Chap 14 thru 17. Huxhold, Digital
City, Chap. 1, Exercises 1a thru 1i.
5
Sept 24 Building a GIS Project continued.
Exercise Tasks: Continue Creating GIS
Project.
Data Bases & Data Structures: Personal
Geodatabases
Concepts, Entities, attributes and relations, Tables,
Files, Data Bases, Software, Design of Relational
Data Bases, Topology in Urban Data Other Data
Structures
READINGS:
217-239.
6
Oct 1
Longley, GISS: pp. 178-197, 199-216,
GIS Analytic Capacity
Asking Spatial Questions
Exercise Tasks: READINGS: Begin
the Analysis Exercise on Vector Based
Data
Reference: GTKAG: Chapters 10-12
Map Query; Attribute Query, Buffering; Proximity;
Overlays; Neighborhoods, Locations, Connectivity
READINGS: Longley, GISS: pp. 85-97 and 315-339.
For example of Interactive Map Display and simple
analysis using web based APIs see:
“ESRI Developer Summit - Mashup Contest 2009 Mashup Entry by Alper Dinçer”,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVc3RR2KDZY
CONTINUED:
Reference: GTKAG, Chap. 10-12
DIGITAL CITY, Chap. 2, Exercises 2a, 2c, 2e, 2f, Chap
3. Exercises 3a, 3b, 3c
7
Oct 8
GPS and GIS
Exercise: Field work with GPS
Readings to be assigned.
8
Oct 15
Geo-referencing and Address Matching
DIGITAL CITY, Chap. 3, Exer. 3d, 3e.
Reference: Huxhold, Intro. Urban GIS, Chapter 5,
Geographic Base Files.
Exercise Tasks: Complete the Analysis
Exercise on Vector Based Data
Geo-referencing Exercise in GTKAG:
Chapter 17.Exercises17 a, b, c.
Computer Models for Planning Information
Readings from Brail and Klosterman to be
assigned.
9
Oct 22
Project Definition and Design.
Spatial Analysis of Geographic Data
Exercise Tasks: Assembly and
analysis of GRID based geographic
data.
READINGS: EXTENDING ARCVIEW, Chapters 8-
15.
Longley, GISS: Summary, design and inference, pp. 341362.
10
Oct 28
Spatial Analysis of Geographic Data
Exercise Tasks: Grid Based analysis
Continued
READINGS:
Longley, GISS: Spatial Modeling in GIS, pp. 363-382
11
Nov 5
Surface Modeling with TINs
Exercise Tasks: TIN exercise
Individual Projects
Visualizing Places
Use of ArcScene, Animation
Generation of elevation data, Contours, Digital
Elevation Models, TINs
READINGS:
Longley, GISS: TINS pp. 189-190. Geovisualization, pp.
289-313
ESRI, Extending ArcView GIS:3D Analyst.to be assigned.
12
Nov 12
Planning and Managing Information
Systems Development
READINGS: Longley, GISS: GIS and Management pp.
385-424.
Exercise Tasks: Individual Projects
13
Nov 19
Sharing Geographic Data and Spatial
Data Standards. Availability and
Transferability READINGS: Longley, GISS:
Exercise Tasks:Working On Individual
Projects
Success…Partnerships, Chap 20, pp. 447-470.
Thanksgiving Break
14
Dec 3
Individual Project Work
15
Dec 8
This is a Tuesday and the last day of formal classes.
All work other than the final project must be submitted by
this date at 5 p.m.
Exam
week
Dec 10 Presentation of Projects Scheduled final Exam Time
is Thursday, Dec. 10 9-noon. This will be the
presentation date for our Individual Projects.
File maintained by D.L. Phillips
Last Modified: August 3, 2009
Exercise Tasks:Working On Individual
Projects