GEO1002: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Cartography
This course provides an overview of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and digital Cartography, and of how GIS can be used in practice to solve real-world problems. The course also provides students with theoretical background knowledge of concepts, data types and GIS-related typical processes and algorithms of GIS packages.
The course has both a theoretical and a practical part in which students do exercises to get hands-on experience with GIS packages. The open-source software QGIS and GRASS GIS/SAGA GIS packages and FME by Safe Software are used for this purpose. The course has 3 parts:
Introduction to GIS
- fundamentals of Geodesy, Coordinate Reference Systems, and map projections,
- spatial data modelling (vector and raster spatial models),
- production of interpretable output (e.g. maps),
- fundamentals of data quality.
Algorithms and data structures for GIS
- data structures for vector and raster data (including topological data structures),
- basic algorithms for vector (point-in-polygon, Boolean operations, intersection, area, etc.),
- basic algorithms for raster (encoding, quad trees, map algebra),
- networks and related algorithms such as shortest-path.
Applications of GIS to real-world problems
Real-world problems related to the built environment (e.g. urban spatial analyses, estimation of energy demand for buildings, determination of noise impact due to construction of infrastructure, etc.) will be solved with the help of GIS packages.
Coursework Overview
GRASS GIS for Comprehensive Spatial Analysis
This multi-part assignment utilized GRASS GIS to perform three fundamental types of geospatial analyses, demonstrating proficiency in various GIS analytical techniques.
- Solar analyses
- Network analyses
- Data integration
Key Outcomes
- Created comprehensive solar potential maps for renewable energy planning
- Developed accessibility models using advanced network algorithms
- Established methodology for integrating multi-source spatial data
- Applied appropriate spatial statistics for data validation and uncertainty assessment
Documentation
Urban Energy Performance Analysis & Visualization
This project applied advanced GIS techniques to analyze building energy performance across an urban environment, developing actionable insights for energy efficiency improvements. More specifically, they are:
- Data preparation, integration and assessment,
- Energy performance analysis of the building stock,
- Presentation of results and scenarios.
Key Outcomes
- Identified priority areas for energy efficiency interventions
- Quantified potential energy savings through various improvement scenarios
- Developed replicable methodology for urban-scale energy performance assessment
- Created decision support tools for urban energy planning