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UCSD COURSE SYLLABUS

USP 191: GIS for Urban and Community Planning
Winter 2014

Instructor: Julie Wartell
Classrooms: SSB 102 for Lecture and SEQ 142 for Computer Lab
Contact Info: jwartell@ucsd.edu or 858-204-3887
Office Hours: SSB 102, Monday, 4pm 5pm or by appointment

Required Texts:
Think Globally, Act Regionally. Richard LeGates, ESRI Press.
Articles to accompany readings will be provided in class or obtained by students.
Important Resource: GIS Lab at Geisel AND (http://libraries.ucsd.edu/gis)

Course Description:
This is an interdisciplinary course designed to introduce students to Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) and the wide variety of applications in Urban Studies and Planning. Geographic
Information Systems have been in existence for about 4 decades, and their use continues to
grow in the public and private sectors. Within a City or County governmental body, GIS can be
applied to almost every area in order to accomplish planning, analysis or policymaking.
Examples of these will be researched and discussed in this course.

GIS are complex databases with a spatial element. A GIS can be split into four major areas:
data collection, management, analysis, and display. One objective of this course is to teach
these basic principles via class lectures, outside readings, and hands-on learning (using ESRIs
ArcView software and other public, web-based GIS systems).

Course Requirements:

1. Read assigned textbook and article material, take lecture notes and actively participate in
class discussion and exercises.

2. Attendance is assumed for the demands of college-level course work. Exam and project
completion and performance are usually proportionate to class attendance and participation.

3. Papers and Tests: There will be 8 short paper assignments and a mid-term. See syllabus
for dates and topics.

4. Final Project: A project is required for this course and will serve as the final exam.
Requirements and topics will be discussed in class.

5. Final Grade: Final course grades will be determined by total point accumulation based on
the following breakdown:
Class Participation 30 points
Mid-Term 70 points
Papers (8 x 20 pts each) 160 points
Final Project 140 points
400 points

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Course Outline:

Week 1 January 6
Course Introduction & Overview of Think Globally, Act Regionally
Geospatial Revolution Project
Getting Started With ArcGIS Desktop ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 1

READ: Chapters 1 & 2 in textbook
ASSIGNMENT: GIS on the Internet Paper, Visit GIS Lab


Week 2 January 13
GIS Data Concepts and Practice
Creating Map Symbology ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 2

READ: Chapter 3 in textbook
ASSIGNMENT: Ch 3 Qs for Further Study - #2, 4, 6 and Mental Map report


Week 3 January 20 (HOLIDAY - NO CLASS)
GIS and Public Health
Review of Online Modules 1 & 2
Referencing Data to Real Locations ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 3

READ: Chapter 5 & GIS Solutions for Urban & Regional Planning Handout
ASSIGNMENT: Ch 5 Qs for Further Study - #5 & Qs related to Handout


Week 4 January 27
GIS for Public Safety
Organizing Geographic Data ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 4

READ: Chapter 10
ASSIGNMENTS: GIS Article related to Final Project Paper and Crime Activity


Week 5 February 3
Enterprise GIS in a City
Review of Online Modules 3 & 4

READ: Chapter 8 & 9
ASSIGNMENT: Study for the midterm

Week 6 February 10
Midterm
Creating and Editing Data ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 5

ASSIGNMENT: Final Project Data Description & Article Reference, Evidence of Data Collection

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Week 7 February 17 (HOLIDAY - NO CLASS)
GIS-related Technologies and Applications
Getting Started with GIS Analysis ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 6

READ: Chapters 6 & 7
ASSIGNMENT: Map Layout with Data Layers


Week 8 February 24
ArcGIS Tips & Tricks
Geocoding
Working with Geoprocessing and Modeling Tools ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 7

READ: Geocoding Articles
ASSIGNMENT: Geocoding Paper


Week 9 March 3
GIS for Transportation Planning (guest speaker Barbara Kent from CalTrans)
Review Online Modules 5 -7
Designing Maps with ArcGIS ESRI Virtual Campus, Module 8

READ: Chapter 12
ASSIGNMENT: GIS for Problem Solving Paper


Week 10 March 10
GIS for Planning in a Border Region
Work on Final Project


Finals Day Monday, March 17, 7pm
Final Project Presentations & Papers Due