Introduction to Participatory Gis

Catalog description

What comes to mind when you think of a map? In a purely functionalist sense, a map is a conventional picture of the Earth’s pattern as seen from above. However, maps are more than representations. They can be tools for government (e.g. geopolitics) or a means for people who want to change the way we think about the world (eg. counter-mapping). Consequently, the ability to produce comprehensible and meaningful maps that include spatial, political, and socio-economic data is an increasingly important skill in a variety of fields from governance to social networking and advocacy. This course will offer a comprehensive introduction to both the technical and the practical aspects of map-making, from using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to produce maps to Community-Based approaches for populating them. It will train students to think critically and creatively about visually representing our world through maps by exploring topics on spatial datasets, cartography, collaborative mapping, and basic GIS software, and learning how these skills can be leveraged to conduct effective Participatory GIS projects.