GIS in the GSD Studio and Curriculum

GIS in the Design School Studio and Curriculum

This page describes the opportunities for learning about spatial represenation and analysis imibedded in the GSD studio environment and curriculum. This range of opportuities can be arranged in ascending scale of formality, from simple exposure to an exemplary information infrastructure to specific tutorials integrated into courses and studios. Selected core studios incorporate a well planned GIS database loong with sequenses of exercises that guarantee that students get hands-on experience with the information resources and tools that are now essential for professional work, and a framework for applying and evaluating them. Finally, we offer GIS courses that provide a formal overview of the scholarly and institutional concerns of how spatial data are compiled and used to in administration and hypothesis testing.

An Exemplary Infrastructure for Understanding Places

The Graduate School of Design provides many opportunites to use and create spatial information for understanding and designing places and their context. These opportunities range from simply being exposed to a state-of the art infrastructure for using spatial data that is exemplary of most advanced public agencies and firms. Our environment features easy-to use resources for beginning a basic GIS database for anyplace in the world; a schoolwide license for four decades of the complete decennial census of the US; very detailed planimetric data for scores of international cities; and detailed three dimensional models of the Boston and NYC that evolve based on continuing collaboration of students and local firms. The keystone of this infrastructure is the GIS Manual which can be browsed by clicking on the links to the left of this page. GSD Students, who are without exception under pressure to gather and create information about places and context, make good use of this infrastructure and are continually contributing to its richness through their questions and contributions. We know that exposure to this infrastructure makes our students more productive and effective, and we hope that it raises their awareness and expectations for how knowledge-based organizations should manage and leverage information assets.

Design-Centric Introductory GIS Workshops

Several times a year we hold informal no-credit workshops focused on the issues surrouding compiling site information for design projects. This Minimal GIS Intro for Designers can be arranged for any group or studio of 10 or more; or you may enjoy just going through the on-line support documentation on your own.

Incidental Incorporation of GIS Tutorials in Non-GIS Courses

Many tasks that once incorporated basic map reading skills now require some literacy in the use and interpretation of spatial data. It is therefore expected that there will be some need to prepare geographic datasets and demonstrate their application in a variety of courses and studios. We are happy to prepare such a dataset and tutrial demonstration for any studio or course if data exists and if we are given enough advance notice (a few weeks.) The following are courses and studios that make use of some of these specialized datasets and demonstrations:

GSD5204: Real Estate Finance and Development
Instructor, Richard Peiser

The Real Estate Analysis Tutorial begis with a student-gathered spreadsheet containing the addresses and other data about comparable properties. We augment this comp data by associating each property with neighborhood characteristics such as the distance to the nearest school, shopping areas and the demographic and housing characteristics of the surrounding neighborhood.
Master of Architecture I Core Housing Studio
Coordinated by miscelaneous Architecture Faculty

In this architecture studio students consider various sites around Boston. This provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate how our 3d model of Metro Boston can be used as a starting place for a site model and as a means of studying views to, from and across sites under various development scenarios.

Integration of Introduction to GIS Curriculum in Core Studios

Basic GIS literacy is a must for professionals in Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture. Beginning in 2007, we have developed a sequense of lectures/demonstrations, laboratories and exercises intended to make students self-sufficient and responsible compilers and analysts of electronic data about places.

Elements of Urban Planning and Design
Coordinated by Judith Grant Long
GIS Intro for MUPS.
Planning and Design of Landscapes
Coordinated by Scheri Fultineer
GIS Intro for MLAs.

Courses Focused on Spatial Data and Modeling

The learning opportunities presented above are geared toward assuring that our graduates have a basic literacy in the use of spatial data in day to day work. Students who see themselves becoming leaders in information-based organizations should have a structured course that provides an uunderstanding of how spatial data are gathered and documented for sharing and scholarship, how the logic of information systems is used to create new information, and how these new information should be evaluated.

GSD6322: Fundamentals of GIS -- Theory and Applications
instructor: Paul Cote

The first half of the course explores the Nouns of GIS. Students choose a site (in the United States) and compile a base dataset from various sources, including circulation, hydrography, landmarks, georeferenced aerial photography and scanned maps, demographic data, terrain and land cover. This dataset will serve as the basis for several analytical statements about the site and its context with maps that serve to illustrate the text. The product for each student at mid-term is a 10-page document of text and maps, along with a well-documented geographic dataset CD, suitible for sharing or publishing
The focus of second half of the course is on building and evaluating complex statements using the associative or transforming operations of GIS to derive new information from existing data. The fundamental operations of Vector-Relational, Raster, and Image Processing Geographic Information systems are surveyed, with discussions of their genesis and application. In weekly lab assignments, students will practice forming questions that can be explored though analytical GIS techniques, documenting the critical steps and choices made in geographic analysis. In each case, the validity and utility of the derived information will be considered. This work will result in several more pages of each student's portfolio of analytical text with illustrative maps.
Three Dimensional Modeling of Cities
Instructor: Paul Cote
This course explores the technologies and standards that are beginning to permit the development and distribution of three-dimensional representations of places that are vast in scope, visually detailed, and semantically rich. These models will eventually provide a public mirror-infrastructure for referencing information about places, past, present, and future, bringing unprecedented collaboration and communication in urban planning and design studies, and new ways of understanding impacts of urban planning scenarios on a metropolitan scale. Participants will gain an understanding of the underlying technologies behind this phenomenon, the means of wholesale capture of city models, the three-dimensional modeling techniques, institutional-grade information infrastructure, and the broad-scale visualization and analytical applications. We will also examine the social and economic aspects of broad-scale city modeling including broad-based web applications, and interoperability standards for CAD, GIS, Building Information Models and the Web.
GSD2313 Site Representation and Analysis
Instructor: Paul Cote
This course is intended to provide landscape architects with the skills to acquire data from various sources to represent sites with maps and in three dimensions. The first half of the semester examines data sources for site representation, including GIS data from government sources, historic data from scanned maps, and typical site data provided by engineers in CAD format. Several applications of cartograsphic modeling are considered, including site selection and studies of visual quality and connectivity. The second half of this course focuses on three dimensional modeling of terrain and site planning alternatives.




	Geographic Information Systems (+/-) Geographic Information Systems in the Design School Getting Started With ArcGIS at the GSD GIS Software Manuals GIS Courses at the GSD Links for GSD GIS Fans Data Resources (+/-) GIS Data Resources GSD Data Collection Downloading US Census Data: 2000 - 1970 US Business Directory Digital Elevation Models Sources of Geographic Images Data Handling (+/-) Understanding GIS Data, Metadata and Schema ArcMap 101: Exploring Peoria Data Beginning a GIS Database Concepts of Geographical Referencing Systems Why Don't My Layers Line Up? AKA: ArcMap Projections Tutorial Georeferencing Scanned Maps and CAD Data Reclassifying Data with Lookup Tables Converting GIS Layers to DXF Geocoding Clipping an Ocean Polygon Effective Cartography (+/-) Elements of Cartographic Style Basic Cartography in ArcMap Mapping with Quantitative Data About Mapping Census Data Mapping Census Data Tutorial Analytic Techniques (+/-) Modeling What's Important A Development Buildout Model Real Estate Tutorial Guidelines for Documenting Models Mastering Relational Procedures in ArcMap Vector GIS Procedures in ArcMap Vector GIS Procedures in ArcMap (08 Version) Raster GIS Procedures in ArcMap Classifying Satellite Images Designing for Visibility Zakem Bridge View Corridors Evaluating Development Scenarios Topographic Modeling in 3D (+/-) Experimenting with Zoning Dimensional Regulations in 3d A rough Understanding of 3D Site Context with ArcGlobe Graphics and Animation in ArcGlobe Basic Terrain Modeling (ArcGIS) Experimenting with Massing Scenarios in SketchUp Beginning a 3d Site Model in SketchUp Good Site Model Structure in Sketchup Interchanging 3D Data between ArcGIS and 3dStudio Topographic Modeling in FormZ (+/-) FormZ 101: A Field of Dreams Modeling Terrain with Contours and Surfaces (formZ) Modeling Surfaces with Mapped Images (formZ) Analytical Graphics from 3-D Site Models (formZ) Metropolitan Scale 3d Models (+/-) The Boston Virtual City Collective Retrieving Scenarios from the Metropolitan Model Repository Creatning Historic and Future Scenarios Studying Urban View Corridors Integrating Administrative CAD Data, GIS and Google Earth Export NYC Data to Sketchup
				GIS in the Design School Studio and Curriculum This page describes the opportunities for learning about spatial represenation and analysis imibedded in the GSD studio environment and curriculum. This range of opportuities can be arranged in ascending scale of formality, from simple exposure to an exemplary information infrastructure to specific tutorials integrated into courses and studios. Selected core studios incorporate a well planned GIS database loong with sequenses of exercises that guarantee that students get hands-on experience with the information resources and tools that are now essential for professional work, and a framework for applying and evaluating them. Finally, we offer GIS courses that provide a formal overview of the scholarly and institutional concerns of how spatial data are compiled and used to in administration and hypothesis testing. An Exemplary Infrastructure for Understanding Places The Graduate School of Design provides many opportunites to use and create spatial information for understanding and designing places and their context. These opportunities range from simply being exposed to a state-of the art infrastructure for using spatial data that is exemplary of most advanced public agencies and firms. Our environment features easy-to use resources for beginning a basic GIS database for anyplace in the world; a schoolwide license for four decades of the complete decennial census of the US; very detailed planimetric data for scores of international cities; and detailed three dimensional models of the Boston and NYC that evolve based on continuing collaboration of students and local firms. The keystone of this infrastructure is the GIS Manual which can be browsed by clicking on the links to the left of this page. GSD Students, who are without exception under pressure to gather and create information about places and context, make good use of this infrastructure and are continually contributing to its richness through their questions and contributions. We know that exposure to this infrastructure makes our students more productive and effective, and we hope that it raises their awareness and expectations for how knowledge-based organizations should manage and leverage information assets. Design-Centric Introductory GIS Workshops Several times a year we hold informal no-credit workshops focused on the issues surrouding compiling site information for design projects. This Minimal GIS Intro for Designers can be arranged for any group or studio of 10 or more; or you may enjoy just going through the on-line support documentation on your own. Incidental Incorporation of GIS Tutorials in Non-GIS Courses Many tasks that once incorporated basic map reading skills now require some literacy in the use and interpretation of spatial data. It is therefore expected that there will be some need to prepare geographic datasets and demonstrate their application in a variety of courses and studios. We are happy to prepare such a dataset and tutrial demonstration for any studio or course if data exists and if we are given enough advance notice (a few weeks.) The following are courses and studios that make use of some of these specialized datasets and demonstrations: GSD5204: Real Estate Finance and Development Instructor, Richard Peiser The Real Estate Analysis Tutorial begis with a student-gathered spreadsheet containing the addresses and other data about comparable properties. We augment this comp data by associating each property with neighborhood characteristics such as the distance to the nearest school, shopping areas and the demographic and housing characteristics of the surrounding neighborhood. Master of Architecture I Core Housing Studio Coordinated by miscelaneous Architecture Faculty In this architecture studio students consider various sites around Boston. This provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate how our 3d model of Metro Boston can be used as a starting place for a site model and as a means of studying views to, from and across sites under various development scenarios. Integration of Introduction to GIS Curriculum in Core Studios Basic GIS literacy is a must for professionals in Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture. Beginning in 2007, we have developed a sequense of lectures/demonstrations, laboratories and exercises intended to make students self-sufficient and responsible compilers and analysts of electronic data about places. Elements of Urban Planning and Design Coordinated by Judith Grant Long GIS Intro for MUPS. Planning and Design of Landscapes Coordinated by Scheri Fultineer GIS Intro for MLAs. Courses Focused on Spatial Data and Modeling The learning opportunities presented above are geared toward assuring that our graduates have a basic literacy in the use of spatial data in day to day work. Students who see themselves becoming leaders in information-based organizations should have a structured course that provides an uunderstanding of how spatial data are gathered and documented for sharing and scholarship, how the logic of information systems is used to create new information, and how these new information should be evaluated. GSD6322: Fundamentals of GIS -- Theory and Applications instructor: Paul Cote The first half of the course explores the *Nouns of GIS. Students choose a site (in the United States) and compile a base dataset from various sources, including circulation, hydrography, landmarks, georeferenced aerial photography and scanned maps, demographic data, terrain and land cover. This dataset will serve as the basis for several analytical statements about the site and its context with maps that serve to illustrate the text. The product for each student at mid-term is a 10-page document of text and maps, along with a well-documented geographic dataset CD, suitible for sharing or publishing The focus of second half of the course is on building and evaluating complex statements* using the associative or transforming operations of GIS to derive new information from existing data. The fundamental operations of Vector-Relational, Raster, and Image Processing Geographic Information systems are surveyed, with discussions of their genesis and application. In weekly lab assignments, students will practice forming questions that can be explored though analytical GIS techniques, documenting the critical steps and choices made in geographic analysis. In each case, the validity and utility of the derived information will be considered. This work will result in several more pages of each student's portfolio of analytical text with illustrative maps. Three Dimensional Modeling of Cities Instructor: Paul Cote This course explores the technologies and standards that are beginning to permit the development and distribution of three-dimensional representations of places that are vast in scope, visually detailed, and semantically rich. These models will eventually provide a public mirror-infrastructure for referencing information about places, past, present, and future, bringing unprecedented collaboration and communication in urban planning and design studies, and new ways of understanding impacts of urban planning scenarios on a metropolitan scale. Participants will gain an understanding of the underlying technologies behind this phenomenon, the means of wholesale capture of city models, the three-dimensional modeling techniques, institutional-grade information infrastructure, and the broad-scale visualization and analytical applications. We will also examine the social and economic aspects of broad-scale city modeling including broad-based web applications, and interoperability standards for CAD, GIS, Building Information Models and the Web. GSD2313 Site Representation and Analysis Instructor: Paul Cote This course is intended to provide landscape architects with the skills to acquire data from various sources to represent sites with maps and in three dimensions. The first half of the semester examines data sources for site representation, including GIS data from government sources, historic data from scanned maps, and typical site data provided by engineers in CAD format. Several applications of cartograsphic modeling are considered, including site selection and studies of visual quality and connectivity. The second half of this course focuses on three dimensional modeling of terrain and site planning alternatives.