Mapping the City

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course will explore important urban planning concepts including walkability, green infrastructure, and placemaking, and over the semester, students will apply mapping technologies to capture, analyze, and represent the unique aspects of Washington DC's people, places, and systems resulting in an online portfolio of digital mapping and analysis projects. This course offers an introduction to urban analysis methodologies with a focus on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other digital tools that can aid in analyzing and visualizing data. This course also delves into the role of GIS in various applications, with a particular focus on creating sustainable, smart, and livable cities both locally and globally. Though not required, this course has been developed to be taken in conjunction with UNXD 3303 which is a seminar that introduces students to trends in global urbanization and explores the expression of these trends in Washington, DC. UNXD 3303 emphasizes place-based inquiry which can be supported by research skills developed in this practicum.