Geography: Spatial Analysis, Theory and Practice
NRE 530
Credits: 3

A spatial view of the environment is one that often involves maps. A the context in which one views an environmental issue is a critical matter, so too is the context in which one views a map. Thus, the exciting state-of-the-art electronic capability of GIS, and of other mapping software, is cast in the broader context of geography and mathematics - the theoretical foundations from the political, cannot survive in the world of geographically literate. Creative, scientific approaches to topics, using well established but untapped tools are encouraged, as are traditional approaches which clearly exhibit the spatial components of an environmental problems with suggested directions for action. Students learn mapping in the context of project development. They are presented in lecture with a diverse body of theoretical material, from the geometric to the topological. They are trained in the lab on a wide variety of state-of-the-art mapping and visualization software. In both, they are encouraged to make selections appropriate to their project needs: be that with the instructor, each student builds a document or website and presentations to enhance his/her research and teaching portfolio.