Course Syllabus

URP 6270/URP4273: Planning Information Systems

Welcome!! Please carefully review the syllabus below. 

3 credits 

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Vivian Wong, Assistant Professor, M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Construction, Department of Urban and Regional Planning (web profile)

Teaching Assistant: Ziyi Guo, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Urban and Regional Planning (ziyiguo@ufl.edu)

COURSE MEETING TIMES: Thursdays Period 7 - 9 (1:55 AM - 4:55 PM)

CLASSROOM: RNK 0230 (Rinker Hall, 573 NEWELL DR, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611)

OFFICE HOURS: 30 minutes following the in-class lectures in RNK 0230| (or) Tuesdays/Thursdays 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM by appointment in ARCH 446. Book appointments 24 hours in advance through this link here. Additional open door OH Wednesdays 1-4 pm in ARCH 446. 

COURSE COMMUNICATION: All communication with course faculty will take place within Canvas, through the Inbox.  Please direct any questions to both instructors via the Inbox, and the instructor responsible for the relevant module will respond. All correspondence will be sent and received within Canvas.  You should NOT be emailing the course instructor outside of the system. The instructor is also available for a Zoom meeting by appointment. Please contact the instructor through the Inbox to arrange a meeting.

NO REQUIRED TEXTBOOK (Recommended readings listed below)

• Getting to Know ArcGIS Pro (2nd Edition);
• GIS Tutorial 1 for ArcGIS Pro 2.5
• Assigned readings from open source book: Essentials of Geographic Information Systems (available online)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction to Planning Information Systems is intended to introduce students to the concepts, principles, and the reality of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It also teaches the essential skills of operating a functional GIS mainly through the use of ArcGIS Pro. This powerful technology provides planners with a very effective tool for capture, analysis, and display of spatial data that is crucial to the planning process. The course is theoretical and practical (i.e., very hands-on), addressing both the structure of GIS and the use of this tool within planning for spatial analysis and data management.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE OR SKILLS

None (knowledge of basic computer skills, Windows Operating Systems, Excel, etc. is useful, but not required.)

COURSE GOALS AND/OR OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain geographic information systems and basic models of digital geographic representation
• Explain the concept of coordinate systems and map projections and how they affect data representation
• Apply appropriate spatial functions to match stated problems or objectives
• Develop methodologies to address geographic problems and evaluate results
• Utilize cartographic principles to communicate geographic data and analyses through map creation

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

The concepts and techniques will be covered in lectures, videos, and hands-on exercises. Students will practice the concepts learned in the materials through exercises, homework assignments and a final project. Students will learn and the concepts of spatial thinking and problem solving through course materials, and then apply and practice those concepts through exercises/homework and the final project, which utilize GIS software techniques.

COURSE POLICIES

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students are responsible for satisfying all academic objectives as defined by the instructor. Absences count from the first class meeting. In general, acceptable reasons for absence from or failure to participate in class include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, and professional conferences), military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays, and participation in official university activities such as music performances, athletic competition or debate. Absences from class for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) must be excused. Other reasons also may be approved.

Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence.

Students cannot participate in classes unless they are registered officially or approved to audit with evidence of having paid audit fees. The Office of the University Registrar provides official class rolls to instructors.

Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at:  

https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx

QUIZ & EXAM POLICIES

Quizzes and Exams will be given to test student knowledge on course material.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT POLICY

Homework assignments, discussions, and exercises are due on the following Thursday (by 11:59pm) of each new module week. For example, Module 1 assignments are due the Thursday evening that Module 2 starts. Please refer to the course schedule in Canvas.

MAKE-UP POLICY

Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence, if the absence is due to the one of accepted reasons listed in the Attendance Policy.

If you are unable to turn in an assignment on time, please contact me before the due date to discuss your options. A grade reduction of 5% per day will occur unless there is an acceptable excuse for the late submittal.

Computer problems that arise during submission will not be accepted as an excuse for late work. In the event that you have technical difficulties with e-Learning, please contact the UF Help Desk. If technical difficulties cause you to miss a due date, you MUST report the problem to Help Desk. Include the ticket number and an explanation of the issue based on consult with Help Desk in an e-mail to the instructor to explain the late assignment/exam. The course faculty reserves the right to accept or decline tickets from the UF Help Desk based on individual circumstances.

COURSE TECHNOLOGY

This course will be using ArcGIS Pro (Version 2.8 is highly recommended for exercises consistently throughout the fall semester). We strongly advise that you download and run ArcGIS Pro on your personal computer. Alternatively, ArcGIS Pro can be accessed through UFApps, but please note that the performance may be significantly slower.

Acquiring Desktop software license for ArcGIS

Students can acquire the latest version of ArcGIS software and a student license from the GeoPlan Center. Please note: it may take up to 24 hours to receive your software license. It is recommended that students install ArcGIS software prior to beginning the class: https://www.geoplan.ufl.edu/software/software.shtml#student

Accessing ArcGIS via UFApps

The ArcGIS software is available on UFApps (http://info.apps.ufl.edu/). UFApps provides access to software applications from any computing device--laptops, tablets, desktops, and smartphones--from any location, at any time.

In order to access UFApps and ArcGIS you will need to install Citrix Receiver which is available from the UFApps website.

• Open your browser and navigate to http://info.apps.ufl.edu/.
• Scroll down to the First Time Use Questions section and
  • click on Access UFApps from a PC if you are using a PC,
  • click on Access UFApps from a Mac if using a Mac.
• The instructions will guide you through installing Citrix Receiver and logging in to UFApps.

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

Students will need a computer that meets or exceeds the specifications listed in the table below. For software specific recommendations please see the ESRI links listed below.

Click Here to see ESRI's ArcGIS Pro 2.3 system requirements

Click Here to see ESRI's ArcGIS Desktop 10.7 system requirements

Components	Specifications
CPU Speed	2.2 GHz minimum; Hyper-threading (HHT) or Multi-core recommended
Processor	Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core Duo, or Xeon Processors; SSE2 minimum
Memory/Ram	2 GB minimum
Display Properties	24 bit color depth
Screen Resolution	1024 x 768 recommended or higher at Normal size (96dpi)
Swap Space	Determined by the operating system, 500 MB minimum.
Disk Space	2.4 GB
Video/Graphics Adapter	64 MB RAM minimum, 256 MB RAM or higher recommended. NVIDIA, ATI, and Intel chipsets supported. 24-bit capable graphics accelerator OpenGL version 2.0 runtime minimum is required, and Shader Model 3.0 or higher is recommended. Be sure to use the latest available driver.
Networking Hardware	Simple TCP/IP, Network Card or Microsoft Loopback Adapter is required for the License Manager.
High Speed Internet Access	High speed internet access is highly recommended.

More information on supported platforms is available at:

http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/system-requirements/latest/arcgis-desktop-system-requirements.htm

UF POLICIES

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Students requesting disability-related academic accommodations must first register with the Disability Resource Center (Links to an external site.).

The Disability Resource Center will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

University policies on such matters as add/drop, incomplete, academic probation, termination of enrollment, reinstatement, and other expectations or procedures can be found in the graduate student handbook (Links to an external site.) and at the Dean of Students website (Links to an external site.).

UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code (Links to an external site.).

STUDENT HONOR CODE

In adopting this Honor Code, the students of the University of Florida recognize that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students who enroll at the University commit to holding themselves and their peers to the high standard of honor required by the Honor Code. Any individual who becomes aware of a violation of the Honor Code is bound by honor to take corrective action.

Student and faculty support are crucial to the success of the Honor Code. The quality of a University of Florida education is dependent upon the community acceptance and enforcement of the Honor Code (Links to an external site.).

The Honor Pledge: We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code.

On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment."

CLASS DEMEANOR OR NETIQUETTE

Course communication should be civilized and respectful to everyone. All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all e-mail messages, threaded discussions and chats. The means of communication provided to you through e-Learning (e-mail, discussion posts, course questions, and chats) are at your full disposal to use in a respectful manner. Abuse of this system and its tools through disruptive conduct, harassment, or overall disruption of course activity will not be tolerated. Conduct that is deemed to be in violation with University rules and regulations or the Code of Student Conduct will result in a report to the Dean of Students.

Refer to the Netiquette Guide for Online Courses (Links to an external site.) for more information.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

As a student in a distance learning course or program, you have access to the same student support services that on-campus students have. For course content questions contact your instructor.

For any technical issues you encounter with your course please contact the UF computing Help Desk at 342-392-HELP (4357). For Help Desk hours visit: http://helpdesk.ufl.edu (Links to an external site.).  For a list of additional student support services links and information please visit: http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-services (Links to an external site.).

GRADING POLICIES

COURSE GRADE

Summary:

Component	Percent of Grade
Homework Assignments	35%
Exercises and Discussions	25%
Attendance and Quizzes	10%
Final Project	15%
Final Exam	15%

 

GRADING SCHEME

Letter Grade	Percentage	Grade Points
A	93-100%	4.00
A-	90-92%	3.67
B+	88-89%	3.33
B	83-87%	3.00
B-	80-82%	2.67
C+	78-79%	2.33
C	73-77%	2.00
C-	70-72%	1.67
D+	68-69%	1.33
D	58-67%	1.00
D-	55-57%	0.67
E	Below 55%	0.00

For greater detail, see the Grades section of the Graduate Catalog for the University of Florida (Links to an external site.). It also contains the policies and procedures, course descriptions, colleges, departments, and program information for UF.

Expectations on COVID-19 Relevant Practices

In response to COVID-19, the following practices are in place to maintain your learning environment, to enhance the safety of our in-classroom interactions, and to further the health and safety of ourselves, our neighbors, and our loved ones.  

• If you are not vaccinated, get vaccinated. Vaccines are readily available at no cost and have been demonstrated to be safe and effective against the COVID-19 virus. Visit this link for details on where to get your shot, including options that do not require an appointment: https://coronavirus.ufhealth.org/vaccinations/vaccine-availability/. Students who receive the first dose of the vaccine somewhere off-campus and/or outside of Gainesville can still receive their second dose on campus.  
• You are expected to wear approved face coverings at all times during class and within buildings even if you are vaccinated. Please continue to follow healthy habits, including best practices like frequent hand washing.  Following these practices is our responsibility as Gators.  
  • Sanitizing supplies are available in the classroom if you wish to wipe down your desks prior to sitting down and at the end of the class. 
  • Hand sanitizing stations will be located in every classroom. 
• If you are sick, stay home and self-quarantine. Please visit the UF Health Screen, Test & Protect website about next steps, retake the questionnaire and schedule your test for no sooner than 24 hours after your symptoms began. Please call your primary care provider if you are ill and need immediate care or the UF Student Health Care Center at 352-392-1161 (or email covid@shcc.ufl.edu) to be evaluated for testing and to receive further instructions about returning to campus. UF Health Screen, Test & Protect offers guidance when you are sick, have been exposed to someone who has tested positive or have tested positive yourself. Visit the UF Health Screen, Test & Protect website for more information. 
  • Course materials will be provided to you with an excused absence, and you will be given a reasonable amount of time to make up work. 
  • If you are withheld from campus by the Department of Health through Screen, Test & Protect you are not permitted to use any on campus facilities. Students attempting to attend campus activities when withheld from campus will be referred to the Dean of Students Office.
• Continue to regularly visit coronavirus.UFHealth.org and coronavirus.ufl.edu for up-to-date information about COVID-19 and vaccination. 

COURSE SCHEDULE

CRITICAL DATES

This course includes 12 modules that are covered over a 15 week semester. Please be aware of the course schedule and critical dates below.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Weeks	Dates Mode	Module#, Topic, and Learning Objectives
Week 1	21-Aug	Module 1. Introducing Planning Information System Intro to GIS concepts and components History of GIS Application in Urban and Regional Planning Commonly used GIS software
Week 2	28-Aug	Module 2. ArcGIS Pro Data and Map Basics (In-class Lab) Navigate ArcGIS Pro Manage GIS Data for ArcGIS Pro (download/store/import) Making maps basics Two models of GIS: vector and raster
Week 3	4-Sep	Module 3. Making and sharing maps (In-class Lab) Map types and basic elements of maps Symbology settings Create and export a map layout Introduction to ArcGIS Online and story map (Quiz 1: 9/4 4pm-9/11 11:59pm)
Week 4	11-Sep	Module 4. Exploring geospatial relationships Understand tabular/attribute data in a spatial dataset Work with tabular data Connect Spatial datasets (Join and Relate)
Week 5	18-Sep	Module 5. Making Selections (In-class Lab) Selection tools Select by attributes Select by location
Week 6	25-Sep	Module 6. Map Projections Coordinate system, projections, and datum Add spatial reference Define tool vs. Project tool
Week 7	2-Oct	Module 7. Geoprocessing (In-class Lab) Workflow of geoprocessing Dissolve | Clip | Merge | Append | Intersect | Union | Buffer (Quiz 2: 10/2 4pm -10/9 11:59pm)
Week 8	9-Oct	Module 8. Creating and Editing Spatial Data, and Geocoding (Part I) (In-class Lab) Create and edit geographic features and attributes Create new shapefile or feature class
Week 9	16-Oct	Module 8. Creating and Editing Spatial Data, and Geocoding (Part II) (In-class Lab) Geocoding descriptive address to create spatial data (Quiz 3: Oct 16 4pm -Oct 23 11:59pm)
Week 10	23-Oct	Module 9. Introduction to Raster Data and Analysis Raster GIS Basics) / Environment settings for Raster analysis Mapping density (heat map) Surface analysis: Contour, Slope
Week 11	30-Oct	Module 10. Determining Suitability Introduction to terrain and digital elevation data Understanding suitability analysis Calculating Cell, Neighborhood, and Zonal Statistics Converting Data (vector to raster) Reclassifying Data Using Raster Calculator Suitability analysis process
Week 12	6-Nov	Module 10. Assignments Q&A (No lecture class on this date. You should work on Module 10’s assignments. If you have any questions, please come over to Office Hours during the class time.)
Week 13	13-Nov	Module 11. Final Project and Final Exam Review (Part I) Final project introduction: Identify the steps required to plan, implement, and carry through to completion a successful GIS analysis project. Produce a professional project output including proper symbology, analysis, map elements, and written components (Part II) Final exam review: Thorough review and comparison of GIS concepts; Important processing steps review; Final exam logistics (Final Project Due Wednesday, Dec 10, 2024, 11:59 PM, which is after Final Exam)
Week 14	20-Nov	Final Exam (Module 12) (Note: Our final exam will be an in-class exam from 2:00 -3:30 PM on 11/20, Thursday)
	27-Nov	Thanksgiving Holiday (No Class; Have Fun and Stay Safe).

 

Disclaimer:

This syllabus represents my current plans and objectives.  As we go through the semester, those plans may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity.  Such changes, communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.

Upcoming Assignments and Due Dates are listed below: