BayGeo's R for GIS

Earn a certificate in R programming with a focus on geospatial data analysis. Gain practical skills in R, a free and open-source statistical package used by geospatial practitioners.

Part 1

The program comprises of two parts, with part 1 focusing on introducing R for beginners. You will learn R's syntax, programming concepts, manipulating tabular data, and plotting. This foundational knowledge will be essential for more advanced topics covered in part 2.

Learning Outcomes

Class 1: Spatial Data Classes and Importing Vector Data

• How R fits into your geospatial toolbox
• Spatial data classes
• Importing vector data
• Basic plotting

Class 2: Spatial Data Manipulations and Visualization

• Common manipulations for sf Objects
• Converting data formats
• Visualization with tmap

Class 3: R & ArcGIS, Attribute Queries, and Automation

• Connecting R & ArcGIS
• Working with attribute tables
• Text manipulations
• Automation and batch processing

Class 4: Geoprocessing & Spatial Queries

• Geoprocessing functions
• Working with lists
• Spatial queries
• Processing chains

Emphasis will be placed on developing personal "cookbooks" of code recipes, and learning how to approach tasks you've never done before. Students who have their own data or a project they want to make progress on are highly encouraged to work on it during the course; the instructor will be available outside of class for additional consultation and help with projects. By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• Write R scripts to import tabular data, perform calculations, make plots with ggplot, and import vector spatial data into R.
• Do basic data geospatial manipulations including projections and format conversions.
• Query spatial objects using attribute values and spatial relationships.
• Perform common geoprocessing tasks.

Details

• Dates: TBD
• Location:
  • Part 1: Online and in person (see table below)
• Instructor: Andy Lyons
• Continuing Education Units: 1
• Cost per part: $333 ($200 for BayGeo members, USF students or alumni)

Software and Setup

We recommend using an external monitor to enhance your learning experience. You can complete the workshop using either RStudio on a laptop (PC or Mac) or Posit Cloud (i.e., RStudio in a browser). Our instructor will be available before the first class to help with setup issues.

Your Instructor

Andy Lyons - our very own "R" guru - works with the University of California as Program Coordinator for the Informatics and GIS Statewide Program within the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He supports a wide range of GIS and data science projects in agriculture, natural resources, and climate change. He earned his PhD at UC Berkeley in Environmental Science Policy and Management, and has taught classes at Berkeley, Stanford, and Davis in spatial analysis with open source software, drone photogrammetry, GIS, environmental problem solving, population modeling, cryptography, African studies, social justice, and sustainability. Outside of work, Andy can often be found hiking the hills of the east bay.

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The University of San Francisco Geospatial Analysis Lab and BayGeo’s GIS Education Center, a geospatial non-profit organization in the San Francisco Bay Area, have designed a geospatial certificate program to offer a skill-based curriculum that addresses the industry's latest technologies.