Lucy Block

This course will train students to obtain, clean, manipulate, analyze, map, and visualize spatial and non-spatial data to support their work throughout their urban planning careers. The course emphasizes the critical role of design and communication in effective data storytelling. Students will practice the open-source tools R and QGIS in depth. The course will help students build a strong foundation in working with data that will allow them to learn and master additional programs, languages, and tools toward future goals. This course may require a significant amount of time outside of class periods to work on assignments and the final project, depending on the student’s technical skill level. A personal laptop is required.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. Policy and Data Studio builds on the core courses, your advanced coursework, and is specifically meant to deepen your data and data analytic skills, in the content of a policy issue. Studio is a unique end event where you will use data to shed light on a policy question of your choice using the technical skills and specialized knowledge gained from the program. Guided by the Studio instructor, you will identify data sources, perform data cleaning and analyses, create an issue brief, and present draft iterations of your project to your cohort for feedback and revisions. At the end of the Studio experience, you will present your findings to a panel of faculty and experts.

This course will train students to obtain, clean, manipulate, analyze, map, and visualize spatial and non-spatial data to support their work throughout their urban planning careers. The course emphasizes the critical role of design and communication in effective data storytelling. Students will practice the open-source tools R and QGIS in depth. The course will help students build a strong foundation in working with data that will allow them to learn and master additional programs, languages, and tools toward future goals. This course may require a significant amount of time outside of class periods to work on assignments and the final project, depending on the student’s technical skill level. A personal laptop is required.