OVERVIEW

The class illustrates the characteristics of digital cartography, where to find it and how to display, interrogate, integrate it with current geo-services available via the web and analyse it using free and open source GIS (Geographic Information System) software. The approach is very operative, with computer exercises applied to natural territory, marine-coastal environment or urban area, in different interdisciplinary fields of study.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides the operational tools for basic research, visualization, interrogation, management and spatial analysis of digital-based cartography and of the most common geo-referenced data sources. It allows to address concrete applications in different areas of study of the urban and natural environment.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Theoretical-practical acquisition of management techniques and simple analysis of geo-referenced spatial data.

Ability to work in a team and to solve concrete and interdisciplinary applications in the different areas of support to land and environment management as well as decision support, from urban planning, geotechnics, hydrology, hydraulics and transport, as well as the management of inspections or surveys on digital cartographic support.

Ability to analyze the results according to the metric resolution of the data.

Use of Free and Open Source GIS software in accordance with the directive of the Minister for Innovation and Technology of 19 December 2003 which encourages the use of these technologies.

PREREQUISITES

none

TEACHING METHODS

Theoretical lessons followed by computer classroom lessons to put these notions into practice.

The course is held in Italian but slides and bibliographical references are available in English.

In the second semester of the academic year 2020-2021, lectures will be conducted in a hybrid format: 2 hours of practical exercises in person on Monday mornings and 3 hours more theoretical lectures at a distance on Monday afternoons. Anyway, all 5 hours of lessons will be broadcast by Teams and recorded.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction to GIS tools

Geographic Information Systems (GIS): basic operating logic and functionality, overview of application areas, main existing software (in particular Free and Open Source)

Digital mapping: conceptual and logical data models (raster and vector, fields and entities), nominal scale and resolution, hints at topology, metadata and European directive INSPIRE

Recall to the most widely used reference systems and cartographic projections

Reference systems and cartographic projections: their characteristics, the EPSG international codes, the georeferencing process

GIS data sources

The official Italian cartography: characteristics and availability

Digital Terrain Models (DTM): characteristics, data structures, (interpolation methods)

Photos and Orthophotos: information on optical characteristics, acquisition procedures, storage formats, orthophotos and satellite images

Notes on LiDAR and GNSS data

Introduction to GeoWebServices: Availability and use of geographical data via web.

Introduction to GeoDataBases: their structure and SQL queries

Introduction to QuantumGIS

Project setup and data import in QGIS

Visualization and integration of different data sources

Importing WMS services and importing OpenStreetMap data

Management and simple analysis of DTMs

Image management and georeferencing

Print layout creation

Operative exercises including:

Morphological analysis of a Digital Terrain Model and Basin analysis

Management and analysis of river sections and/or flooded areas

Analysis of the susceptibility to landslide instability of a territory based on geomorphological, environmental and human factors predisposing the landslide instability

Cartography analysis of hydro-geological susceptibility and impact on buildings and/or population (ISTAT data)

Analysis of the building of a residential centre from the point of view of age, type of structure, architectural constraints, ...

Analysis of the transformations of the territory through the comparison of technical and thematic cartography or georeferenced historical photographs.

Analysis of transport network for spatial planning or emergency management or tourism

Spatial analysis of observed data for monitoring the environment

Management of data from field surveys (GPS tracks and photographs)

Guided application for publishing GIS maps on the web

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lecture notes and material provided by the teacher.

Texts for consultation:

Burrough P.A., McDonnel R.A., Principles of Geographical Information Systems, Oxford University Press, 1998.

Longley P.A., Goodchild M.F., Maguire D.J., Rhind D.W., Geographic Information Science and Systems, Ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2015, ISBN: 1118676955, 9781118676950.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

BIANCA FEDERICI (President)

ILARIA FERRANDO

SARA GAGLIOLO

STEFANIA VIAGGIO

DOMENICO SGUERSO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

beginning of the second semester

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam (in Italian or English), with presentation of an application realized by the students in small groups.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam includes an oral test, with presentation and discussion of an application made in small groups aimed at a deepening of a guided exercise carried out during the course. In this test will be ascertained also the theoretical knowledge of some fundamental concepts for a correct management of the geographic data, such as the reference systems and the cartographic projections, the resolutions and accuracies, and of some techniques of elaboration of the same.

Exam schedule