William Hegman

Human Geography with GIS
How do geographers study spatial interactions between people and the environment? How does socio-economic status relate to spatial patterns of settlement, social organization, access to resources, and exposure to risks? How can geographic information systems (GIS) help geographers explain these spatial patterns and processes? In this course we will apply GIS to a wide range of topics in human geography including urban, environmental, political, hazards, and health. We will learn how to gather, create, analyze, visualize, and critically interpret geographic data through tutorials, collaborative labs, and independent work that culminate in cartographic layouts of our results. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.

Visualizing Our Future: Using Mapping Charrettes to Support Local Planning
Municipal participation is part of New England culture and considered unique in land management. This participation is oftentimes spirited; the pressure for planners to answer simple questions arising from stakeholder meetings can be daunting. For instance: how well does public transport serve communities of color? Or: where is residential development likely to happen? These inquiries require immediate visualization—but how do we make results understandable to non-experts? In this course we’ll explore spatial questions confronting planners and produce meaningful graphics quickly. Students will encounter diverse, real-world problems in New England and evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of their mapmaking decisions.