EdX

Introduction to Urban Geo-Informatics (edX)

Introduction to Urban Geo-Informatics (edX)

Learning about geospatial technologies, such as GIS, Remote Sensing, GNSS and Underground Mapping, to solve urban environmental issues. In this course, you will explore various technologies involved in Geo-Informatics, how the technologies help us to retrieve spatial data, and more importantly how the geographical data becomes the information used in decision making.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

“Where does geographical data come from?”
“How do we monitor our environment?”
“How do we navigate with our phones?”
“What is happening beneath our feet?”
These are just some of the questions that crop up every so often as we wander around the streets of our urban metropolises. Many of the technologies we used, many of the decisions we made are based on spatial data, most of which are acquired from Geospatial Technologies. This data and the interpretation of the data is known as “Geo-Informatics”.

You will explore the fields of Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS, and Underground Mapping. Additionally, the concept of Smart City and the Urban Environment will be introduced to you. From this, you will gain an understanding of how these technologies help us to shape and understand the world that we are living in.

What you'll learn

  • Issues surrounding the Urban Environment
  • History and skills involved in the different Geospatial Technologies (Remote Sensing, GIS, GNSS, Underground Mapping)
  • Discover how Geospatial data is collected, analyzed and used to shape our world

Syllabus

Week 1: The Urban Environment
Introduction to the urban environment and its issues.

Week 2: GIS
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS); its role and how data are analysed inside a GIS, the applications of GIS and how it is integrated into our lives.

Week 3: Remote Sensing
Introduction to Remote Sensing; its history and techniques, how data are acquired through Remote Sensing technologies and how they are processed.

Week 4: Underground Survey & Mapping
Introduction to methods for Underground Mapping, how to see the unseen.

Week 5: Navigational Systems
Introduction to how we position ourselves on Earth, how we navigate through our surroundings, and the different Systems.

Week 6: Smart Cities
Introduction to what is a Smart City, where Big Data come from, and how we can use Big Data to shape our world.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Cities and the Challenge of Sustainable Development (edX) EdX
SDGAcademyX,SDG Academy

Cities and the Challenge of Sustainable Development (edX)

What is a sustainable city? Learn the basics here. According to the United Nations, urbanization and population growth could result in an increase of 2.5 billion people into urban populations by 2050, with associated impacts ranging from increased transportation needs to more building. How do we make cities sustainable to support this growth?

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Éléments de Géomatique (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Éléments de Géomatique (Coursera)

Les nouvelles technologies de l’information ont facilité l’accès à de nombreuses bases de données offrant au grand public, mais surtout aux professionnels, une multitude de services. Le domaine de l’information géographique a également suivi ce mouvement en modernisant l’ensemble des supports, des plans, des cartes topographiques et de tous les types de données à référence spatiale. Face au déploiement massif des cartes numériques et des nombreux services basés sur la localisation, il s’agit de rester critique et surtout de développer les capacités nécessaires afin de choisir les outils et jeux de géodonnées adaptés aux besoins professionnels.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Sustainable Urban Environments (edX) EdX
Trinity College, Hartford,TrinityX

Sustainable Urban Environments (edX)

Learn how integrated systems and individual actions can shape sustainable cities, generating higher quality of life for the future. How can we strengthen sustainability? By empowering individuals and communities to transform and balance dynamic natural resources, economic prosperity, and healthy populations. In this course, you’ll explore productive and disruptive social, ecological, and economic intersections – the “triple bottom line.”

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks
Nature Based Metropolitan Solutions (edX) EdX
Wageningen University,Delft University of Technology,DelftX,WageningenX

Nature Based Metropolitan Solutions (edX)

Discover the potential benefits of nature-based solutions (NBS) in metropolitan areas and develop strategies for their implementation. How can ecosystems contribute to quality of life and a more livable, healthier and more resilient urban environment? This course establishes the priorities and highlights the direct values of including principles based on natural processes in urban planning and design.

Oct 27th 2021
5-12 Weeks
3D GIS (edX) EdX
University of Alaska Fairbanks,AlaskaX

3D GIS (edX)

Take your maps into the third dimension: Learn GIS concepts and tools to visualize, analyze, and interpret spatial data in 3D. Reveal patterns that can lead to better decision making. Maps are graphic representations of reality and help us understand and navigate the world around us. Maps can incorporate third dimension through contours, hillshading (3D modeling), and profile views.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
GIS Image Analysis in ArcGIS Pro (edX) EdX
University of Alaska Fairbanks,AlaskaX

GIS Image Analysis in ArcGIS Pro (edX)

Learn fundamentals of remote sensing, image analysis, image processing and its application on real-world problems such as vegetation health, wildfire severity, and flooding. Image analysis is extraction of meaningful information from an image to accomplish a simple task like understanding the landscape or to solve a complex problem like face recognition.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Smart Cities, Management of Smart Urban Infrastructures (edX) EdX
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,EPFLx

Smart Cities, Management of Smart Urban Infrastructures (edX)

In the era of Smart Cities, learn the principles of urban infrastructure management and find ways to incorporate smart technologies into legacy infrastructures. Over the past few years, advancements in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have significantly challenged the traditionally stable landscape of urban infrastructure services. The result is an increasing interest in the transitioning of cities towards so-called “smart cities” – an interest expressed both by technology vendors and public authorities.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Spatial Analysis and Satellite Imagery in a GIS (Coursera) Coursera
University of Toronto

Spatial Analysis and Satellite Imagery in a GIS (Coursera)

In this course, you will learn how to analyze map data using different data types and methods to answer geographic questions. First, you will learn how to filter a data set using different types of queries to find just the data you need to answer a particular question. Then, we will discuss simple yet powerful analysis methods that use vector data to find spatial relationships within and between data sets.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks