What is GIS in Environmental Justice? GIS is a digital mapping technology that captures, stores, analyzes, and visualizes spatial or geographic data. In the realm of Environmental Justice (EJ), GIS helps to pinpoint where environmental hazards overlap with vulnerable populations.…
In the era of high-tech satellites and AI-driven analytics, there’s a growing movement to ensure that the voices of local communities and indigenous peoples are not lost in the digital mapping revolution. Participatory GIS (PGIS) and Traditional Knowledge GIS (TK-GIS)…
Understanding the Uncertain Geographic Context Problem (UGCoP): A Hidden Challenge in Spatial Analysis In spatial data science, we often trust the boundaries we work with — census tracts, zip codes, city limits — to define meaningful geographic contexts for analysis.…
Detailed Guide to Vector Data Formats in GIS What is Vector Data? Vector data represents real-world features using geometric shapes: Each vector feature also contains attributes (non-spatial data) like names, IDs, or categories. 1. Shapefile (.shp) Overview: Strengths: Limitations: Common…
1. DJI Terra 2. Pix4D Mapper 3. DroneDeploy 4. Agisoft Metashape 5. WebODM / OpenDroneMap (Open Source) Bonus Tools to Consider:
1. Esri’s “GIS Basics” Course 2. Coursera – “Fundamentals of GIS” (by UC Davis) 3. QGIS for Beginners (Udemy 4. OpenCourseWare – Penn State: “Geographic Information Systems” 5. LinkedIn Learning – “Learning GIS”
1. Esri Academy – Free Courses 2. QGIS Training Manual (Official) 3. Coursera – Audit Free GIS Courses 4. [YouTube Channels – GIS Mapping Tutorials] 5. OpenCourseWare – Penn State GIS Series Free Tools You’ll Need:
1. QGIS (Quantum GIS) 2. GRASS GIS 3. gvSIG 4. MapServer 5. GeoServer 6. OpenLayers 7. Leaflet 8. SAGA GIS 9. uDig (User-Friendly Desktop Internet GIS) 10. WhiteboxTools / Whitebox GAT Bonus: Free Geospatial Data Sources
Big Data refers to datasets so large, fast, or complex that traditional data-processing methods struggle to handle them. It is commonly characterized by the “3Vs”: volume (extreme size), velocity (rapid generation and processing), and variety (diverse formats). Geographic Information Systems…
3D GIS refers to geographic information systems that represent and analyze spatial data in three dimensions (including height/elevation). It enables realistic 3D maps and models of the natural and built environment, enhancing decision-making. For example, Esri notes that 3D GIS…

Gabby Jones
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