Spatial analysis, GIS and digital cartography: a training to integrate ARCO’s services

Spatial analysis have become increasingly important in development projects due to their ability to transform geographic data into visual representations. With Geo-spatial analysis we aim at defining a set of methodologies, tools and data through which it is possible to offer a cartographic representation of spatial phenomena, and to perform statistical analysis onto data having a known geographic and spatial extent.

The analysis are performed using software that can process large quantities of spatial and geo-referenced data collected in the field or from GIS, Geographic Information Systems (Geographic Information Systems), Geomatics or satellite images. The graphic and visual elaboration of the process can take place in many ways: through graphs, tables but more interestingly in maps on which it is possible to show geographic phenomena both in their temporal and spatial evolution.

GIS can show many different types of data on a map, such as roads, buildings and vegetation. This allows people to see, analyze and understand patterns and relationships more easily. Source:  National Geographic

Thanks to their versatility, GIS find an increasingly important place also in cooperation and development projects in developing countries, but not only. ARCO researchers participated to a training  to deepen the potential of GIS in the different phases of planning together with Filippo Randelli, Associate Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Florence and member of the Scientific Committee of ARCO, and Federico Martellozzo, Associate Professor at the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Florence and ARCO Research Fellow.

The training focused on the elaboration of GIS tools to map and clearly show the world for “how it appears”: i.e. mapping the spatial location of real-world features, visualizing their spatial interrelations, mapping the properties of geographical entities and of what is in their vicinities. But also to perform geo-statitical analysis so to produce “new inference” based on the observation of how geographical objects synergetically interact and evolve through space and time.

Two examples of GIS and spatial analysis in development projects