Course Overview
🎯 Learning Objectives

By completing this eight-topic course, students will develop the skills required to conduct end-to-end spatial analysis using advanced models and software, and will be equipped to apply these methods to practical problems and high-level research publications.

📚 Reading List

Download the Lecture Outline and Reading List (PDF) for foundational references and topic-by-topic readings.

📋 Assignment Requirements
📦 Additional Resources
Topics & Materials

Topic 1. Introduction to Spatial Modelling and Prediction

GeoAI OPGD GD R Package Spatial Heterogeneity

Why spatial methods are needed for prediction; GeoAI concepts, history, and emerging trends; sustainable infrastructure case study; OPGD model and the GD R package for determinant analysis.

Topic 2. Spatial Modelling for Heterogeneity and Determinant Analysis

GOZH LISP Spatial Stratified Heterogeneity

Concepts of local and spatial stratified heterogeneity; the GOZH model for optimal zone-based analysis; LISP for local driver analysis.

Topic 3. Spatial Modelling for Prediction

Kriging SDA GOS SecDim R Package

General process of spatial prediction; Kriging fundamentals and geostatistics; Second-Dimension Spatial Association (SDA); Geographically Optimal Similarity (GOS) model.

Topic 4. Spatial Patterns for Prediction

Geocomplexity SDO Spatial Patterns

Spatial pattern identification and quantification (clusters, gradients, hotspots); Geocomplexity theory and measurement; Second-Dimension Outliers (SDO) for prediction.

Topic 5. Research Design, Spatial & Remote Sensing Data Collection, and Pre-processing

Research Design Spatial Sampling Google Earth Engine Pre-processing

Experiment design for spatial prediction; data collection strategies; spatial stratified random sampling; pre-processing workflow (missing values, multicollinearity, outliers, normalization).

Topic 6. Spatial Validation Methods

Cross-Validation Block CV NNDM RMSE

Why spatial validation is critical; k-fold cross-validation; spatial block cross-validation; comparison of random CV vs. block CV vs. NNDM approaches.

Topic 7. Spatial Decision-Making and Applications

Entropy Weighting Composite Index Urban Sustainability

Model-based spatial decision-making; entropy-weighting for multi-criteria aggregation; constructing composite urbanization indices; spatial mapping and visualization.

Topic 8. Geospatial Intelligence (GeoAI) and Spatial Big Data for Urban Sustainability

GeoAI Machine Learning GAM caret R Package

GeoAI definition, scope, and history; emerging trends (heterogeneity-aware GeoAI, geo-foundation models, spatial representation learning); machine learning with GAM using the caret package.

Q&A

Answers to students' questions are continuously updated here.

  1. Topic 4
    • analysis code.R, line 27: change sf_data to sf.data
  2. Topic 5
    • Australia extent: ext_aus <- ext(112, 154, -44, -10)
    • China extent: ext_china <- ext(73, 135, 18, 54)
    • Canada: ext_canada <- ext(-141, -52, 41, 83)
    • Europe: ext_europe <- ext(-25, 45, 34, 72)
    • Africa: ext_africa <- ext(-20, 55, -35, 38)
    • South America: ext_south_america <- ext(-82, -34, -56, 13)
    • US: ext_us <- ext(-125, -66.5, 24, 49.5)