Data Visualization with Excel and ArcGIS for Urban Planning

Urban planners must turn complex spatial data and spreadsheets into clear, persuasive narratives for public and professional stakeholders. This text-only course teaches you how to prepare, clean, and format data from Excel and modern GIS platforms to create impactful visual communications. You will learn the foundational principles of data presentation, ensuring your maps and charts are both accurate and easy to read. What you'll learn: Understand core principles of urban data visualization and cartographic design; Format Excel data and build clean, professional charts for planning reports; Prepare and style spatial data using GIS tools to highlight key urban trends; Clean messy datasets to ensure consistency across maps and spreadsheets; Apply modern design best practices to make technical data accessible to the public. You will start with the basic terminology of spatial and tabular data, then progress through step-by-step written exercises that show you how to structure spreadsheets and design clear maps. This course is designed specifically for beginners, with no prior experience in GIS or advanced data analysis required. Start building the skills to present compelling, data-driven urban stories today.