午夜剧场

Fundamental Course | Economic Geography

This course aims to develop the ability to understand and analyze socioeconomic issues related to the "space" of cities and regions. A powerful tool for analyzing socioeconomic issues related to space is the Geographic Information System (GIS). The strength of GIS lies not only in its ability to visualize (map) spatial information but also in its capacity to perform analyses based on spatial relationships. GIS is highly versatile and is used in various fields, and its application in economic analysis is also increasing. Many policy issues in areas such as healthcare, the environment, transportation, welfare, and disaster prevention are closely related to the spatial structure of cities and regions. By utilizing rapidly advancing GIS and spatial data, it is possible to analyze various urban and regional problems from a new perspective. In the spring semester, students will learn the fundamentals and applications of GIS using ArcGIS (GIS software). Students will also learn how to use spatial data that can be downloaded for free from sources like the Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat) and the National Land Numerical Information download service. In the fall semester, students will continue to learn the fundamentals and applications of GIS. In particular, the course will focus on spatial statistical tools. Students will then practice conducting urban and regional economic analysis using GIS and spatial data. Classes are held in a computer room equipped with an interactive support system.

(Professor Mizuki Kawabata)