Review industry-standard and emerging data design technologies for today's natural resource and land use planning. Learn to identify poor data design characteristics, convert logical data definitions and relationships to physical data design, prepare a plan for efficient data loading and manage quality assurance. Analyze real-world examples, including green site selection, government service delivery and sustainability projects. Discuss tabular, spatial, document, image and other types of data formats, as well as new challenges in integrating data of different sources, qualities, scales and complexities. Examine prevailing application development methodologies, such as:

• Interpreting and documenting business requirements
• Modeling data relationships
• Database language options
• Data population
• Database administration

Participants will propose, design and populate a database of their choice using spatial and other forms of data.

This course is intended for professionals who desire to include GIS as a tool in land use and resource planning efforts, and will also be beneficial to anyone with a strong desire to incorporate GIS database design and maintenance technology in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The course is directed at those who have a working knowledge of ArcGIS; it is highly recommended that students have experience using ArcGIS or take Introduction to Geographic Information Systems prior to undertaking this course.

Course Format and Pacing
This fully online course is delivered through Canvas, UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, and includes approximately 20 hours of instruction. Content is presented through a combination of pre-recorded lectures and mandatory live Zoom sessions with the instructor(s).

Industry-Leading Software
ArcGIS Pro is a premier geographic information system (GIS) platform used by professionals worldwide in environmental science, urban planning, natural resource management, and more. Students gain hands-on experience with powerful mapping and spatial analysis tools, developing skills that are highly valued in industries requiring data visualization, geospatial analysis, and location-based decision-making.

Software Requirements
ArcGIS Pro runs on Windows and requires installation using a student license provided prior to the course start, along with detailed licensing and installation instructions. Students must use a personal laptop with at least 8GB of RAM and a dual-core, 64-bit processor capable of running Windows 11. Mac users will need Windows 11 installed via Boot Camp, Parallels, VirtualBox, or another virtualization tool (see instructions). To avoid technical issues, students should install the software early and ensure their system meets the minimum requirements.