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Department of Spatial Planning
BSc: Seminar and Lab

Computer Science for Planners

Fundamental knowledge in computer science is an important qualification for empirically working spatial scientists and spatial planners in today's research landscape. Usually, this knowledge is imparted in an unsystematic form by non-computer scientists within the framework of applied, practically oriented hands-on seminars and labs. The course offered by the Spatial Modelling Lab is designed to give non-technical students a systematic understanding of basic computer science concepts. This enables students to implement and automate their own spatial planning-relevant research designs, even if current methods may not be available in software packages. The learning process is supported by the use of Java, which is object-oriented and user-friendly, but still sufficiently hardware-oriented to get a good grasp of the concepts taught. The latter is important in order to familiarise the students with the implications of their practical programming activities. The topics covered include:

  • Basic concepts of computer science
  • Object-oriented programming
  • Introduction to theoretical computer science
  • Introduction to Graph Theory

Course Leader