Geospatial Data Analysis and Visualisation in R and Python

A two-day virtual course exclusively for public sector organisations

Register to attend Ordnance Survey's Geospatial Data Analysis and Visualisation in R and Python Course, along with a presentation and discussion with OS’s GeoDataViz team on visualisation design and best practices.

Previously part of the Geospatial Module within the Public Sector Graduate Data Science Programme (2023-2024), this course continues to support the development of geospatial expertise in the public sector.

The course will use OS OpenData and ONS open data, both licensed under the Open Government Licence (OGL) and will take place over two days online on Wednesday 21 May and Thursday 22 May 2025 from 09:30 to 16:30.

Key topics include:

Reading and writing geospatial vector data
Exploratory geospatial data analysis
Visualising spatial and non-spatial distributions
Geospatial grid indexing with the British National Grid
Creating static and interactive maps
Choropleth classification schemes
Presentation and discussion with OS’s GeoDataViz team on geographic data visualisation best practice
Practical examples using OS and Office for National Statistics (ONS) data

Participants can choose to join either the R or Python course, which will run concurrently.

Is this course for you?

This course is ideal if you have a basic understanding of R or Python, including data types, structures, syntax, and packages. Familiarity with tabular data structures like DataFrames is recommended. Even if you are experienced in R or Python but new to geospatial data, you should find the course valuable.

Software requirements

The training will be delivered online via a cloud platform, requiring only a web browser. No local environment setup is needed.

Running the course locally

If you prefer, you can download the course code and data to run in your own R or Python environment. However, OS will not provide support for local setup issues.

Delivery method

The course will be conducted virtually through Microsoft Teams, with R and Python sessions running in parallel.

Agenda

Wednesday 21 May

Time	Topic
09:30 – 09:40	Welcome
09:40 – 10:00	Introduction to Ordnance Survey and the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA)
10:00 – 12:30	Geospatial Data Analysis and Visualisation in R or Python - Training
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 16:30	Geospatial Data Analysis and Visualisation in R or Python - Training

Thursday 22 May

Time	Topic
09:30 – 09:40	Welcome
09:40 – 11:10	Making Sense of Complex Data through Compelling Data Visualisations – Presentation and Discussion on Geographic Data Visualisation (GDV) Best Practices from OS’s GeoDataVis Team
11:10 – 12:30	Geospatial Data Analysis and Visualisation in R or Python - Training
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 16:30	Geospatial Data Analysis and Visualisation in R or Python - Training

Note: There will be breaks approximately every hour during the morning and afternoon sessions.