The QGIS Environmental Plan Course shows you how to effectively combine theory and practice related to environmental planning. You’ll gain insight into the structure of the environmental plan, the Environmental Act, DSO, and STOP/TPOD, and learn how these are translated into geographic data. In QGIS, you’ll get hands-on experience opening GML files, reviewing existing plans, and drawing geometries that comply with current standards. You’ll also be introduced to Rx.Base and learn how to link rules and geometries.
Would you like to learn how to create environmental plans that are technically accurate and practically applicable using GIS? In the QGIS Environmental Plan course, you’ll learn how to translate the theory of the Environmental Act into workable geometries in QGIS. You’ll gain insight into the structure of the environmental plan and discover how GIS plays a central role in creating, managing, and delivering planning information.
The Environmental Act calls for a new way of working with spatial plans. Zoning plans are being replaced by a single integrated environmental plan, in which functions, activities, and standards converge legally and geographically. In this course, you will learn how to read, compare, and use environmental plans and existing zoning plans as a basis for new planning.
QGIS forms the core of the practical component. You will learn how to open, analyze, and edit GML files, how to draw areas of operation, and how to construct geometries according to the STOP/TPOD standards. This will give you a firm grasp of the technical aspects of the environmental plan without losing sight of the legal framework.
You’ll also be introduced to Rx.Base, the planning software where rules and geometries come together. You’ll see how rules are logically linked to locations and how QGIS and Rx.Base work together within the environmental planning process. This will help you understand not only what you’re drawing, but also why.
What will you learn in the QGIS Environmental Plan course?
In this course, you’ll learn step by step how environmental plans are structured and how to technically develop them using QGIS. You’ll start with the basics of spatial planning and the Environmental Act and immediately apply this knowledge in practice.
Among other things, you’ll work with:
Concepts such as functions, designations, standards, and activities
Viewing and analyzing zoning and environmental plans
Opening and editing GML files in QGIS
Drawing service areas according to STOP/TPOD
Processing standards and attributes
The basics of Rx.Base and linking rules to geometries
Basic knowledge of QGIS, as covered in the QGIS Basics course, is recommended as a prerequisite.
Why choose the QGIS Environmental Plan course?
This course is unique because it truly brings together theory and practice regarding the environmental plan. No isolated GIS exercises, but working with real plans, standards, and workflows that municipalities and consulting firms use on a daily basis.
You will learn, among other things:
How the environmental plan is structured legally and technically
How QGIS is used within the DSO and STOP/TPOD
How to create geometries suitable for submission
How QGIS and Rx.Base come together in the planning process
The course is practical, up-to-date, and immediately applicable.
Who is this course intended for?
This course is intended for beginners, trainees, and GIS users who want to work on environmental plans within municipalities or consulting firms. Do you already have basic knowledge of QGIS or another GIS package and want to understand how your GIS work contributes to the environmental plan? Then this course is a logical and future-proof step.
Day 1 – Fundamentals of the Environmental Plan & Working in QGIS
On the first day, you’ll lay a solid foundation in the subject matter. You’ll gain an understanding of what spatial plans are and how zoning plans and environmental plans are structured. We’ll cover key concepts such as functions, designations, standards, dimensions, and activities, and place them within the context of the Environment Act, the DSO, and STOP/TPOD.
After that, you’ll get hands-on experience in QGIS: you’ll learn where to find plans, how to open and read GML files, and how to analyze existing zoning and environmental plans. Finally, you’ll take your first steps in drawing and modifying areas of operation in QGIS.
Day 2 – In-depth coverage, standards, and integration with Rx.Base
On the second day, you’ll delve into the approach and strategy behind the environmental plan. You’ll learn about the choices municipalities make, such as whether to work with the entire administrative area or specific sub-areas, the use of the “dowry” (existing data), and whether to apply standard rules or customized solutions.
You will then continue working with QGIS by extracting standards from plans, structuring attribute tables, and preparing them for further processing. You will receive a demo of Rx.Base and learn how geometries and rules are logically linked. By the end of the day, you will have a clear understanding of the entire process: from plan content and geometry in QGIS to rule linking in planning software.
Do you understand the structure and terminology of the environmental plan, and can you work with concepts such as functions, designations, activities, and standards within the context of the Environment Act?
Can you open, read, and analyze zoning and environmental plans in QGIS, including working with GML files?
Are you able to draw legally and technically correct geometries in QGIS according to the STOP/TPOD standards?
You can use QGIS and Rx.Base to link geometries and rules, ensuring that plans are suitable for use within the DSO.
Want to know more?
Do you have questions about the course content? Or are you unsure whether the course aligns with your learning goals or preferences? Would you prefer an in-house or private course? We’d be happy to help.
Frequently Asked Questions About the QGIS Environmental Planning Course
A zoning plan focuses primarily on land uses and regulations for individual parcels, whereas the environmental plan provides a single, comprehensive legal framework for the entire physical living environment. The environmental plan brings together functions, activities, standards, and rules into a single coherent plan. Many municipalities are gradually converting existing zoning plans into environmental plans, with GIS playing a key role in managing and reusing geometries.
QGIS is the tool used to create the geographic foundation of the environmental plan. You use the program to open GML files, draw areas of operation, and verify geometries in accordance with the STOP/TPOD standards. QGIS is particularly indispensable when converting zoning plans into environmental plans, as it allows you to accurately transfer and adapt existing plan information.
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Yes. In this course, you will learn how to review, analyze, and use zoning plans as a starting point for the environmental plan. You will see how land uses, designations, and standards are extracted from existing plans and translated into new areas of application within the environmental plan. This directly aligns with the practices of municipalities that are transitioning in phases.
Absolutely. In addition to QGIS, you’ll be introduced to Rx.Base, the planning software that integrates regulations and geometries. You’ll learn how to logically link QGIS work areas to legal regulations, ensuring that the environmental plan is technically and substantively accurate within the DSO.
This course is particularly suitable for newcomers, trainees, and GIS specialists involved in drafting or converting plans. If you work for a municipality or consulting firm on the transition from zoning plans to environmental plans and want to understand how your GIS work fits into the legal and administrative process, then this course is perfectly tailored to your daily work.
Yes, prior knowledge of QGIS is highly recommended. Check out our QGIS basics course.
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