Welcome - Let’s get started

This section is an introduction to spatial Python, starting with the basics of Python programming. It covers the setup of a standard Python environment and provides an introductory example to help learners get acquainted with Python concepts. The section encourages learners to explore further and learn more about spatial Python methods beyond the basics.

Learning Objectives

• Describe what Python is and why it is useful for spatial analysis

• Set up and navigate a standard Python programming environment

• Utilize and extend the Python programming language

• Build the core programming foundation used throughout the rest of the book

This section is your on-ramp to spatial Python. Before we touch any spatial data, we’ll answer a few basic questions — what is Python? and how do we use it? — and get a standard Python environment up and running so you’re ready for everything that follows.

A quick word on why I care about this: Python is the backbone of my own research. I use these same open source tools every day to work with satellite imagery, track land-use change, and study environmental and social processes across the globe. Everything in this book comes from methods I actually rely on — my hope is that by the end you’ll be able to point them at your own questions.