Training Course on Spatial Planning and Land Management with GIS

Course Overview
Effective spatial planning and land management are essential for sustainable urban growth, environmental conservation, infrastructure development, and conflict reduction over land use. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide powerful tools for land use analysis, planning decision support, zoning regulation, and land tenure mapping.
This course introduces participants to the core principles and applications of GIS in spatial planning and land management. Participants will explore how spatial data can be used to guide development, allocate land use functions, manage competing interests, and support land administration systems. The course emphasizes participatory planning approaches and the integration of socio-economic, environmental, and legal data for informed decision-making.
Hands-on sessions include practical skills in land use classification, suitability analysis, zoning map creation, change detection, and participatory mapping for community-based land planning. Participants will also examine real-world case studies involving urban expansion, rural land allocation, customary land rights mapping, and land conflict resolution.
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Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
•Understand the fundamentals of spatial planning and land management
•Use GIS tools to support zoning, land use planning, and tenure mapping
•Perform spatial analysis for land suitability, allocation, and change detection
•Develop spatial development plans and policy maps using GIS
•Support land information systems and cadastral mapping
•Engage stakeholders in participatory land planning processes
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Target Audience
This course is designed for:
•Urban and regional planners
•Land surveyors and cartographers
•GIS analysts and spatial data managers
•Municipal and county land officers
•Environmental planners and policy advisors
•Development agencies and land reform program teams
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Training Methodology
•Instructor-led technical sessions and demonstrations
•Hands-on GIS labs with real-world datasets
•Case studies of urban and rural planning applications
•Group exercises in participatory mapping and plan development
•Final project involving spatial analysis and planning output presentation
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Expected Outcomes
Participants will:
•Gain practical GIS skills applicable to land and spatial planning
•Be equipped to support land governance and land use policy decisions
•Learn to analyze, interpret, and communicate spatial data for planning
•Produce planning maps, zoning models, and land use change reports
•Understand integration of GIS with land information management systems.