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A practical course on using open geospatial data and OpenStreetMap efficiently in ArcGIS Pro. Participants learn how to find suitable data sources, assess their quality and terms of use, and download, prepare, and visualise the data for their own GIS projects.
You will receive a structured introduction to the open-data concept, important geospatial data portals, and the use of OpenStreetMap as a GIS data source. You will learn how to integrate different data formats and services into ArcGIS Pro and assess open datasets based on their metadata, spatial coverage, currency, and licensing conditions.
By the end of the course, you will be able to find open geospatial data and OpenStreetMap content, use it appropriately, and integrate it efficiently into your own ArcGIS projects.
• Find suitable open-data portals and geospatial data sources
• Assess the availability, quality, and suitability of open datasets
• Research data provided by federal and regional surveying authorities
• Integrate open data from ArcGIS-based portals into ArcGIS Pro
• Understand the structure and data model of OpenStreetMap
• Download OSM data for selected areas and themes
• Process different data formats and web services
• Observe licensing, attribution, and documentation requirements
• Basic knowledge of ArcGIS Pro
• A fundamental understanding of layers, attribute tables, and coordinate systems
• Experience opening, displaying, and saving geospatial data
• No programming experience is required
*We customize the course outline and content to your specific needs and relevant use cases.
Module 1: Introduction to Open Data
• Definition, fundamental principles, and aims of open data
• Importance of open data for public administration, planning, research, and business
• Differences between open data, publicly accessible data, and commercial data
• Typical providers and categories of open geospatial data
• Opportunities and limitations when using external data sources
• Fundamental criteria for selecting suitable datasets
Module 2: Open-Data Portals and Data Research
• Structure and operation of open-data portals
• Searching by topic, region, format, and responsible organisation
• Using metadata and dataset descriptions
• Assessing the spatial and temporal coverage of a dataset
• Checking currency, completeness, and accuracy
• Distinguishing downloads from web-based access services
• Documenting data sources and research results clearly
Module 3: Esri Open Data and ArcGIS-Based Data Portals
• Finding open data in ArcGIS-based portals
• Searching for datasets through maps, catalogues, and search functions
• Examining content through previews
• Assessing attribute information and metadata
• Downloading data or accessing it through services
• Selecting suitable formats for ArcGIS Pro
• Adding discovered content to maps and projects
Module 4: Open Geospatial Data from National and Regional Authorities
• Exploring data provided by national mapping and geodetic authorities
• Finding data from regional surveying agencies and spatial data infrastructures
• Typical datasets such as administrative boundaries, terrain, landscape, and base data
• Differences between nationwide and regional data offerings
• Obtaining data through downloads and geospatial services
• Considering coordinate systems and spatial reference systems
• Combining data from different providers
Module 5: Data Formats and Services in ArcGIS Pro
• Understanding common open geospatial data formats
• Distinguishing vector, raster, and tabular data
• Adding GeoJSON, CSV, Shapefile, GeoPackage, and other formats
• Using web services and feature services
• Importing data and storing it in a geodatabase
• Defining coordinate systems and projecting data
• Checking attribute fields, data types, and geometries
• Preparing incomplete or inconsistent datasets for use
Module 6: OpenStreetMap as a GIS Data Source
• Origins and fundamental principles of OpenStreetMap
• Opportunities and limitations of community-generated geospatial data
• Structure of the OSM data model
• Understanding nodes, ways, and relations
• Using tags, keys, and values to describe features
• Typical OSM content such as roads, buildings, facilities, and land use
• Considering differences in coverage and data quality
• Identifying suitable applications for OSM data
Module 7: Obtaining OpenStreetMap Data
• Selecting suitable download and query methods
• Downloading OSM data for defined geographical areas
• Selecting data by tags and feature types
• Distinguishing complete extracts from thematic datasets
• Opening and converting OSM data in ArcGIS Pro
• Processing point, line, and polygon features separately
• Cleaning attributes and selecting relevant information
• Preparing data for mapping, analysis, and further processing
Module 8: Data Quality, Licensing, and Attribution
• Recognising quality differences between data sources
• Assessing accuracy, currency, completeness, and consistency
• Validating data through practical sampling
• Understanding the fundamental principles of open-data licences
• Observing OpenStreetMap licensing requirements
• Providing the necessary source and copyright attribution
• Checking conditions for redistribution, modification, and publication
• Documenting data provenance and processing steps
Module 9: Practical Project – Open Data in an ArcGIS Project
• Selecting a suitable open-data source for a specific question
• Obtaining data from a portal or service
• Downloading complementary OpenStreetMap data
• Importing and preparing the datasets in ArcGIS Pro
• Aligning coordinate systems and attribute structures
• Combining and visualising the datasets
• Assessing the quality and limitations of the results
• Documenting sources and licensing information for further use
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