An open access book focusing on the use of GIS in sustainable urban planning and management includes six chapters containing exercises and GIS data that can be downloaded to learn how to reproduce some of the analyses from the book using QGIS, a free and open source GIS desktop software application.
Each exercise focuses on a particular city and a particular methodology.
Chapter 7 looks at Nicosia, Cyprus and how public places can facilitate social interactions.  Enschede in the Netherlands (Chapter 10) serves as a case study at using GIS to provide children with a tool for recording their perceptions of the urban environment.  Christchurch in New Zealand (Chapter 13) is used to analyze multiple criteria in assessing bike route scores.  Arnhem Nijmegen in the Netherlands (Chapter 15) is the site of a transit oriented development (TOD) analysis.  Using Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)  data for spatial planning is the focus of Chapter 18’s analysis in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Finally, Chapter 19 is a case study in  Kigali, Rwanda of an analysis of spatial relocation options of urban households due to natural disasters-induced displacement.
The book, published by CRC Press based in Leiden is freely available as an open access book or can be purchased in hard copy format.  The GIS data and exercises are available from the  GIS in Sustainable Urban Planning and Management: Exercises and materials page.
