Creating Maps with R

Learn how to import your data directly from Excel and use it to create both static and interactive maps.

Introduction

• Why create maps with R?
• Base knowledge
• GitHub repository and exercise files

1. Mapping Fundamentals

• How to choose a map
• Geo marker and scatter plots
• Geo bubble charts
• Choropleth: Shaded area maps
• Hexbin maps or hexagonally binned choropleth
• Dot density
• Cartograms: Distorted area maps

2. Processing GIS Data from Excel

• Standardize country names with {countrycode}
• Join shapefiles with data in Excel files
• Convert addresses to coordinates with geocoding
• Challenge: Geolocate all US state capitol buildings
• Solution: Geolocate all US state capitol buildings

3. Working with GIS Data Formats

• GIS data formats: Raster or vector
• Vector GIS data: sf and sp
• Work with sf datasets and the tidyverse
• Challenge: Visualizing continent populations
• Solution: Visualizing continent populations

4. Static Maps with ggplot2

• Use geom_sf to visualize geo locations
• ggplot2 choropleth and continuous data
• ggplot2 choropleth and discrete data
• Label maps with ggrepel package
• Zoom into regions with coords_sf()
• Transform CRS with coord_sf()
• Challenge: Label a geobubble chart of Germany's biggest cities
• Solution: Label a geobubble chart of Germany's biggest cities
• Challenge: Visualize state coastline length with choropleth
• Solution: Visualize state coastline length with choropleth

5. Interactive Maps with Leaflet

• The basics of using Leaflet
• Use Leaflet to visualize geo locations
• Add labels and pop-ups to Leaflet maps
• Leaflet choropleth and continuous data
• Leaflet choropleth and discontinuous data
• Set a background color with leaflet.extras
• Challenge: Add pop-up labels to a map of German cities
• Solution: Add pop-up labels to a map of German cities
• Challenge: Interactive choropleth of state coastline length
• Solution: Interactive choropleth of state coastline length

6. CRS, Projections, and Map Tiles

• Base maps and tiles
• What are projections and CRS?
• Geographics vs. projected CRS
• How to choose CRS and use them with {sf}

Conclusion

• What else can you learn about creating maps in R?