[GIS] Seeking Python tools/modules/add-ins for GIS

pythonsoftware-recommendations

With ArcGIS 10, Python has become the de-facto scripting language for ESRI. While leading Open source software like QGIS, GeoServer, PostGIS all supports Python. Thus it became important to know/learn Python for GIS developers a well as users.

Can anybody make a list of such tools/modules/add-ins in Python that are crucial in GIS?

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NumPy: NumPy is the fundamental package for scientific computing with Python. It contains among other things:
- a powerful N-dimensional array object
- sophisticated (broadcasting) functions
- tools for integrating C/C++ and Fortran code
- useful linear algebra, Fourier transform, and random number capabilities
Besides its obvious scientific uses, NumPy can also be used as an efficient multi-dimensional container of generic data. Arbitrary data-types can be defined. This allows NumPy to seamlessly and speedily integrate with a wide variety of databases.
SciPy: SciPy (pronounced "Sigh Pie") is open-source software for mathematics, science, and engineering. It is also the name of a very popular conference on scientific programming with Python. The SciPy library depends on NumPy, which provides convenient and fast N-dimensional array manipulation. The SciPy library is built to work with NumPy arrays, and provides many user-friendly and efficient numerical routines such as routines for numerical integration and optimization. Together, they run on all popular operating systems, are quick to install, and are free of charge. NumPy and SciPy are easy to use, but powerful enough to be depended upon by some of the world's leading scientists and engineers. If you need to manipulate numbers on a computer and display or publish the results, give SciPy a try!
Shapely: Shapely is a BSD-licensed Python package for manipulation and analysis of planar geometric objects. It is based on the widely deployed GEOS (the engine of PostGIS) and JTS (from which GEOS is ported) libraries. This C dependency is traded for the ability to execute with blazing speed. Shapely is not concerned with data formats or coordinate systems, but can be readily integrated with packages that are.
GDAL Python bindings: This Python package and extensions are a number of tools for programming and manipulating the GDAL Geospatial Data Abstraction Library.
GeoDjango: GeoDjango intends to be a world-class geographic Web framework. Its goal is to make it as easy as possible to build GIS Web applications and harness the power of spatially enabled data.
PyProj
SpatialPython: Nicely documented github repository.

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[GIS] Seeking tools for regionalization/redistricting

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Follow-up with some other non-commercial web apps people have been developing:

Florida is rolling their own MyDistrictBuilder web ap: http://www.floridaredistricting.org/ (app may be at http://floridaredistricting.cloudapp.net/MyDistrictBuilder.aspx, website claims they'll have public testing in March)
Profs. Altman and McDonald are developing the open-source DistrictBuilder: http://www.publicmapping.org/ (demo at https://demo.publicmapping.org/)
Something else from the Fuzzy Tolerance blog: http://fuzzytolerance.info/code/lightweight-redistricting-with-openlayers-part-ii/ (demo here: http://maps.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/redistricting/)

The open software TerraView (http://www.dpi.inpe.br/terraview_eng/index.php) has a regionalization method called SKATER. It's description can be found here:

Assunção, Renato M., et al. "Efficient regionalization techniques for socio‐economic geographical units using minimum spanning trees." International Journal of Geographical Information Science 20.7 (2006): 797-811. Available at: http://www.dpi.inpe.br/gilberto/papers/assuncao_neves_camara_ijgis.pdf

The same method is also available in Python package regionskate (pypi, github).

Python's PySAL library supports regionalization. It uses the max-p algorithm that does not force the user to specify a priori the number of regions (which is often the case in other methods).

David Martin's (University of Southampton) AZTool is another option. Software has a solid methodology behind it and I presume it can handle large datasets since it has been used:

... by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to create the 2001 Census output geographies for England and Wales

NCRM has some online learning resources that cover the topic.

[GIS] Seeking GIS tools for simulating landscape fragmentation

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I would recommend either Qrule or SIMMAP. The suitability of a given model is dependent on what type of neutral landscape structure you wish to simulate (e.g., edge fractal dimension, mean patch size, juxtaposition, etc...).

Qrule: http://www.umces.edu/al/program/gardner/qrule

SIMMAP: http://www2.montes.upm.es/personales/saura/software.html

I am not sure what tools you are looking for (not sure what do you want to simulate) but there are few programs that deal with landscape indices:

Fragstats - http://www.umass.edu/landeco/research/fragstats/fragstats.html

Patch Analyst - ArcGIS add-on (link to presentation - http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/rsgis/docs/Fragmentaiton.pdf)

GRASS GIS have a module for this- r.le or r.li.

SAGA GIS may have some tools, depending what indices you want to calculate (http://www.saga-gis.org/en/index.html).

LandFrag - is something you may have a look at as well (http://placeways.com/products/landfragtool.php)

Placeways does have also software that allows for more extensive calculation, so have look at theirs site.

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[GIS] Seeking tools for regionalization/redistricting

[GIS] Seeking GIS tools for simulating landscape fragmentation

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