Spatial Analytics with Python 🌎

About this event

Join us on October 27th at 6:30 PM for an evening exploring geospatial data science with Python, featuring Brendan Collins, Founder & CTO at Makepath and creator of Xarray-Spatial! Discover how Python can transform spatial data into powerful insights, from terrain analysis and hydrology to scalable CPU- and GPU-accelerated computing. Please bring your 💻 to follow along and sign up using your official government-issued name. 🍕 Pizza & drinks will be provided - Thank you Makepath! Agenda 🌎 xarray-spatial: In and Out of the Raster-verse Speaker: Brendan Collins (Founder & CTO at Makepath) Spatial data comes in many shapes and sizes, but some of the most powerful spatial analysis techniques begin by viewing the world as a grid. Led by the library's creator and maintainer, this talk introduces Xarray-Spatial (https://github.com/xarray-contrib/xarray-spatial), an open-source Python library for scalable raster analysis with CPU and GPU acceleration. We'll learn how to enter the Raster-verse by bringing spatial data into Xarray, explore the Raster-verse using algorithms for terrain analysis, hydrology, proximity, and more, and escape the Raster-verse through techniques like zonal statistics and polygonization. Finally, we'll discuss contributing to the Raster-verse, sharing lessons from maintaining Xarray-Spatial and how AI-augmented development is transforming open-source contributions, code quality, and scientific software engineering. Whether you're a GIS practitioner, data scientist, or Python developer, you'll leave with practical ideas for working with spatial data and contributing to open source. 👨‍💻 About the Speaker Brendan Collins is the Founder and CTO of Makepath, where he helps early-stage startups and Fortune 500 engineering teams realize their product ambitions. A former employee of Anaconda, Brendan has spent the past decade applying PyData technologies, including NumPy, Xarray, and Numba, to engineering challenges across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. When not writing in the third person, Brendan enjoys swimming, playing the banjo, and gardening. 🤝 Networking Connect with fellow data enthusiasts, Python developers, researchers, and community leaders. Build meaningful connections, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration. *** 📍 Event Details Doors open: 6:00 PM Doors close: 7:00 PM Event: 6:30–8:30 PM Venue: CUNY Graduate Center *** Important Information Please register using your official government-issued name and bring a government-issued photo ID for check-in. This, and all PyData NYC events, is an all-level event. Newcomers and beginners are welcome! This event and all NumFOCUS-affiliated events and spaces, both in-person and online, are governed by our Code of Conduct (https://pydata.org/code-of-conduct/).