Topics for master thesis

• Global land use changes in relation to population density changes
• Applying landscape metrics in measuring residential segregation
  Supervisors Evelyn Uuemaa and Veronika Mooses

The aim of this thesis is to test spatial landscape metrics and methods for measuring residential segregation patterns. The residential place is one of the key activity places of human activity space that affects the locations of other activities such as leisure time activities, shopping, school, and others of various ethnic groups. There are numerous segregation indices developed for measuring residential segregation, however, many conventional segregation metrics do not enable the capture of the spatial aspects of segregation. Landscape metrics have been developed for illustrating the spatial arrangement of various species or groups. This thesis aims to test different landscape metrics in order to complement existing segregation metrics. The study area is the city of Berlin, Germany. Berlin is one of the largest cities in the EU and is known to have a high population of minorities, making it one of the most diverse cities in Europe. In addition, it was divided by wall for several decades enabling it to evolve into different patterns of segregation in the same city.

• Spatial analysis of forest change in Estonia using machine learning
  Supervisors Evelyn Uuemaa and Alexander Kmoch

The aim of the thesis would be to identify whether there are some environmental factors (forest type, proximity to roads, etc) that increase the probability of forest change (mainly clear cut) in Estonia. To identify these factors, the study will use global forest change spatio-temporal data (30m  spatial resolution) and different spatial layers from Estonia (DEM, soils, roads, etc) to build a random forest model. 

• Evaluating open-source fieldwork apps

Field mapping is essential for many disciplines, either mapping the species' habitats or traffic accidents, there is a need for an efficient tool that can save the coordinates, add pictures, descriptions, etc. The aim of this study would be to test existing open-source fieldwork apps such as Qfield, OpenDataKit, GeoPaparazzi, etc. Compare them in terms of:
- data sync/transfer
- usability in the field
- define use cases
- surveying, feature position validation
- environmental sampling support (documenting measurements)
- photo support things for fun apps

• Stylish and useful base maps for Estonia

Base maps are widely used in spatial data visualisation. However, the existing base maps for Estonia have limited styling options and they have some limitations e.g. it is not possible to render place names separately. The aim of this thesis is to:

- compare existing base maps (Estonian Land Board, ESRI, OSM, Mapbox) in terms of style and artistic elements, features mapped, and particularities (how placenames/labels are handled). The comparison will ideally include a questionnaire conducted among the users asking for feedback on these base maps.
- create two new base map styles, e.g. dark and light mode, or business and less formal
This thesis is mostly focused on map design and not so much on web mapping technologies.

• Spatial machine learning: challenges and opportunities
  Supervisors: Alexander Kmoch and Evelyn Uuemaa

Machine learning (ML) has become widely used in most disciplines, however, many explainable ML algorithms, such as Random Forest, are not spatial. The first law of geography states: “near things are more related than distant things” and therefore many phenomena exhibit spatial autocorrelation. The easiest way to consider autocorrelation in ML is to add XY coordinates to the features. More complicated approaches apply kriging on the residuals of the ML model and add it to the results. However, there are only few studies on how the spatial distribution of training samples or the number of spatial predictors (features) affect the modelling results. The following two MSc topics will cover different aspects related to spatial machine learning:

1) Evaluate how the feature collinearity and spatial autocorrelation affect the results. This study can be done on two different domains depending on the student's interest: a) soil organic carbon prediction; b) crime or rental price prediction in Tallinn
2) Estimate how much kriging will improve spatial machine learning on three different datasets: land surface temperature, soil organic carbon, and crime events.

• Urban heat islands and urban climatology

The study concentrates on the effects and extent of heat waves in Estonian cities during the 2018 summer. It should use remote sensing techniques and remote sensing data as a primer source as well as data from different measurements and sources. Co-supervisor Dr. Mait Sepp, Senior Researcher in Physical Geography

• Outdoor thermal comfort in Tartu during summer heat waves

Use of data from various sources (remotely sensed, elevation, land cover) for creation of seamless land surface temperature maps. Delineation of zones of thermal comfort/discomfort for city residents and zones correlation with typical urban land use types. Temporal dynamic of comfort/discomfort zones during heat waves. Prerequisites: spatial data processing/analysis skills. Course on remote sensing and geopython programming would be an asset.

• UAV related remote sensing and data processing

Collecting data with UAVs and different sensors (multispectral, thermal and RGB); UAV data preparation and processing (radiometric correction, georeferencing, Structure from Motion - Multi View Stereo photogrammetry, classification).

• Residential segregation Tallinn

The aim is to analyze changes in residential distribution in the Tallinn city region by key population characteristics (income, ethnicity) since 1989 in longitudinal view. It is important to learn to use different segregation indices and methods for analyzing longitudinal data (e.g., event history analysis). The work is done within the framework of the chair’s research and under co-supervision.

• New immigrants in Estonia

The aim is to analyze new immigration to Estonia as a result of migration, number, origins and distribution in Estonia. It is important to learn how to use segregation indices and methods for analyzing longitudinal data (e.g., event history analysis). The work is done within the framework of the chair’s research and under co-supervision.

• School segregation in Estonia / Tallinn

The aim is to analyze changes in school segregation in the Tallinn city region since 1989 in a longitudinal view. It is important to learn to use different segregation indices and methods for analyzing longitudinal data (e.g., event history analysis). The work is done within the framework of the chair’s research and under co-supervision.

• Relationship between segregation and mobility

The aim is to analyze the residence and mobility of different population groups (gender, age, occupation, nationality) in the Tallinn city region. Learning how to use survey data and mobile positioning data as well as GIS skills are important. The work is done within the framework of the chair’s research and under co-supervision.

• New technologies for urban analysis

The aim is to familiarize yourself with the use of new technologies (drones, face recognition techniques), etc. in urban studies, with a focus on research on mobility and segregation. Curiosity and the desire to extend urban exploration to previously unknown territories are important. The work is done within the framework of the chair’s research and under co-supervision.

• Creating a 3D city model

​​​​​​​The goal is to create a 3D city model for Tallinn and to equip houses with existing data, including Google's open data on dwellings, workplaces, schools and other important locations. Curiosity and the desire to extend urban exploration to previously unknown territories are important. The work is done within the framework of the department's research and under co-supervision.

• Estonian diaspora in the world

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The aim is to explain the change in the number of Estonians in the world and the Estonians living in Finland in depth. Entrepreneurship in finding data in foreign communities and working with survey data is important. The work is done within the framework of the chair’s research and under co-supervision.

• Social media representations of urban neighbourhoods (e.g. based on locations and hashtags on Instagram) – comparing the images of neighbourhoods.

• Connecting social network to mobility - comparison of the spatial pattern of mobility and the location of call partners based on passive mobile positioning dataset.

• Demographic, social and ethnic dynamics in urban neighbourhoods. The role of spatial and social mobility. Ethnic differences in social and spatial mobility
• The impact of new residential construction on ethnic and social dynamics in urban neighbourhoods (the case of Tallinn urban region)
• Foreign migration trends. Residential, social and labor market integration of new migrants in Estonia
• Differences in activity spaces based on place of residence (differences by ethnicities) (applying mobile phone data)

• Mobility patterns of transnational people between Estonia and Finland (co-supervisor Olle Järv, University of Helsinki).

Analysis of spatio-temporal patterns in Estonia and Finland based on person-based GPS accuracy MobilityLog app tracking data.

• Social and ethnic differences in exposure to city functions. 

An analysis of how urban functions (shops, services, etc.) are accessible to social and ethnic groups (Estonians and Russian-speakers) throughout their activity space. Person-based GPS accuracy MobilityLog app tracking data and contextual data.

• Spatio-temporal patterns of visiting second homes and other regular places (co-supervisor Ago Tominga).

The objective of this study is to find out the distribution of second homes, temporal patterns of visiting them and indicators that influence it. Visiting patterns to second homes are an important source of information in regional planning. Second home is also an important factor in coping with disaster situations because second home offers an extra possibility to go when people are forced to evacuate from their first homes. The thesis develops a methodological framework to find second home visits based on mobile positioning data. Analysis is based on GPS accuracy MobilityLog app tracking data and questionnaire data.

• Regularity of mobility patterns of people (co-supervisor Ago Tominga).

The objective of this study is to find out factors that influence the regularity of people’s mobility patterns. Indicators that describe people’s activity places and movement between them can be used to calculate regularity indicators of spatial mobility. Regularities with which activity space varies on different temporal scales (week, month, season) is an emerging theme in mobility research. The influence of social and personality indicators is estimated to the regularity measures. Analysis is based on GPS accuracy MobilityLog app tracking data and questionnaire data.

• Ethnic differences in mobility, domains of inter-ethnic contacts, neighbourhood change, ethnic identity and integration - analysis based on census, register and survey data.

• Gentrification - residential and commercial aspects of gentrification process in post-industrial neighbourhoods and displacement pressure caused by revitalisation and gentrification.

• Socio-spatial accessibility of the bike sharing system in Tartu

Wide spatial coverage of Tartu bike sharing system is one of the factors behind its intensive use. How accessible is this sustainable transport mode for different socio-spatial population groups in Tartu urban region? Can potential accessibility inform us about the real user groups of the system and vice versa? The research will be based on bike sharing user data from Tartu and Estonian population registry. There is a possibility to compare bike share accessibility to different socio-spatial population groups with data from Chicago.

• The quality of travel environment for pedestrians and cyclists

The environmental conditions of travel environment affect the health and wellbeing of pedestrians and cyclists. However, healthy and pleasant travel environment is not equally accessible for all. What are the differences in accessibility of healthy travel environments for different socio-spatial population groups? Which environmental conditions are the travellers actually exposed to? Do the environmental conditions affect route choice during travel? Which are the co-effects of various environmental conditions such as noise and vegetation? The research can be based on noise measurements with portable sensors, secondary environmental data sets (NDVI, noise and air pollution modelling), bike share data from Tartu, data from the smartphone experimentation in Tallinn on activity space segregation, or population registry data, depending on the interests of the student. Linking mobility data with environmental data will be part of the work.

• The comparison of activity space metrics in environmental exposure research (co-supervisor Dr. Anto Aasa) 

​​​​​​​In our daily activity space, we encounter both healthy and adverse environmental conditions, such as greenery, air pollution, or noise. The aim of the study is to compare and evaluate GPS-based activity space metrics for environmental exposure assessment and inform future activity space studies about suitable measures. It is possible to advance the research towards comparative environmental exposure assessment of the residents in different Tallinn neighbourhoods. The analysis will be based on data from the MobilityLog smartphone application.

• The accessibility and use of urban green spaces 

Contacts with nature bring several health, social, and cultural benefits. In the context of continuous urbanisation, urban green spaces will become the main substitute for nature for urban residents. What are the associations between the accessibility, quality and real use of urban green spaces? The study will be based on the GPS-data from the MobilityLog application, vegetation index and land use data either from Tallinn or Tartu.

• The impact of novel mobility solutions on mobility behaviour 

Sustainable mobility behaviour is one of the key goals when aiming for climate-neutral cities. How do contemporary mobility options and services, such as shared bikes, mobility hubs, and mobility-as-a-service solutions, help induce the change in modal split toward more sustainable modes of travel? How accessible are those solutions for the population? The study may take a spatial analysis approach to prioritise service areas, quantitative analysis to compare the use of e-bikes with regular bikes, or a qualitative approach to inquire people about their travel practices and willingness to change – it will be decided together with the student.

• Thermal comfort of cyclist in Tartu (co-supervisor Isaac Buo)

In the context of climate change and heat waves, the consequent urban overheating affects the health and well-being of urban residents. The extent – strength, duration, and frequency – of personal exposure to heat discomfort in outdoor environments can now be studied due to the improved availability of spatiotemporally explicit data on the environmental conditions and human mobility. The aim of this thesis topic is to develop a methodology for understanding the spatiotemporal heat discomfort patterns in urban street network and among active travellers. The empiric part will involve work with Tartu bike share data. The exposure analysis will use the mean radiant temperature (MRT), which is the total heat load to which a human body is exposed.

• Spatial planning systems of other countries

How does spatial planning work in other countries (possibly a comparison of countries or in-depth analysis of one specific country; also comparison with Estonia). What plans are being drawn up and why? What are the requirements for a planner? What could be suitable for Estonia from another country's system?  "Planning families" of European countries.

• Spatial planning of objects with significant spatial impact (NIMBY objects)

How to build an effective planning process for an object that no one wants to see in their backyard? What are the successful and unsuccessful examples of large-scale planning in Finland and elsewhere? What are Estonia's opportunities and practice in compensating for the accompanying disturbances? What does planning a large building require from a planner, what from the community? The examples of Rail Baltic high-speed railway connection, wind farms and factories can be used.

• Spatial planning of green infrastructure

Changes in green infrastructure planning approaches, and specific plans for certain towns or rural municipalities.

• Local planning in municipalities

Master/comprehensive planning process in a town or rural municipality, the pros and cons of land-use planning, in-depth analysis of one certain comprehensive plan, comparison of comprehensive plans from different coutries.

• The role of the spatial planner

​​​​​​​The changing role of the planner. Comparison of planner’s role in different countries or planning situations. What are the skills and knowledge required, and what are the perceptions over time? How is the training of the planner organized? What skills are lacking by planning practitioners?

• Impact of transport policy on human mobility with qualitative data: Comparing the bike share systems of Tartu and Helsinki

The goal is to gather and analyze semi-structured interviews and documentary data concerning public policy in connection with Tartu and Helsinki’s respective bike share systems. Ultimately, the findings will be supported and verified using quantitative approaches. The student will learn how to conduct rigorous qualitative research that supports and intersects with the quantitative geographic study. The project will take place within the framework of an international research project comparing the bike share systems of Tartu and Helsinki to explore the implications of population size for bike share policy.

• Impact of transport policy on human mobility using bike share data: Comparing the bike share systems of Tartu and Helsinki

The goal is to develop and employ a methodology for the gathering and analysis of bike share data in connection with qualitative research findings concerning bike share policy in Tartu and Helsinki. The student will learn how to conduct quantitative research that supports and intersects with the qualitative geographic study. The project will take place within the framework of an international research project comparing the bike share systems of Tartu and Helsinki to explore the implications of population size for bike share policy.

• Trends in drought frequency and geography in Estonia
• Diurnal weather cycles in Estonia
• Dynamics and geography of winter severity in Estonia
• Heat waves in Estonia

• Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) export and dynamics from managed peatland forests: the effect on inland water quality

Terrestrial and aquatic systems are interlinked; the nutrients and organic matter are transported in drainage water from land to lakes via streams and rivers. The changes in water quality also have drastic effects on aquatic biogeochemistry and ecosystem functioning. A large part of forests in Nordic countries are located on peatlands and since the demand for bioenergy is expanding rapidly, then there is a need for analysis of the environmental effects of peatland forest management practices on DOC and nutrient export from the soil. The aim of this thesis is to collect  DOC data from forested peatland catchments and to analyse the effect of different forest management practices on the amount of DOC that is released to stream water.

• Effect of peatlands restoration to organic matter decomposition

• Length of growth period of pine and spruce according to dendrometers -

The dendrometers measure tree-trunk circumference every half an hour. Trunk circumference fluctuates diurnally. In the summer, a tree trunk grows thicker. The objective is to analyse the diurnal and annual patterns of tree growth.

• Ecosystem respiration in a hemiboreal pine forest in relationship with weather patterns - The thesis will be based on chamber measurements to be collected next year.
• Winter CO₂ fluxes in a hemiboreal pine forest - The material is the weather and CO2-concentration measurements collected in the Soontaga eddy tower.
• Literature analysis of the share of winter in the annual CO₂ balance
• Net ecosystem exchange of a hemiboreal pine forest - The material is the weather and CO₂-concentration measurements collected in the Soontaga eddy tower.

• Soil moisture and/or temperature derived from remote sensing in a freely chosen peatland of the world
• Vegetation and plant biodiversity in connection with climate, water regime and soil of a freely chosen peatland of the world
• Vegetation and plant biodiversity of a freely chosen peatland of the world derived from remote sensing
• Ecosystem services of the world’s mires and drained peatlands (e.g. clean freshwater, livable climate, food, biodiversity)
• Greenhouse-gas emissions of the world’s organic soils - The thesis will be based on the set of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous-oxide (N₂O) emissions, soil temperature, soil water content, soil chemistry, and plant traits collected from 70 sites all over the world’s organic soils by the University of Tartu geographers during 2011–2018.
• Impact of soil water and oxygen content on N₂O emissions - The thesis will be based on N₂O-emission and soil measurements from organic-soil sites in the vicinity of Tartu.
• Moisture content of the world’s organic soils - The objective of the thesis will be to predict moisture content of the world’s organic soils based on satellite data (e.g. Landsat). The predictions will be validated with the ground truth from the Department of Geography’s foreign expeditions.
• Nitrogen, phosphorus and organic-carbon runoff from catchments of the Baltic Sea - The thesis will be based on national stream monitoring data. It is possible to collect run additional measurements on a stream of the student’s choice.

• Modelling microbial populations and communities in peatlands

Peatlands account for ca 3% of the terrestrial surface of the global land surface, but they store one-third of the world’s soil carbon and one-tenth of the world’s soil nitrogen. Agricultural pressure on peatlands, mainly tropical areas, has been increased a lot in the last decades; and that means sustainable management of those areas is one of the critical aspects in the near future. Quantity and distribution of carbon and nitrogen in soils are controlled through microbial processes, and deciphering the biogeography of peatland soil microbial communities as a whole would help to decide “green” and feasible care of the global peatlands. The work aims to use different modelling/statistical tools to create maps and estimations of processes in peatlands.

• Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of environmental technology methods in various ecosystems

The work aims to answer critical questions in environmental management using meta-analysis methods on data collected from scientific publications.

• Creating a list of recommendations for designing conctructed wetlands to reduce agricultural diffuse pollution

Vända constructed wetland was built in 2015 to reduce agricultural diffuse pollution originating from nearby fields. The general aim of this topic is to analyze collected data (water chemistry, soil chemistry, greenhouse gas emissions, plan biomass) and based on that create a conceptual model for design consideration. 

• Impact of biomass harvesting to the greenhouse gas emissions

Occasional biomass harvesting from constructed wetlands is essential for maximal nutrient removal. On the other hand the timing for harvesting is important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also to maximize nutrient removal which are already accumulated to the plant biomass. The aim of this topic is to find the optimal period to remove biomass with maximum nutrient concentration and lowest GHG emissions.