Mastering Spatial Data in R: TidyCensus, PMTiles, & AI with Kyle Walker

In this episode of the Spatial Stack, Matt sits down with Kyle Walker, Professor of Geography at TCU and the creator of popular R packages like tigris and tidycensus.Kyle dives into why he views US Census data as critical infrastructure and how open data is fundamentally transforming decision-making across industries like real estate and energy. He shares the origin story of his open-source work, explaining why he champions the R programming language for full-stack geospatial analysis. The conversation also covers the evolution of web mapping, from the laborious process of rendering dot-density maps to the blazing-fast performance of modern tools like PMTiles.Finally, Kyle reveals how generative AI specifically Claude Code and the Zed editor is serving as his ultimate coding assistant, allowing him to rapidly build complex projects like the mapgl package and turn his ideas into reality faster than ever.Connect with Kyle:X/Twitter: https://x.com/kyle_e_walkerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walkerke/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kylewalker.bsky.social00:01:00 – Welcome and Kyle Walker’s Background at TCU 00:06:18 – Why US Open Data is Critical Infrastructure 00:09:20 – Demystifying Census Data with tigris and tidycensus 00:15:48 – Applied Spatial Data: Real Estate and Forecasting Models 00:18:28 – The Evolution of High-Resolution Dot Density Maps 00:23:48 – The Human Element: How People React to Seeing Data Maps 00:29:14 – R vs. Python: Why R is a Geospatial Powerhouse 00:37:44 – Accelerating Development: Using Claude and AI for Coding 00:43:40 – The Future of Mapping: PMTiles, Segment Anything, and LLMs 00:48:18 – Where to Find Kyle’s Book, Tools, and Workshops---🚀 Join The Spatial Lab:Stop guessing at your career path. Get direct mentorship, advanced training, and a roadmap to these high-value roles inside The Spatial Lab.👉 https://forrest.nyc/spatial-lab/📰 Daily modern GIS insights: https://forrest.nycCONNECT WITH ME📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_forrest/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbforr/📧 Newsletter: https://forrest.nyc🌐 Website: https://forrest.nyc