Global Infrastructure Data: Analyzing Historical Trends and Stocks

How did the world build its modern physical foundation? Understanding historical infrastructure patterns from the mid-to-late 20th century is key to solving today's urban and energy challenges. In this text-only course, you will explore the core concepts of global infrastructure stocks. You will learn how to read, interpret, and analyze historical datasets spanning transport, power, and telecommunications, and apply these insights to contemporary planning and sustainability initiatives. What you'll learn: Understand the foundational definitions and classifications of global physical infrastructure; Analyze historical infrastructure stock data to identify long-term growth patterns; Evaluate how infrastructure development correlates with economic growth and urbanization; Apply modern data analysis concepts to interpret complex development datasets; Connect historical infrastructure trends to current energy transition and smart city challenges. The course begins with essential terminology and the history of global development databases. You will then progress through structured written analyses of transport, water, and power networks, concluding with conceptual exercises on modernizing legacy systems. Designed for beginners, this course requires no prior experience in statistics or urban planning. Start exploring the data that shaped our modern world today.