R has become one of the most capable open source environments for geospatial analysis, yet it remains underrepresented in many FOSS4G workflows. This talk introduces a modern, end to end geospatial pipeline in R that integrates open data, open source tools, reproducible methods, and practical applications in accessibility and spatial analysis. The goal is to show how R’s spatial ecosystem can support real world planning, equity research, and multimodal routing using transparent, reproducible workflows.

The session begins with data acquisition using tidycensus, which provides direct access to U.S. Census and ACS datasets through a tidy interface. We then explore administrative boundaries using tigris for U.S. geographies and gadm for global contexts, demonstrating how R simplifies boundary retrieval and harmonization. These tools establish a foundation of demographic data and spatial units that feed into the rest of the workflow.

Next, we introduce tidygeocoder, a flexible geocoding tool that supports multiple open geocoding services and integrates seamlessly with the tidyverse. This section highlights how R can handle point data creation in a reproducible way, avoiding manual geocoding steps and ensuring transparency in data preparation.

The talk then moves into geocomputation using sf and terra, R’s modern spatial data engines. We demonstrate how to read, transform, join, and visualize spatial data using standards aligned vector and raster structures. These tools form the analytical core of the workflow, enabling spatial joins, projections, and basic map creation. Attendees will see how R’s geospatial syntax supports clear, readable, and reproducible analysis that integrates naturally with data science workflows.

We then introduce r5r, an R interface to the R5 multimodal routing engine. This section shows how to incorporate GTFS transit feeds and street networks to compute travel times, build travel time matrices, and generate accessibility indicators. We highlight how r5r supports multimodal routing, time dependent travel, and reproducible accessibility modeling. These are key components for transit, equity, and resilience focused applications.

To extend the analysis, we demonstrate spatial statistics using spdep, including neighborhood structures, spatial weights, and measures of spatial autocorrelation. This provides attendees with tools to diagnose spatial patterns and incorporate spatial dependence into their analyses. The workflow shows how R can move seamlessly from data acquisition to geocomputation to statistical modeling within a single, consistent environment.

Finally, we present results using leaflet, R’s interactive web mapping library. Leaflet allows users to create dynamic, browser ready maps that integrate boundaries, points, accessibility surfaces, and statistical outputs. This section emphasizes how R can produce interactive visualizations without leaving the open source ecosystem, making it easy to share results with planners, researchers, and the public.
Throughout the talk, we emphasize reproducibility, transparency, and practical examples that attendees can adapt to their own work. The workflow is modular—each component can be used independently—but together they form a powerful, cohesive pipeline for modern geospatial analysis. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how these tools fit together, how R supports full stack geospatial workflows, and how open source methods can strengthen accessibility, equity, and decision making in planning and research contexts.