Understanding Spatial Relationships and Patterns
Spatial analysis is how we understand our world—mapping where things are, how they relate, what it all means, and what actions to take.
From computational analysis of geographic patterns to finding optimum routes, site selection, and advanced predictive modeling, spatial analysis is at the very heart of geographic information system (GIS) technology.
Where are my offices located? Where are my delivery trucks? Understanding where is about putting the world in context. This includes geocoding your data, putting it on a map, and symbolizing it in ways that can help you visualize and understand your data. Try it out →
Measuring Size, Shape, and Distribution
How long is the river? How tall is the building? How large are the coca fields? Measuring size and shape shows how large an object is or describes a feature in terms of its area, perimeter, length, height, and volume. It also helps to understand the distribution of multiple features. Try it out →
Determining How Places Are Related
Which rivers are within 10 miles of a pipeline? Have other crimes occurred at this location? Answering spatial questions often requires an understanding of spatial relationships such as proximity, coincidence, intersection, overlap, visibility, and accessibility. Watch the Video
Finding the Best Locations and Paths
Whether you're looking for the best route to travel, the best corridor to build a pipeline, or the best location to site a new store, spatial analysis helps you make more informed decisions about the best locations and paths.
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Detecting and Quantifying Patterns
Where are clusters of high expenditures on electronic goods? Where are the hot spots of cancer deaths? Detecting and quantifying patterns in data can be used to find hot spots and outliers, find natural data clusters, and analyze changes in patterns over time. Watch the Video
How will a forest fire spread based on vegetation and wind? How will store size and travel distance attract or detract customers? Spatial analysis lets you use powerful modeling techniques to make predictions and better understand our world.