Spatial Analysis, Modelling and Planning

Book excerpt: New powerful technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), have been evolving and are quickly becoming part of a worldwide emergent digital infrastructure. Spatial analysis is becoming more important than ever because enormous volumes of spatial data are available from different sources, such as social media and mobile phones. When locational information is provided, spatial analysis researchers can use it to calculate statistical and mathematical relationships through time and space. This book aims to demonstrate how computer methods of spatial analysis and modeling, integrated in a GIS environment, can be used to better understand reality and give rise to more informed and, thus, improved planning. It provides a comprehensive discussion of spatial analysis, methods, and approaches related to planning.