Spatial analysis

If you want to resolve issues such as finding the best location for a new store or identifying corridors for a new freeway, you can use a process known as spatial analysis.

Spatial analysis involves examining the geographic patterns in your data and observing relationships between features. The actual methods you use can be very simple—sometimes just by making a map you're doing an analysis—or more complex, involving models that mimic the real world by combining many data layers.

It is important to note that spatial analysis does not always lead to one definitive answer; instead, you may wind up with several alternative solutions.