Contents



Preface

Spatial analysis and geographic information are interconnected themes that complement each other in the study and understanding of space and territory, allowing, among other things, to analyze and understand spatial patterns and territorial dynamics of

Geographic information is the basis for spatial analysis. Its quality is a critical aspect of making informed decisions and obtaining reliable results. It is essential to ensure the precision, accuracy, reliability, completeness, consistency, timeliness, readability, and comprehensibility of the geographic data used. This can be achieved through proper data collection, validation, standardization, and updating techniques.

In this context, the increasing availability of Big Data (structured or not) has allowed obtaining more detailed representations of human behavior and movement patterns, environmental changes, and other complex spatial dynamics. The seven Vs (Volume, Variety, Velocity, Variability, Veracity, Visualization, and Value) enabled the creation of more accurate complex models and the understanding of phenomena that were

Through the complex systems approach, it is possible to understand the interactions and feedback between the elements that make up space and territory and how these interactions influence spatial patterns and territorial dynamics. The spatially explicit models, with special emphasis on those supported by artificial intelligence (where machine learning fits), help the understanding and prediction of spatiotemporal dynamics, allowing us to simulate future and/or past scenarios, identify patterns, and test hypotheses. Its areas of application are quite diverse, covering themes such as urban expansion, the spread of diseases, the distribution of natural resources, and transport and mobility, among others, as long as they have a spatial dimension.

Thus, with the simultaneous emergence of new data sources and new methods of analysis, new concepts and tools have emerged, such as the smart city, circularity and urban metabolism, mixed models (qualitative/quantitative), multiverse, agnostics and agents, virtual and augmented reality, digital twins, and the metaverse. Despite being different in substance and area of application, all these approaches aim to support the process of territorial analysis, allowing for understanding the organization and transformations of space and identifying the interdependent relationships between the different elements that compose it. The territorial analysis is fundamental for understanding spatial inequalities and for adequate planning and management of the

In short, spatial analysis and modeling cover a wide range of themes and topics, as the theme is interdisciplinary and comprises several domains of Geographic Information Science (GISc). As such, this book about spatial analysis in Geographic Information

territory, which is essential for supporting decision-making.

phenomena and processes.

previously difficult to analyze at different scales.
