“A very common type of spatial analysis, and probably the one you are most familiar with, is optimization and finding the best of something. You might be looking for the best route to travel, the best path to ride a bicycle, the best corridor to build a pipeline, or the best location to site a new store.
Using multiple input variables or a set of decision criteria for finding the best locations and paths can help you make more informed decisions using your spatial data.
Types
• Finding the best locations that satisfy a set of criteria
• Finding the best allocation of resources to geographic areas
• Finding the best route, path, or flow along a network
• Finding the best route, path, or corridor across open terrain
• Finding the best supply locations given known demand and a travel network”
Excerpt From: Amor Laaribi. “GIS and the 2020 Census.” iBooks.