written by

Charles Raffensperger

April, 2020

Location has always mattered, but no more so than today when we live in a world where technology brings the notion of "place" to our fingertips. Never before have we been as keenly aware of, and increasingly dependent upon, geographic information that defines many of our daily experiences and expectations. It permeates everything we do, everywhere we go, every interaction we have. Geographic information systems (GIS) have reshaped our very existence.

Spatial awareness is one of the defining characteristics of us as humans and a key driver of our evolution. But throughout almost all of human history it has been a singularly personal experience. We might have known where we were in specific relation to people, places, and objects of interest in our local domain but in a larger sense the location of people, places, and objects outside of our small bubble of existence were largely unknown. As different mapping technologies were developed and became more widely available we gained valuable insights into our relationship with things and places outside our small sphere of influence and our decisions based on that information became more actionable.

Fast forward to the world today where geographic information is ubiquitous. GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates are processed and incorporated directly into a huge and growing array of geographic information systems, as well as being included as part of the core components of many products and services. The consequences of this incredible availability of location information are undeniable and substantially impact every aspect of our day to day lives. And these impacts in many cases strongly influence external forces and institutions that we interact with or that sway larger public policy decisions for an even broader impact.

"It has been estimated that 80% of the informational needs of local government policy makers
are related to geographic location."
- Robert Williams

Today, GIS is a pervasive influence on almost everything around us, from localized weather reports and forecasts to navigation systems and communication networks. "Where" is woven into the fabric of our daily lives in myriad diffrent ways, both directly and indirectly. All of the goods and services we use are tracked and managed by location from their point of origin to their final destination. Governmental agenicies and municipalities of all sizes are highly dependent on location-based information for delivering services to their citizens. Schools use location for bus schedules, extracurricular activities, teaching assignments, and more. The health care industry uses GIS for tracking the spread of infectious diseases. Travelers use GIS for trip planning and lodging reservations. The list is really endless and growing.

The challenge we all face is to harness all of that information in a way that serves to guide our decisions and postively impacts our world, both from a personal and societal standpoint. Yes, location matters! It matters very much!