Giving social scientists and students a solid introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS), this study focuses on some of the most pressing issues facing society, including growth, pollution, and economic development. Reveals how GIS, by calling upon the usage of such high-end analytical tools as Global Positioning System navigation and satellite imagery, can become a critical tool in examining major social issues, this study encourages readers to be visionary--even utopian--in imagining better urban futures. Three urban related topics--urbanization, conflicts between natural and built environments, and regional equity--help show readers how to see both urban problems and urban opportunities more clearly with introductory and spatial analysis chapters.