Giving social scientists and students a solid introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS), this study focuses on some of society's most pressing issues, including growth, pollution, and economic development. By calling upon such high-end analytical tools as Global Positioning System navigation and satellite imagery, GIS can be a critical tool in examining social problems. This study encourages readers to be visionary and even utopian in imagining better urban futures by concentrating on three related topics—urbanization, conflicts between natural and built environments, and regional equity. The introductory and spatial analysis chapters expand this understanding so that readers see both urban problems and urban opportunities more clearly.