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.