James Pick
Director, Center for Spatial Business; Professor, School of Business and Society
School of Business & Society
Center for Spatial Business
The Center for Spatial Business provides a forum for research and teaching on the spatial aspects of business and government, offering insights, research, education, and networking opportunities. The Center, in its second decade, has been a cornerstone in growing GIS and spatial analysis at the University of Redlands School of Business and Society and has been a leader in business and management schools in their endeavors to build GIS into their programs and initiatives.
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Navigate to Resources | Research | Education
What Is Spatial Business?
Spatial business is the application of geographic information systems (GIS) and location analysis to support business operations, management, decision-making, and strategies. GIS refers to digitized mapping and analysis, which can model changes in the human and natural environment, show information on a digital map, identify places that stand out, and reveal trends in locations of people, objects, and processes over location and time.
The steps of spatial business include gathering location information, determining the 2D or 3D locations of objects, applying knowledge and experience to build a model, and modeling the data to produce visual outputs such as maps and 3D visuals. These outputs can then deliver powerful insights and support decisions for markets, customers, services, logistics, transport networks, utility networks, natural resources, supply chains, and asset and risk management. It can also inform environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts, and help to encourage corporate social responsibility.
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About the Center
In incorporating spatial thinking and GIS into the business programs at the University of Redlands School of Business & Society, the Center for Spatial Business, founded in 2011, seeks to:
- Build GIS and location analytics into the degree and non-degree programs at the University of Redlands School of Business and Society and in other schools of business.
- Provide training toward accomplishing excellence in the pedagogical aspects of spatial business. This includes creating contemporary curricula for business schools and designing strategies to incorporate GIS content across the business curriculum.
- Stimulate, support, and provide thought leadership for spatial business research and education through applied location analytics and GIS research. The Center serves as a forum for professional scholarly development, sharing of research projects across disciplines, and development of new GIS research methods and applications.
- Develop networks of collaborative partnerships and projects with companies, the local community, and academic organizations to promotion cooperation in furthering scientific understanding of place and location in business and society.
Expertise in Location Analytics and GIS
The Center’s staff includes experts in GIS applied to business, business education, and the social and geographic sciences related to business and society. For a decade and a half, the Center has sponsored a Speaker Series that features experts in GIS, location analytics, and geo-technology.
2025-2026 Academic Year Speaker Series
Past Speakers Series
2024-2025 Academic Year
Monday, March 24, 2025
Learning to Live and Prosper with GeoAI
Dr. Michael Goodchild
Monday, March 10, 2025
AI for Good: How Placer.ai Supports Strategic Placemaking in a Post-Covid World
Caroline Wu and Tomer Shoval from Placer.ai
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Know Your Zone, The Power of Alert and Warning: GIS for Emergency Management in Riverside County
Moses Martinez and Dr. Catherine Farrokhi
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
How Geospatial AI and Machine Learning Support Mission-Critical Decision-Making Across Industries
Dr. Wendy Keyes
Resources
Curricular materials, workshop slides, videos, and referrals to industry and academic journals are available through the Center to support the understanding and advancement of business GIS and spatial analysis.
Research
The Center assists other faculty and students to develop case studies on business uses of GIS, examine societal and equity impacts of location-based technologies, locate and utilize spatial information, and develop and apply spatial tools.
Education
The Center for Spatial Business team and its closely networked colleagues include thought leaders with the goal to forward the teaching, learning, and understanding about location value, spatial decision-making, and locational strategies in business, informed by pedagogical experience.
Student Testimonial
“GIS is the answer to all the questions that start with where.”
When Siri Amnuaychai ’25 joined the Master of Business Administration: Location Analytics program at University of Redlands, she didn’t anticipate geospatial data to become a focal point in her path forward. Read more of her story.
— Siri Amnuaychai ’25, MBA: Location Analytics
Map your future in GIS your way on-campus, hybrid, and online
Whether you’re a professional interested in a master’s or certificate, or a student seeking a bachelor’s degree as you begin your GIS journey, we offer on-campus, hybrid, and online programs to help you reach your goals. To learn more or apply, view the programs below.
Master of GIS
Designed for professionals and recent graduates seeking to deepen their expertise in analyzing, managing, and communicating geographic information.
Executive Master of GIS
Designed for mid- to senior-level professionals aiming to lead GIS-driven organizations. It combines technical, methodological, strategic, and leadership training to support effective GIS management across sectors.• Online | STEM-designated | Business
MBA with Location Analytics concentration
Trains professionals to solve business problems using spatial analytics. Students build flexible skills in geographic approaches to business analysis and apply them in a capstone project focused on strategy or consultancy, culminating in a practical report.• Online | Business
M.S. in Business Analytics
Equips students with business knowledge, analytical skills, and ethical data use to drive informed decisions. The program culminates in a real-world capstone project applying analytics to solve organizational challenges.• Online | STEM-designated
Certificates in GIS
Graduate Certificate in GIS for Management
Equips professionals to use GIS and location analytics to understand customer behavior, optimize operations, and predict business trends, supporting strategic decisions and sustainable growth.• Online
Graduate Certificate in GIS Project Management
Trains professionals to solve business problems using spatial analytics. Students build flexible skills in geographic approaches to business analysis and apply them in a capstone project focused on strategy or consultancy, culminating in a practical report.• Online | STEM-designated | Business
Graduate Certificate in GIS for Public Safety
Focuses on equipping professionals with the skills to apply GIS technology to enhance public safety strategy and operations. • Online | STEM-designated | Business
CSB Faculty and Staff
Connect
Get in touch with the Center for Spatial Business.
