Every time you check your weather app, navigate with GPS, or track a package on its journey to your doorstep, you’re using the power of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). While most people interact with GIS daily without even realizing it, this behind-the-scenes technology is essential to how we understand and manage the world around us.
But what is a Geographic Information System?
Imagine a layered cake—each layer representing a different type of geographic data. A GIS allows you to slice through this “layer cake” with a knife, combining information from each layer to answer a question or solve a problem. Whether it’s tracking disease outbreaks, planning smarter cities, or responding to natural disasters, GIS plays a central role.
In this blog, we’ll walk through what GIS is, how it works, its history, its real-world applications, and how you can get started exploring this powerful tool.
A Brief History of GIS
GIS, as we know it, emerged in the 1960s—but its roots go back even further.
One of the first major milestones came in 1963 when Canadian geographer Roger Tomlinson developed the Canada Geographic Information System to analyze land-use data. Often referred to as the “father of GIS,” Tomlinson played a pivotal role in shaping the concept of managing spatial data with computers.
In the early days, GIS tools were rudimentary and static. Users created paper maps with data overlays using simple software and plotting machines. Over time, advances in computing power, satellite imagery, and digital mapping transformed GIS into the dynamic, interactive, and real-time systems we rely on today.
GIS Fundamentals: Breaking Down the Basics
At its core, GIS stands for:
- Geographic – referring to location and space
- Information – data with context and meaning
- System – integrated tools and processes that manage and analyze the data
A GIS brings together several key components:
- Hardware: Computers, GPS units, mobile devices, drones, and scanners used to collect and process spatial data.
- Software: Programs like ArcGIS, QGIS, and BioMedware’s Vesta enable users to map, visualize, and analyze data.
- Data: The backbone of any GIS, consisting of spatial data (like coordinates) and attribute data (like population or land use).
- People: GIS analysts, developers, scientists, public health professionals, and decision-makers who apply GIS insights.
- Methods: The standardized procedures and workflows that guide how GIS is used effectively and accurately.
How Does GIS Work?
A GIS starts by organizing data into two basic formats:
- Vector data – Points (like wells), lines (like roads), and polygons (like park boundaries).
- Raster data – Pixel-based images like satellite imagery or heatmaps of air pollution.
Each data layer represents a different variable—land use, elevation, water quality, demographic statistics—and all are tied together using a coordinate system. This spatial framework ensures that everything lines up correctly on a map.
Once data points are collected and aligned, GIS tools enable users to query the data, run analyses, visualize patterns, and generate reports or interactive maps. It’s the process of turning raw data into insights that drives better decisions.
Want a deeper dive into how GIS works? Check out our post: How Does GIS Work?
Real-World Applications of GIS
GIS isn’t just for cartographers and scientists. Its applications span nearly every field, including:
- Urban Planning and Development: Zoning and land use planning, infrastructure upgrades (roads, utilities, transit), smart city initiatives, and traffic flow analysis
- Environmental Management: Monitoring deforestation, water quality, and wildlife habitats, tracking climate change effects over time, and modeling pollution dispersion or flood risk
- Business and Marketing: Choosing optimal retail or warehouse locations, analyzing customer demographics and behavior, and streamlining supply chains with geospatial logistics
- Public Health: Mapping disease outbreaks like COVID-19 or Lyme disease, planning healthcare services and hospital locations, and studying environmental health exposures
- Emergency Services: Coordinating disaster response (wildfires, floods, hurricanes), allocating resources where they’re needed most, and conducting risk and vulnerability assessments
These use cases highlight the increasing importance of GIS in addressing today’s most complex challenges.
Types of GIS Software and Tools
GIS tools come in many shapes and sizes, suited to different users and needs:
- Desktop GIS: Professional-grade tools like ArcGIS, QGIS, and Vesta offer robust spatial analysis, 3D modeling, and advanced data management features.
- Web-based GIS: Cloud platforms allow users to share and access GIS data anywhere with an internet connection. They support collaboration and real-time updates.
- Mobile GIS: Ideal for field data collection or inspections, mobile apps enable users to map features on-site and sync data instantly.
Users can choose between open-source tools (like QGIS) and proprietary solutions (like ArcGIS and Vesta), depending on their project scope and budget. Open-source GIS tools like QGIS and GRASS are free to use, but can incur significant hidden costs through employee time for setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Risks include unstable updates from community contributors that can break existing code or alter analysis results.
In contrast, commercial GIS platforms like Esri’s ArcGIS have high upfront and continuing licensing fees but provide professional support, training, and greater stability, making them more reliable for enterprise use.
The verdict: Open-source software is cost-effective for skilled teams, but it comes with hidden risks, while commercial GIS offers lower risk and better support at a higher price.
6 Benefits and Advantages of Using GIS
GIS offers tangible benefits to individuals, organizations, and governments alike:
- Improved decision-making through spatial context and predictive modeling
- Cost savings via optimized resource allocation and operational efficiency
- Clear visualizations that communicate complex data simply
- Better collaboration through data integration and interactive maps
- Strategic planning and scenario analysis for long-term outcomes
- Policy evaluation using space-time GIS (e.g. BioMedware’s Vesta)
As organizations face increasingly data-driven decisions, GIS provides the clarity and confidence they need to make informed decisions.
How To Get Started With GIS
Anyone with an interest in data, geography, or problem-solving can begin learning GIS. Here’s how:
- Start with basic skills: Familiarize yourself with mapping concepts, data types, and coordinate systems.
- Explore beginner-friendly tools: Try Vesta, QGIS, or web platforms like ArcGIS Online.
- Take online courses: Many universities and learning platforms offer introductory GIS classes.
- Join communities: Connect with GIS professionals through forums, conferences, or social media.
Whether you’re a student, researcher, public health worker, or environmental analyst, GIS skills can open doors in countless fields.
GIS Is The Future Of Public Health, Environmental Change, and Decision-Making
Geographic Information Systems are more than just digital maps—they’re dynamic tools that help us make sense of a spatial world. By integrating data, geography, and technology, GIS enables smarter decisions across industries, from healthcare and urban planning to conservation and crisis response.
At BioMedware, we see GIS as essential to advancing public health, understanding environmental change, and promoting equity in decision-making. As the world becomes more connected and data-rich, spatial thinking will be one of the most valuable skills you can cultivate. Now’s the time to start. Begin your journey with a free 30-day trial of Vesta.