Proximity analysis

Proximity analysis is one way of analyzing locations of features by measuring the distance between them and other features in the area. The distance between point A and point B may be measured as a straight line or by following a networked path, such as a street network. For example, in a site selection scenario where a prospect is interested in building a manufacturing plant in the Daytona Beach area, an important consideration might be distance from the interstates and the airport. A GIS user can simply click on the point locations representing the site and the interstate exit ramp or airport to obtain an approximate distance measure. Once the distances are determined, other pertinent information such as water and sewer availability, price per acre, and availability of labor can be analyzed from the database.