An Economic Developer’s Guide to GIS

Creating strategic growth from location data

GIS empowers economic developers with insights to attract investment, grow business, and strengthen communities.

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A group of people celebrating a ribbon cutting

Location drives economic development

Economic developers work to attract investment, support business growth, and strengthen community competitiveness. Geographic information system (GIS) technology brings together data, maps, and analytics to reveal where opportunities exist and how communities can plan for long-term success.

Leading economic development organizations use GIS for:

  • Business attraction and expansion

    Successful business recruitment requires more than available sites and buildings. GIS helps economic developers analyze markets, identify ideal locations, showcase workforce and infrastructure assets, and connect businesses with opportunities that align with their needs.

  • Community branding and storytelling

    Communities compete for talent, visitors, investment, and business growth. GIS transforms data into compelling place-based stories through interactive maps, dashboards, and digital experiences that highlight what makes a community unique and desirable.

  • Strategic planning and growth

    Economic development depends on a community’s ability to support future growth. GIS helps leaders model development scenarios, evaluate infrastructure and workforce capacity, identify long-term needs, and ensure policies align with future business demands.

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