Towards the intelligent era of spatial analysis and modeling

Geographic phenomena are considered complex due to the heterogeneous nature of spatial dependencies. It is impossible to specify a universal law described in statistical or physical languages that can perfectly characterize a real-world geographic process and explain how it forms certain observed patterns. Traditional spatial analytics based on strict statistical principles, strong assumptions, or classic computation workflows are facing great challenges and opportunities when embracing the explosive growth of geospatial data and recent technical innovations. Here, we highlight the promises of Intelligent Spatial Analytics (ISA), a new set of spatial analytical approaches based on spatially explicit deep neural networks with more flexible data representation, modules for complex spatial dependence, weaker model prior assumptions, and hence the enhanced ability to predict/explain unknowns. Three essential topics in spatial analysis, i.e., geostatistics, spatial econometrics, and flow analytics are elaborated as examples in the vision of ISA. We also discuss challenging issues of ISA as an invitation to explore deeper linkages between machine/deep learning and spatial analysis at the frontier of Geospatial Artificial Intelligence.