The Spatial Analytics and Visualization Institute (SAVi) at San José State University,
housed in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URBP), College of Social
Sciences, is a world-class academic center dedicated to advancing cross-disciplinary
research about complex urban problems using the power of spatial thinking, Geographic
Information Systems Science (GISci/GIS), and big data. Furthering racial and social
justice in communities via spatial analytics and visualization forms the thematic
core of SAVi’s endeavors.
SAVi produces impactful research and provides professional consulting services in
Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. The Institute partners with SJSU university departments
and research units, neighborhood organizations, public agencies, and private sector
entities to develop innovative evidence-based solutions supporting social equity,
particularly in small towns and rural areas. Organizing events with scholars, social
influencers, and GISci tech entrepreneurs and educators, SAVi facilitates GIS knowledge
exchange, professional skill building, and workforce development while providing spatial
analytics and visualization research for the public and private sectors to advance
decision-making that promotes equity
Our Vision
The SAVi at SJSU aspires to be the foremost interdisciplinary research hub in the
nation for geospatial analytics and visualization that advance innovative solutions
to major societal challenges. The aim is to make Northern California a major locus
for geospatial advocacy initiatives. Engaging top researchers at SJSU and across the
globe, policy experts, and industry leaders, SAVi will coordinate activities, knowledge
generation, and policies of collaborative outreach to support informed decision-making
and governance. Achieving this means coalescing a network of connections between people,
government
and community organizations (i.e., citizens and governments), and scholars into a
knowledge-based community focused on how geospatial technology can address equitably
urban challenges.