Work supported by S4 ranges from simple map-making, through a wide range of applications in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to innovative research with the latest concepts and methods in spatial analysis.

At S4 our principal focus is to develop, support, and extend spatial research at Brown. To that end we both initiate and consult on a wide variety of research projects and proposals. Selected projects, representing the breadth of our work, are highlighted on the projects section. We also provide consulting services to the Brown community. All this is in service of advancing research, making for more competitive grant applications, and training the next generation.

We support spatial inquiry by fostering a community of spatial researchers at Brown. S4’s core faculty are from the disciplines of economics, history, geography, sociology, and statistics and our over 40 faculty affiliates represent the breadth of spatial thinking in of the humanities, social science, and physical sciences at Brown.

Colloquium

S4 both co-sponsors colloquia with allied academic units and sponsors its own speaker series that features visitors who engage on topic of broad spatial interest. Our colloquia aim to foster discussion and stimulate ideas around spatial topics in the social sciences.

See our events page for upcoming speakers and past colloquia.

S4 began to take shape in 2002 as scholars in several different social science disciplines recognized the need to develop a stronger spatial analysis capacity at Brown University. S4 was formally established in 2003 to "make Brown a highly visible international center for research that investigates human behavior in its social and spatial context." In Fall 2002 an ad hoc committee of faculty that included the chairs of Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Urban Studies, and the Taubman Center submitted a formal proposal to establish an “Initiative in Geosocial Interactions.” S4 was formally approved in 2003 by Brown’s Academic Priorities Committee under the S4 name: Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences.

In spring 2004, S4 announced the appointment of Professor John Logan who was recruited to be the first S4 Director, followed by Professor Michael White in 2016 and Professor Kevin Mwenda in 2024. S4 has also been designated as the Spatial Analysis Core for the Population Studies and Training Center, and this institutional connection has proved valuable for both programs. S4 now counts over 40 faculty affiliates from various departments across the campus, not just the social sciences. Many graduate students have joined S4 as Graduate Fellows typically after enrolling in the GIS Institute and continuing on incorporating spatial thinking and tools in their research.