1. A method for providing proximity information comprising the step of: processing a location data set having locations of a plurality of objects in a network space by applying a grid and hashing paradigm to the locations of the plurality of objects generating and continuously updating a proximity set arranged to represent one or more proximity relationships between the plurality of objects in the network space; wherein the grid and hashing paradigm is arranged to transform the locations of the plurality of objects in the network space onto an optimal multi-layered grid model that is arranged to model the network space so as to generate a plurality of signatures each associated with a respective object in the optimal multi-layered grid model; wherein the optimal multi-layered grid model includes two or more independent grid layers each having a plurality of cells representing a partition of the network space, the two or more grid layers being overlaid into multiple layers and onto the network space for modeling the network space; wherein a dimension of the cells and/or a number of the two or more grid layers in the optimal multi-layered grid model is determined based on a desired level of service.