Formulating a General Spatial Segregation Measure*

Most traditional segregation measures, such as the index of dissimilarity D, fail to distinguish spatial patterns effectively. Previously proposed spatial measures modifying D suffer from several shortcomings. This article describes a general spatial segregation index based upon the concept of composite population counts, which are derived from grouping people in neighboring areas together to account implicitly for spatial interaction of groups across unit boundaries. The suggested spatial index can overcome the disadvantages of previous indices and can assess the spatial extent of the segregated clusters. The results offer a more comprehensive depiction of spatial segregation of a region.     

A MEASURE OF CROPPING INTENSITY∗

The measurement of agricultural intensity is fundamental to an understanding of spatial organization of agriculture. This paper develops a new index of cropping intensity from land use data. The length of time for which a crop stays in the field, a factor ignored in other indirect measures of cropping intensity, has been incorporated in the new index. To illustrate the method, cropping intensity in India is measured, mapped and discussed. Differences between the patterns derived from the new index and the traditional index are noted and explained.     

Multiscale Segregation: Multilevel Modeling of Dissimilarity—Challenging the Stylized Fact That Segregation Is Greater the Finer the Spatial Scale

A very large literature has explored the intensity of urban residential segregation using the index of dissimilarity. Several recent studies have undertaken such analyses at multiple spatial scales, invariably reaching the conclusion that the finer grained the spatial scale, the greater the segregation. Such findings, however, overstate the intensity of segregation at finer spatial scales because they fail to take into account an argument made by Duncan et al. some sixty years ago that indexes derived from fine-scale analyses must necessarily incorporate those from coarser scales, with the consequence that finer scale segregation is invariably overestimated. Moreover, most studies ignore stochastic variation that results in upward bias in the estimates of segregation. This article demonstrates the importance of a recently developed multilevel modeling procedure that identifies the “true” intensity of segregation at every level in a spatial hierarchy net of its intensity at other levels and also net of stochastic variation This is illustrated by both a simulated data set and an empirical study of an English city, with the latter raising important substantive issues regarding the interpretation of segregation patterns and the processes underlying them. Key Words: dissimilarity, multilevel modeling, scale, segregation.     

GEOSTATISTICS AS MEASURES OF SPATIAL SEGREGATION

Traditional measures of segregation, such as the index of dissimilarity, have been criticized as aspatial in nature. Spatial measures of segregation have been proposed, but they are difficult to use. Based on the idea that segregation implies a spatial separation of ethnic groups, the degree of spatial correlation among groups can reflect the level of segregation. This paper suggests that several geostatistical measures, especially the standard deviational ellipse, are effective tools for capturing the spatial characteristics of a population group. By comparing the ellipses of different groups, measures of segregation can be derived. The paper demonstrates this approach to measuring segregation by way of both a simulation and a case study. [Key words: spatial segregation, geostatistics, deviational ellipses, spatial correspondence/correlation.]     

Economic Change in Africa

Abstract

The Geographer at Work by Peter Gould Boston: Routledge &; Kegan Paul, 1985. x and 351 pp., figs., photos, maps, and index. $39.95 cloth; $16.95 paper.

Recollections of a Revolution: Geography as Spatial Science by Mark Billinge, Derek Gregory and Ron Martin, eds. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1984. viii and 235 pp., figs., tables, refs., and index. $25.00 cloth.

The Role of Place in Literature by Leonard Lutwack Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1984. viii and 274 pp., refs., and index. $24.95 cloth.

The Essential Landscape: The New Mexico Photographic Survey with Essays by J.B. Jackson. by Steven A. Yates, ed. New Mexico: The University of New Mexico Press, 1985. vii and 147 pp., and photos. $45.00 cloth.

Latin America: Case Studies by Richard G. Boehm and Sent Visser, eds. NCGE Pacesetter Series. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1984. x and 300 pp., figs., tables, photos, maps, apps., refs., and index. $24.95 paper.     

A Project Study of Climate

Abstract

Atlas of American Women by Barbara Gimla Shortridge New York: Macmillan, 1987. xi and 164 pp., figs., tables, maps, biblio., and index. $85.00 cloth.

The Geography of Defence by Michael Bateman and Raymond Riley, eds. Totowa, NJ: Barnes &; Noble, 1987. xi and 237 pp., figs., tables, photos, maps, refs., and index. $33.50 cloth.

Zones of Conflict: An Atlas of Future Wars by John Keegan and Andrew Wheatcroft New York: Simon &; Schuster, 1986. xvii, 158 pp., and maps. $10.95 paper.

From Peasant to Farmers: The Migration from Balestrand, Norway to the Upper Middle Wets by Jon Gjerde Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Modern History Series, eds. R. Fogel and S. Thernstrom. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985. xiv and 319 pp., illus., figs., tables, photos, maps, refs., and index. $32.50 cloth.

Power and Place: Canadian Urban Development in the North American Context by Gilbert A. Stelter and Alan F.J. Artibise, eds. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1986. iv and 398 pp., figs., tables, photos, maps, and refs. $24.50     

GIS-Based Spatial Analysis of Regional-Scale Structural Controls on Gold Mineralization Along the Bétaré-Oya Shear Zone,Eastern Cameroon

Bétaré-Oya is one of the gold mining districts in the eastern region of Cameroon. Structural controls on gold mineralization were examined along the Bétaré-Oya Shear Zone, providing further clues on favorable areas for mineral exploration. GIS-based methods combining point pattern (i.e., quadrat count, Fry analysis) and distance distribution analysis were employed here to delineate the spatial patterns of known gold deposits and to evaluate their spatial association with geological structures. Results show that the gold deposits in this area are spatially clustered. At the regional scale, the Fry plot indicates an alignment of deposits, suggesting that gold mineralization is controlled by structures oriented NNE–SSW and NE–SW. At the deposit scale, an alignment is also evident, indicating that the mineralization is also controlled by ENE–WSW-trending structures. The cumulative relative frequency distribution of distances from lineament features to gold occurrence points (D_M) and to non-occurrence points (D_N) ratio (D_M/D_N) was used to rank these two major structural trends and their relative importance as mineralization control. The yielded grades show that NE–SW-trending lineaments, akin to P-type structures, play a major role in controlling the gold mineralization in the area compared to other structures. Beyond the goal to foster mineral prospection in the Bétaré-Oya gold district, information yielded in the present study provides relevant criteria for further exploration in the eastern region of Cameroon.

     

Proposed Revisions Of Constitution And Bylaws

A useful index of the status of women should be mappable, in order to allow global and regional comparisons. Ideally, such an index should include political, economic, and social components. In actuality, data that measure political and economic equality are available only in Western societies. An index that measures the general well-being of women, however, can be mapped and used crossculturally. An index is proposed that includes indicators from the areas of health, education and fertility.     

Nomad Schools and a School in the Desert

Abstract

Strengthening Geography in the Social Studies Salvatore J. Natoli. editor National Council for the Social Studies Bulletin, No. 81, Contributors, pref., index. $6.95, paper.

Glencoe World Geography: A physical and cultural approach by Richard G. Boehm and James L. Swanson Missions Hills, California: Glencoe Publishing Company 1989. T144, figs., illus., graphs, tables, photos, maps, gloss., gazetteer and index. 672 pp. No $, cloth.

Refugees: A Third World Dilemma John R. Rogge, editor Totowa, N.J.: Rowman and Littlefield 1987. xi and 370 pp, tables, figs., ackn., biblio., index, contributors. $43.50, cloth.

Medicine &; Culture by Lynn Payer New York: Henry Holt &; Company, Inc. 1988. Index, ack., notes, 204 pp. $18.95, cloth.

Global Studies: China. Second Edition edited by W. A. Joseph Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing 1987. xii and 244 pp, illus., charts, maps, gloss., sources, index, and biblio. $9.25, paper.     

Variable complexity of the US Continental Divide trace

Abstract

Map-view complexity of 65 contiguous segments of the conterminous US Continental Divide trace was evaluated by the divider method, with each segment’s geometry approximated by a fractal dimension (D) value, or two D values applying to fine and coarse scales of inspection. Results support a generalization that D values in the range 1.05–1.12 are typical for drainage divides viewed at regional to national scales. However about 20% of cases reviewed in this study are smoother (D = 1.01–1.04) or more complex (D = 1.13–1.18) traces. Complexities of these watershed boundary segments show no significant correlation with physiographic province or local relief. The primary influence of bedrock lithology and surface process is seen in zones of Quaternary volcanism, where uncommonly smooth and highly complex divide trace segments are more the rule than exception. Uncommonly smooth divide traces are also found descending mountain pediments in areas of parallel drainage, and some of the most tortuous traces are associated with drainage patterns disrupted by non-fluvial processes. Divide trace segments crossing terrain with uniform lithology show decreased complexity, but traces with the broadest range of complexity, including highest D values, occur in areas with moderate, not extreme, degrees of bedrock diversity.     

Notes on a Program of Field Mapping for Undergraduates

Abstract

Atop the Urban Hierarchy by Robert A. Beauregard, ed. Totowa, NJ: Rowman &; Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 1989. xx and 304 pp., graphs, tables, maps, refs., and index. $36.50, cloth.

The Pageant of World History by Gerald Leinwand Needham Heights, MA: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1990. Text Book. 827 pp. ISBN 013–647975–8.

The Fate of the Forest: Developers, Destroyers and Defenders of the Amazon by Susanna Hecht and Alexander Cockburn New York, NY: Verso. 1989. Maps, glossary, biblio., index. 266 pp. ISBN 0–86091–2. $24.95, cloth.

A Place of Sense: Essays in Search of the Midwest by Michael Martone, ed. Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa Press. 1988. Illustrations. 170 pp. ISBN 0–87745–217–2.

On Assignment National Geographic Society. 1990. Boardgame. $33.20.     

Black–White and Hispanic–White Segregation in U.S. Counties

Residential segregation in metropolitan areas has been the subject of much research, but this article analyzes patterns of white–black and white–Hispanic segregation in counties across the United States. Our purpose was to understand county variations in this one dimension of inequality. Conceiving of segregation as relative inequality of access to neighborhood resources, we measured segregation in 2000 by the index of dissimilarity (D) calculated by blocks, mapped the index values, and correlated them with census variables. Three filters enabled us to eliminate counties with characteristics that could have corrupted the analyses, leaving us with more than 1,000 counties in each analysis. Both minority groups were less segregated from whites in the West and South and in metropolitan counties. Lower segregation was strongly associated with higher minority socioeconomic status and higher percentages of minorities living in housing built in the 1990s, and Hispanic–white segregation was lower where more Hispanics were U.S.-born or English proficient. The racial threat hypothesis was supported only weakly and inconsistently. Mapping made it possible to identify regional and local patterns of high and low segregation as well as the lower segregation of suburban counties in some large metropolitan areas.     

Index to Volume 99

Abstract

Capitals of the World, Version 1.5, by Keith Sutton, P.O. Box 23668, San Diego, CA 92123, Registered Copy $20. FPCL disk #2292 (Version 1.3).

Terra?Time, version 5.0, by George K. Marek, GeoGraphic Software, 126 Mountain View Road, Glastonberg, CT 06033, Registered Copy $20. FPCL Disk #1487.

World City Distance Computer, version 5.0, by George K. Marek, GeoGraphic Software, 126 Mountain View Road, Glastonberg, CT 06033, Registered Copy $15. FPCL Disk #1487.

The Transfer and Transformation of Ideas and Material Culture. by Hugill, Peter J. and Dickson, D. Bruce, eds.: College Station, Texas: Texas A&;M University Press, 1988. xxii and 281 pp., index.

The Third World: States of Mind and Being edited by J. Norwine and A. Gonzalez Winchester, MA: Unwin Hyman, Inc. 1988. Refs., notes, index. 275 pp. ISBN 0–04–910121–8.

The Carrier Wave: New Information Technology and the Geography of Innovation 1846–2003 by Peter Hall and Paschal Preston Winchester, MA: Unwin Hyman Ltd. 1988. Tables, figs., refs., index. 305 pp. $34.95, cloth.     

Editorials: New Associate Editors

Abstract

The Earth and How it Works: A Lab Manual and Workbook with Teaching Ideas, Projects, and Activities in Environmental Science by Philip R. Holzinger Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1985. x and 150 pp., figs., illus., photos, maps, app., biblio., and index. $12.95 paper.

Wild Horses and Sacred Cows by Richard Symanski Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Press, 1985. xv and 223 pp., photos, and map. $14.95 cloth; $9.95 paper.

The Making of the Dutch Landscape: An Historical Geography of the Netherlands, 2d ed. by Audrey M. Lambert Orlando, FL: Academic Press, 1985. xiii and 372 pp., figs., tables, photos, maps, refs., and index. $55.00 cloth.

Rating Places: A Geographer's View on Quality of Life by Susan L. Cutter Resource Publications in Geography. Washington, DC: Association of American Geographers, 1985. vi and 76 pp., figs., tables, maps, and biblio. $5.00 paper.

A Strategic Atlas: A Comparative Geopolitics of the World's Powers, 2d Rev. ed. by Gerard Chaliand and Jean-Pierre Rageau Trans. Tony Berrett. New York: Harper &; Row, 1985. 224 pp., graphs, tables, maps, and biblio. $26.95 cloth; $14.95 paper.

The Surveillant Science: Remote Sensing of the Environment, 2d ed. by Robert K. Holz New York: John Wiley, 1985. xvi and 413 pp., figs., illus., tables, photos, maps, refs., and index. $21.95 paper.     

The Gunnison's prairie dog structures a high desert grassland landscape as a keystone engineer

The influence of landscape spatial structure on ecological processes has recently received much attention. Comparisons are made here between the spatial structure of grasslands, and active and extirpated Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni Hollister) towns at the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, U.S.A. The spatial structure of bare ground was quatified using a box-counting technique to extract landscape fractal dimensions, D, and bare-ground patch size. These landscapes are fractal, and active prairie dog towns had higher fractal dimensions, i.e. a more homogeneous spatial structure as D approaches 2, than inactive towns, which had higher fractal dimensions than unmodified grasslands. Morisita's index suggested that shrubs were more randomly distributed on prairie dog towns and more aggregated on grassland habitats. The different spatial distributions of bare ground and shrubs have the potential to influence resource distributions between these habitats for both prairie dogs and other fauna. Consequently, the presence of prairie dogs in these grasslands increases grassland landscape heterogeneity at large spatial scales, potentially enhancing beta diversity.     

Transmogrifying Regions

Abstract

Teacher Education Models in Geography: An International Comparison by William Marsden, ed. Kalamazoo, Ml: Commission on Geographical Education, 1984. v and 155 pp., figs., tables, and refs. NP

Principles of Thematic Map Design by D.B. Dent Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1984. xv and 398 pp., figs., tables, photos, maps, refs., and index. $29.95 cloth.

Health Care in Developing Countries by Wilbert M. Gesler Resource Publication in Geography, edited by C.G. Knight. Washington, DC: Association of American Geographers, 1984.88 pp., figs., graphs, tables, maps, and biblio. $5.00 paper.

Cotton Fields No More: Southern Agriculture 1865–1980 by Gilbert C. Fite Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1984. xiv and 273 pp., tables, photos, app., refs., and index. $28.00 cloth; $10.00 paper.

Population: Patterns, Dynamics, and Prospects by James Newman and Gordon Matzke Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984. xi and 306 pp., figs., graphs, tables, maps, biblio., and index. $27.95 cloth.     

United States Census County Divisions As A Geographical Data Base

Single-value indices of population age balance have proved useful. Coulson's index, although an improvement over other measures, is deficient when applied to middle-aged dominant populations and violates normality assumptions required by the technique for deriving the index. An alternative index of age balance was developed to provide more information and flexibility than other measures without losing their primary advantages.     

Reviews and Materials received

Abstract

The Human Geography of Ireland by J. H. Johnson New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1994. Bibliography, index, xi, and 221 pp. S39.95, hard. ISBN 0-47194-832-2.

Some Truth with Maps: A Primer on Symbolization & Design by Alan M. MacEachren Washington, DC: Association of American Geographers. 1994. Figures, bibliography. 129 pp. ISBN 0-89291-214-6.

Geography of China: Environment, Resources, Population and Development by Songqiao Zhao New York; John Wiley & Sons. 1994. xix and 332 pp. Appendix and index. ISBN 0-471-57758-8. S67.95, cloth.     

A comparative approach towards ethnic segregation patterns in Belgian cities using multiscalar individualized neighborhoods

Levels of spatial segregation in Western European cities are persistent over space and time. To demonstrate the degree or appearance of spatial segregation, most studies on urban residential patterns still rely on fixed spatial units, aspatial measures and single scales. However, a spatial or temporal comparison of patterns and levels of segregation based on such units or metrics is not without problems. To that end, this paper takes an explicit geographic approach and considers individualized neighborhoods using EquiPop-software, allowing various scales. Using the k-nearest neighbors for all individuals increases international comparability and facilitates interpretation, so far often hampered in segregation research. This multiscalar, multigroup comparative approach on ethnic urban geographies – using Belgium as a case study – provides an empirical illustration of a valuable method and tool applicable in segregation research, thereby furthering the comprehension of the increasingly diverse urban geographies and building on emerging work in the US, Europe and beyond.     

Measures of transport mode segmentation of trajectories

ABSTRACT

Rooted in the philosophy of point- and segment-based approaches for transportation mode segmentation of trajectories, the measures that researchers have adopted to evaluate the quality of the results (1) are incomparable across approaches, hence slowing the progress in the field and (2) do not provide insight about the quality of the continuous transportation mode segmentation. To address these problems, this paper proposes new error measures that can be applied to measure how well a continuous transportation mode segmentation model performs. The error measures introduced are based on aligning multiple inferred continuous intervals to ground truth intervals, and measure the cardinality of the alignment and the spatial and temporal discrepancy between the corresponding aligned segments. The utility of this new way of computing errors is shown by evaluating the segmentation of three generic transportation mode segmentation approaches (implicit, explicit–holistic, and explicit–consensus-based transport mode segmentation), which can be implemented in a thick client architecture. Empirical evaluations on a large real-word data set reveal the superiority of explicit–consensus-based transport mode segmentation, which can be attributed to the explicit modeling of segments and transitions, which allows for a meaningful decomposition of the complex learning task.