Exploring population spatial concentrations in Northern Ireland by community background and other characteristics: an application of geographically weighted spatial statistics

Information on how populations are spatially concentrated by different characteristics is a key means of guiding government policies in a variety of contexts, in addition to being of substantial academic interest. In particular, to reduce inequalities between groups, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of these groups in terms of their composition and their geographical structure. This article explores the degree to which the population of Northern Ireland is spatially concentrated by a range of characteristics. There is a long history of interest in residential segregation by religion in Northern Ireland; this article assesses population concentration not only by community background (‘religion or religion brought up in’) but also by housing tenure, employment and other socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The spatial structure of geographical variables can be captured by a range of spatial statistics including Moran's I. Such approaches utilise information on connections between observations or the distances between them. While such approaches are conceptually an improvement on standard aspatial statistics, a logical further step is to compute statistics on a local basis on the grounds that most real-world properties are not spatially homogenous and, therefore, global measures may mask much variation. In population geography, which provides the substantive focus for this article, there are still relatively few studies that assess in depth the application of geographically weighted statistics for exploring population characteristics individually and for exploring relations between variables. This article demonstrates the value of such approaches by using a variety of geographically weighted statistical measures to explore outputs from the 2001 Census of Population of Northern Ireland. A key objective is to assess the degree to which the population is spatially divided, as judged by the selected variables. In other words, do people cluster more strongly with others who share their community background or others who have a similar socioeconomic status in some respect? The analysis demonstrates how geographically weighted statistics can be used to explore the degree to which single socioeconomic and demographic variables and relations between such variables differ at different spatial scales and at different geographical locations. For example, the results show that there are regions comprising neighbouring areas with large proportions of people from the same community background, but with variable unemployment levels, while in other areas the first case holds true but unemployment levels are consistently low. The analysis supports the contention that geographical variations in population characteristics are the norm, and these cannot be captured without using local methods. An additional methodological contribution relates to the treatment of counts expressed as percentages.     

WORK-PLACE UTILITIES AND COMMUTING PATTERNS: ARE THEY CLASS OR PLACE DIFFERENTIATED?*

The work-place utilities and commuting patterns of the employed in Haifa's (Israel) metropolitan field are analyzed using the value-stretch methodology. Statistical test scores reveal class and place (location) variations in the perceived utilities of employed, especially in their commuting patterns (flows). A meaningful commuting pattern analysis should incorporate socioeconomic and demographic elements along with the spatial distribution of job opportunities. Some analytical and policy implications of employment strategies for a postindustrial metropolis are evaluated.     

Koreatown and Korean Small Firms in Los Angeles: Locating in the Ethnic Neighborhoods*

The locations of Korean firms in Los Angeles reflect spatial segmentation in markets and the provision of labor, in that the ethnic neighborhoods facilitate positive business environments for ethnic small firms. While Korean small businesses serve both community needs and broader local markets, firm locations are closely associated with the residential patterns of some ethnic populations. To address the specificity of firm locations, this paper examines Koreatown using historical sources and recent property development, identifies changes in the locational patterns of Korean firms between 1975 and 1986, and analyzes relationships between business density and density of ethnic populations for zip code areas. The findings of this study indicate that both the development of Koreatown and the presence of ethnic neighborhoods are important influences on the location of Korean businesses.     

INTRAMETROPOLITAN LOCATIONS OF KOREAN BUSINESSES: THE CASE OF CHICAGO

Intrametropolitan locations of Korean businesses in the Chicago area are examined in terms of the ethnicity of their major customers: ethnic customers, inner-city minority customers, and White middle-class customers. The study reveals that Korean-owned stores providing important ethnic goods or services are spatially concentrated in Koreatown along Lawrence and Lincoln Avenues and in the northwestern suburbs. Korean businesses that serve inner-city minority customers are located mainly in southside Chicago, providing important necessities such as clothing, shoes, beauty supplies, and general merchandise. Uniquely, Korean entrepreneurs overwhelmingly dominate the dry cleaning business, which serves the White middle-class population and is thus scattered around the entire metropolitan area. Korean entrepreneurs' unusual market diversity comes from their effective utilization of ethnic resources and their unique linkage with the export-oriented home-country economy in the 1970s and 1980s. As a whole, their entrepreneurship has demonstrated the dynamic and complex nature of immigrant businesses in major American cities.     

Measuring Individuals' Spatial Access to Healthy Foods by Incorporating Mobility,Time, and Mode: Activity Space Measures

Spatial access to healthy foods has drawn growing attention regarding the relationship with people's health conditions and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Individuals' differences and the impact of travel behaviors on food accessibility, however, are rarely studied. This study incorporates mobility, time, and transportation mode components to measure each individual's access to healthy foods. We employed three activity space measures to estimate food accessibility: route network buffer, time-weighted standard deviational ellipse (SDE), and mode-weighted SDE. Food accessibility in three activity spaces shows similar variabilities. Geographic size and spatial access to healthy foods differ significantly by income and employment for all three activity space measures. People with higher incomes and those who are currently employed are likely to have larger activity spaces and higher food accessibility. As age increases, people tend to increase their size of activity spaces (in both SDE measures) and food accessibility significantly. Females are likely to have smaller activity spaces and less accessibility to healthy foods (only in the time-weighted SDE measure). Geographic size and spatial access do not differ significantly by education and number of vehicles per household. Although three activity spaces are highly correlated in both geographic size and spatial access, differences still exist among them.     

Spatial assimilation and its discontents: Asian ethnic neighborhood change in California

This study investigates the geographic and compositional dynamics of ethnic neighborhoods over time among the fastest growing racial group in California, Asian Americans. I conduct spatial analysis of Census data from 2000 and 2010 to represent changes in ethnic neighborhood boundaries and their associated structural and demographic characteristics. First, I document changing ethnic neighborhood patterns among four Asian national origin groups—Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans. Second, I synthesize this information, assessing the theoretical implications of these changes by describing indications of spatial assimilation, ethnic stratification, and resurgent ethnicity among ethnic neighborhoods and the potential repercussions for the successful incorporation of both immigrant and native-born Asian Americans. Overall, this paper demonstrates that Asian ethnic neighborhood dynamics are far from monolithic and that different spatial incorporation processes manifest both within and between groups.     

Function of Soils for Human Societies and Environment

This study assessed the spatial distribution of vulnerability to extreme heat in 1990 and 2000 within metropolitan Phoenix based on an index of seven equally weighted measures of physical exposure and adaptive capacity. These measures were derived from spatially interpolated climate, normalized differential vegetation index, and U.S. Census data. From resulting vulnerability maps, we also analyzed population groups living in areas of high heat vulnerability. Results revealed that landscapes of heat vulnerability changed substantially in response to variations in physical and socioeconomic factors, with significant alterations to spatial distribution of vulnerability especially between eastern and western sectors of Phoenix. These changes worked to the detriment of Phoenix's Hispanic population and the elderly concentrated in urban-fringe retirement communities.     

Spatial aspects of MRSA epidemiology: a case study using stochastic simulation,kernel estimation and SaTScan

The identification of disease clusters in space or space–time is of vital importance for public health policy and action. In the case of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), it is particularly important to distinguish between community and health care‐associated infections, and to identify reservoirs of infection. 832 cases of MRSA in the West Midlands (UK) were tested for clustering and evidence of community transmission, after being geo‐located to the centroids of UK unit postcodes (postal areas roughly equivalent to Zip+4 zip code areas). An age‐stratified analysis was also carried out at the coarser spatial resolution of UK Census Output Areas. Stochastic simulation and kernel density estimation were combined to identify significant local clusters of MRSA (p<0.025), which were supported by SaTScan spatial and spatio‐temporal scan. In order to investigate local sampling effort, a spatial ‘random labelling’ approach was used, with MRSA as cases and MSSA (methicillin‐sensitive S. aureus) as controls. Heavy sampling in general was a response to MRSA outbreaks, which in turn appeared to be associated with medical care environments. The significance of clusters identified by kernel estimation was independently supported by information on the locations and client groups of nursing homes, and by preliminary molecular typing of isolates. In the absence of occupational/lifestyle data on patients, the assumption was made that an individual's location and consequent risk is adequately represented by their residential postcode. The problems of this assumption are discussed, with recommendations for future data collection.     

Who Is “Forest‐Dependent”? Capturing Local Variation in Forest‐Product Sale,Eastern Honduras

How researchers describe groups living within or near the world's tropical rain forests has important implications for how and why these groups are targeted for assistance by conservation and development organizations. This article explores how data about market behavior can be used to assess one aspect of forest peoples’ livelihoods: their “dependence” on forest resources as a source of market income. With the intent of revealing the importance of methodology to how we describe forest peoples’ livelihoods, I draw from a multiyear survey of market activity among the Tawahka Sumu of Honduras and distinguish nested measures of the Tawahkas’ engagement in forest‐product sale. Results indicate that whether or not the Tawahka —or any forest group — can be considered financially “dependent” on forest resources depends on the spatial and temporal scales at which data are aggregated. As a group, the Tawahka earned 18 percent of total market income from forest‐product sale, but their group profile masked a high degree of heterogeneity at the village and household level. Similarly, multiyear data indicated that while group‐level generalizations adhere from year to year, they belie considerable change in households’ market behavior across years. I discuss three ways in which the findings are relevant to the theory and practice of conservation and development in the humid tropics. I emphasize the importance of spatial scale in interventions, how market‐oriented conservation schemes can benefit from a broader conceptualization of the economic context in which forest‐product sale occurs, and how longitudinal analysis can reveal the dynamism of forest peoples’ livelihoods.     

Religious Diversity and Religious Participation in U.S. Jewish Communities

This article examines variations in Jewish denominational identification (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Just Jewish) among fifty-five U.S. Jewish communities completing local Jewish community studies from 1993 through 2011. We relate these variations to levels of religious and ethnic participation, contributing to the literature on how and whether religious pluralism relates to religious and ethnic participation. First, five denominational clusters are created via k-means cluster analysis (high Orthodox; equal, except Orthodox; high Reform; high Reform/low Just Jewish; and high Just Jewish). We then examine differences in geographic and demographic factors and in levels of religious participation among these denominational clusters. Second, various indexes of Jewish denominational diversity (index of dissimilarity, Shannon Index, Simpson Index, and largest group) are developed. The relationship of the level of Jewish denominational diversity to religious and ethnic participation is explored. The basic finding is that more Jewish denominational diversity does result in higher levels of religious participation but not ethnic participation.     

Forest Clearing Among Farm Households in the Maya Biosphere Reserve*

Central America's tropical forests have been felled more rapidly than those of any other world region during the latter half of the twentieth century. During this time, nearly half of Guatemala's forests were eliminated. Most of this deforestation has been concentrated in the northern department of Petén. The remaining forests in Petén are now mainly concentrated in the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR), the heart of the largest lowland tropical forest in Central America. The pace, magnitude, and geography of this trend is of critical importance to forest conservation and rural development efforts. This article examines socioeconomic, political, demographic, and ecological factors behind settler land use and forest clearing among 241 farm households in the Sierra de Lacandón National Park (SLNP), a core conservation zone of the MBR. Some of the factors positively related to forest clearing were household size, Q'eqchí Maya ethnicity, land owned in the previous residence, farm size, land title, and the cropping of velvet bean as a soil amendment. Education, off‐farm employment, and farm distance to a road were negatively related to farm‐level deforestation.     

Rainfall variability,rainfed agriculture and degree of human marginality in North Guanajuato,Mexico

Mexico has a heterogeneous climate due to its geographical location. Half of the Mexican territory is dryland, mostly in the centre and north of the country, within which agriculture is the main activity in the primary production sector. At present, climate variability has a strong impact on Mexican agriculture. This study analysed rainfall variability, its impact on the agricultural productivity in terms of harvested quantity and productivity of 1996‐2014, and in parallel, the role that socioeconomic development plays on the well‐being of the population who live in areas with rainfed agriculture and a semi‐dry climate. The data obtained were analysed with the Statistical Analysis System. A positive correlation was found between rainfall and productivity (r = 0.76 for maize; r = 0.711 for beans). Rainfall variations therefore have a great impact on agricultural productivity, on food security and on the economy. Besides production losses, a parallel consequence is marginalization of the population because producers' income is increasingly reduced due to smaller crop volumes.     

Cultural and Geographical Influences on Underweight Prevalence among Preschoolers in Ghana

Underweight prevalence among preschool children in Africa has been studied, but the effects of culture and geography remain unclear. This study used the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data for 2244 children aged 0‐59 months and generalized linear mixed models to analyze these data. The results showed that culture and geography remained significantly associated with preschool underweight prevalence after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of children, mothers, and households. Additionally, the gender of a child, size at birth, fever status, mother's BMI, insurance coverage and number of children <5 years in the household were significantly associated with underweight prevalence in Ghana. The study concluded that in addition to specific characteristics of children, mothers, and households, culturally motivated childhood dietary restrictions among the Ga/Dangme and Ewe could be reduced through appropriately targeted nutritional messages. Additionally, decreasing North‐South disparities in socioeconomic development, and improving nutritional outcomes among disadvantaged households in southern Ghana should be the focus of policies and strategies directed at reducing preschool underweight prevalence in Ghana.     

Spatial inequality of foreign direct investment in China: Institutional change,agglomeration economies,and market access

The spatial inequality of foreign direct investment (FDI) can intensify uneven economic development. As globalization and economic transition proceeds, foreign investors are changing their behaviors in FDI location, based on institutional change and agglomeration effects. In order to reduce the inequality, this research employs spatial statistics and analyses to examine the change in the spatial inequality of FDI among regions and among prefectural cities, and uses regression models and spatial regime analyses to investigate factors influencing the inequality from 1990 to 2010. The spatial diffusion of FDI clusters from the eastern/coastal region to the interior shows the trend of FDI convergence among regions. However, increasing numbers of FDI clusters and hot spots show the increasing divergence among cities within three regions. Agglomeration effects have replaced institutional factors to become one of the most significant factors influencing the FDI inequality among cities. Additionally, special economic zones, coastal open cities, provincial capital cities, and development zones lost their advantages in FDI as more reforms set in. The spatial regime analyses further indicate the significance of market size in FDI in prefecture-level cities and the significance of agglomeration economies in FDI in capitals and municipalities.     

Spatial and Temporal Patterns Associated with Permitted Tree Removal in Austin,Texas, 2002–2011

A wide-ranging set of physical, urban, demographic, socioeconomic, and policy characteristics determines the spatial distribution of urban forests. Information on the characteristics surrounding tree removals on both public and private properties has received less attention in the literature. The purpose of this research was to analyze the spatiotemporal trends and geographic patterns of tree removals in Austin, Texas, between 2002 and 2011 in an effort to understand how site-specific characteristics influence urban tree removal and affect the overall distribution of Austin's urban forest. We examined permitted tree removals using a geographic information system (GIS) as well as spatial and statistical analyses. Specifically, we evaluated the degree to which variables related to various physical, urban, and socioeconomic conditions predicted tree removals. The results indicate that permitted tree removals and their associated characteristics in Austin have varied over the ten-year study period. Permitted tree removals increased over the study period and took place in the urban core and along the urban periphery. Permitted tree removals were more likely to be undertaken by college graduates and owner-occupants and to occur in more densely populated areas, closer to major streets, and on properties with older structures. The results of this research provide urban forest professionals with information on the location and intensity of permitted tree removals and the significant characteristics driving urban tree loss.     

Social Exclusion and the Disabled: An Accessibility Approach*

Understanding social dimensions (e.g., transport equity) is an important aspect of sustainable development. This holistic perspective allows the use of accessibility as a tool to identify disadvantaged groups. In this article, cumulative accessibility measures are calculated for a sample of individuals who participated in a one‐day travel diary survey for the Buffalo‐Niagara region in the state of New York. These measures, which include the number of opportunities available in an individual's activity space, are used to compare the levels of access between disabled and nondisabled groups and to determine if individuals' disabilities and other characteristics are contributing factors to their exclusion. Findings show that being young, coming from a small household, possessing a driver's license, having a steady job, living in an urban setting, and being willing to travel a long distance increase the number of opportunities available.     

The Multifunctionality of Country Stores: Insights on Resilience from Rural Vermont

A multifunctionality analysis of built environments within rural landscapes can deepen understanding of how contemporary rural places function. There is an urgent need for this knowledge as small towns in the United States lose socio‐economic infrastructure resulting from restructuring, demographic change, and the centralization of services. This qualitative and exploratory study of country stores in rural Vermont finds that stores operate as key socio‐spatial nodes within broader geographic networks. Analysis of the goods, functions, and services stores furnish reveals the reflexive relationships stores have with the physical and cultural geographies of their regions. In moments of community crisis and under certain conditions, stores exhibit hyper‐functionality. Built environments and their socio‐spatial roles in multifunctional landscapes should be included in analyses of rural community resilience.     

Gender and local soil knowledge: Linking farmers' perceptions with soil fertility in two villages in the Philippines

Scientists often turn to farmers to understand soil management. This process reveals differences and overlaps between local and scientific soil knowledge but rarely considers women and gender issues. This paper examines men's and women's local knowledge of soils in upland, smallholder farms in two villages in Mindanao, the Philippines, using focus group discussions, semi‐structured household interviews, field visits, GIS and soil testing. Farmers' field areas were calculated and delineated based on their perceptions of the different types of soils on their land. Men and women chose the same plots for what they considered their best soil but differed on what they felt were their worst. The fertility of the soils that women considered to be the best and worst was not significantly different from that of the men's respective choices. There was a difference in fertility, however, between the best and worst soils regardless of gender. Although soil fertility analyses showed that the women's chosen soils were similar to men's, analyses of qualitative data showed that their knowledge of soils was different and was based in part on a gendered division of labour. A multidisciplinary approach helped bridge the gap between sociocultural and physical research.     

Neighborhood and socioeconomic change in emerging megapolitan nodes: tracking shifting social geographies in three rapidly growing United States metropolitan areas, 1980–2010

This paper investigates the complex demographic and social changes that have occurred in the neighborhoods of fast-growing United States metropolitan areas emerging as nodes in megapolitan regions between 1980 and 2010. A neighborhood typology is created using k-means cluster analysis to examine the demographic and housing characteristics, and geographic distribution, of neighborhoods that have existed in rapidly growing metropolitan areas. A socioeconomic index is created using principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze socioeconomic conditions within neighborhoods. Using data from the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Nevada; Austin, Texas; and Raleigh, North Carolina, this study identifies five neighborhood types, each of which has distinctive geographic and socioeconomic trends. The geographic orientation of each metropolitan area within their larger megapolitan region appears to have a role in the geography of neighborhood change. The results are also discussed in relation to human ecology, immigration, and economic restructuring.