Spatial analysis of residential fuel prices: Local variations in the price of heating oil in Northern Ireland

Spatial disparities in the price of residential heating fuel may have considerable impacts on social well-being. Dependence on relatively expensive fuels in off-gas grid contexts may be linked to high rates of fuel poverty, making it a key policy issue. However, fuel prices in the off-grid sector have received relatively little research attention. This study investigates pricing structures within the heating oil market in Northern Ireland, a region with high rates of fuel poverty, using applied spatial analysis. The results indicate significant spatial variations in the price of heating oil at local level. High prices occur in remote rural areas and urban areas with high rates of gas heating. Prices appear to arise from a complex set of interacting factors related to local market structures, supply costs, market competitiveness and socio-economic factors which affect demand. This study makes a significant contribution to the literature on off-gas residential heating. Although further research is needed, the results presented here suggest that policy responses such as price regulation may have only limited impacts on fuel poverty levels, emphasizing the importance of maximising access to more affordable fuels (e.g. mains gas or renewables) as part of a sustainable energy solution.     

Testing for similarity in area-based spatial patterns: A nonparametric Monte Carlo approach

The proliferation of geographic information systems and point data has made the analysis of spatial point patterns of increasing interest in a variety of disciplines. Though early forms of spatial point pattern analysis were limited in their scope, current forms have been developed that provide significant insight into underlying data generating processes. This paper builds on the spatial point pattern analysis literature through the development of a nonparametric Monte Carlo spatial point pattern test (and corresponding index) to measure the degree of similarity between two spatial point patterns. The applicability of this new test is then shown using crime data.     

An exploratory spatial analysis of western medical services in Republican Beijing

In this paper, we reconstructed the spatial organization of Western medical services in Beijing city during the Republican period using a recently completed Republican Beijing GIS dataset. The primary objective is to explore the utility of spatial analytical methods, such as hotspot analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR), in studying the spatial patterns of Western medical services. Our study is successful in depicting the spatial structure of Western medical services in the city. In addition, our analysis offers a preliminary but holistic view of the spatial relationships between Western medical services in the city and traditional Chinese medicine, population distribution, temple locations and industry-commerce patterns.     

Spatial patterns of old, deep-seated landslides: A case-study in the northern Ethiopian highlands

During the last decade, slope failures were reported in a 500 km² study area in the Geba–Werei catchment, northern Ethiopia, a region where landslides were not considered an important hazard before. Field observations, however, revealed that many of the failures were actually reactivations of old deep-seated landslides after land use changes. Therefore, this study was conducted (1) to explore the importance of environmental factors controlling landslide occurrence and (2) to estimate future landslide susceptibility. A landslide inventory map of the study area derived from aerial photograph interpretation and field checks shows the location of 57 landslides and six zones with multiple landslides, mainly complex slides and debris flows. In total 14.8% of the area is affected by an old landslide. For the landslide susceptibility modelling, weights of evidence (WofE), was applied and five different models were produced. After comparison of the models and spatial validation using Receiver Operating Characteristic curves and Kappa values, a model combining data on elevation, hillslope gradient, aspect, geology and distance to faults was selected. This model confirmed our hypothesis that deep-seated landslides are located on hillslopes with a moderate slope gradient (i.e. 5°–13°). The depletion areas are expected on and along the border of plateaus where weathered basalts rich in smectite clays are found, and the landslide debris is expected to accumulate on the Amba Aradam sandstone and upper Antalo limestone. As future landslides are believed to occur on inherently unstable hillslopes similar to those where deep-seated landslides occurred, the classified landslide susceptibility map allows delineating zones where human interventions decreasing slope stability might cause slope failures. The results obtained demonstrate that the applied methodology could be used in similar areas where information on the location of landslides is essential for present-day hazard analysis.     

中国分县生态承载力供需平衡空间格局分析(英文)

A balanced ecological carrying capacity and its understanding are important to achieve sustainable development for human kind.Here,the concept of ecological carrying capacity has been used for measuring the dependencies between human and nature.China’s ecological balance between supply and demand has become a global concern and is widely debated.In this study the ’Ecological Footprint’ method was used to analyze the supply-demand balance of China’s ecological carrying capacity.Firstly,the ecological supply and demand balance was calculated and evaluated,and secondly,the ecological carrying capacity index (ECCI) was derived for each county of China in 2007,and finally this paper systematically evaluated the ecological carrying capacity supply-demand balance of China.The results showed that ecological deficit appeared to be the main characteristic of ecological carrying capacity supply-demand balance in 2007 of China at county scale.In general,more than four-fifths of the Chinese population was concentrated in less than one-third of the land area and more than two-thirds of the land area was inhabited by less than one-fifth of the population.The spatial distribution of the ecological carrying capacity demand-supply was unbalanced ranging from significant overloading to affluence from southeastern to northwestern part of China.It appeared to be more dominant in regions located at coastal areas which are attracted by migrants and had a generally higher population density.Along with the rapid development and urbanization trends in China,ecological deficits in these regions will become more severe.     

Changes in the residential segregation of immigrants in Sweden from 1990 to 2012: Using a multi-scalar segregation measure that accounts for the modifiable areal unit problem

In this paper, the levels of residential segregation of immigrants in Sweden during the years 1990, 1997, 2005, and 2012 are calculated. This paper applies a novel method for calculating segregation that is multi-scalar and addresses the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). The level of segregation is evaluated for each populated location by identifying the population that includes the k-nearest neighbours. The share of immigrants in this assessment population is then compared to the share in the reference population that comprises the K-nearest neighbours. One of the strengths of this method is the possibility to modify the reference population, thus making it possible to measure the difference in the results due to the size of the reference population. This study demonstrates that the results can considerably differ depending on which reference population is used. Furthermore, this study indicates that using different reference areas can produce completely different trends over time, such as decreasing or increasing segregation. The results demonstrate a general increase in segregation between 1990 and 1997, followed by a more complex pattern from 1997 to 2012. The segregation values are presented for all populated locations in Sweden, and population-weighted means are calculated for the whole of Sweden, in addition to the Stockholm, Malmö, and Gothenburg metropolitan areas.     

Spatial analysis of rockfall activity, bounce heights and geomorphic changes over the last 50 years – A case study using dendrogeomorphology

Tree-ring series have been used to reconstruct 50 years of rockfall behavior on a slope near Saas Balen (Swiss Alps). A total of 796 cores and 141 cross sections from 191 severely injured conifer trees (Larix decidua Mill., Picea abies (L.) Karst. and Pinus cembra L.), combined with a series of aerial photographs, were used to investigate the evolution of the forest stand so as (i) to reconstruct past rockfall rates; (ii) to analyze the spatial behavior of maximum bounce heights; and (iii) to analyze the spatial comportment of rockfall activity over the last five decades.Tree-ring analysis permitted the reconstruction of the age distribution at the study site; results were in perfect agreement with the afforestation process shown in the aerial photographs. The oldest are located in the lower, central part of the study site; the youngest individuals at its uppermost lateral boundaries. Reconstructed rockfall rates reveal strong interannual variations and single event years with increased activity, namely in 1960/1961 and 1995. Spatial analysis of the maximum bounce heights indicate highest values at the lateral boundaries and lowest heights in the lower central part of the forest stand, where a big boulder seems to shield trees growing below it. The spatial analysis of past rockfall activity shows high active zones at the uppermost north-facing boundaries of the forest and least active zones in the lowermost central part of the studied stand. The high rockfall activity at the slope is expressed by a mean rockfall rate of > 1 event m^− 1 y^− 1.     

Analysis of spatial patterns of public attention on housing prices in Chinese cities: A web search engine approach

Housing price has become one of the most pressing issues facing urban residents in China in recent years and received considerable attention. However, detailed housing price data are often ill-documented or unavailable for the public, thus posing a grand challenge for the study of housing prices in China. Because individuals' Internet search activities can be recorded by web search engines, the analysis of these web search activities in cyber-space may provide a means of better understanding public attention and associated concerns in real geographic space. In this study, we focus on exploring the spatial patterns of public attention on housing price through the analysis of web query activities based on Baidu Index, a Chinese keyword analysis tool from Baidu web search engine. We propose a new index based on keyword query outcome from Baidu search database to analyze spatially heterogeneous patterns of housing price attention from 19 large and medium-sized cities in China. We evaluate the spatial network structure of housing price attention, and develop a new index to measure the intensity of interaction relationships among cities of interest. Our results show that spatial interactions of housing price attention between cities evaluated using the new method are consistent with those from a gravity model. Meanwhile, as revealed from Baidu Index-based indicators, strong spatial association patterns exist among cities that form urban agglomerations. Further, our results demonstrate that the web search engine approach, based on the coupling of cyber-space and geographic space, provides solid support for the study of housing price attention and its spatially explicit patterns in China.     

The residential segregation of San Antonio,Texas in 1910: an analysis of ethno-racial and occupational spatial patterns with the colocation quotient

The segregation of cities can be traced to a time when the compartmentalization of space and people was based on factors other than race. In segregation research, one of the limiting factors has always been the geographic scale of the data, and the limited knowledge that exists of segregation patterns when the household is the unit of analysis. Historical census data provides the opportunity to analyze the disaggregated information, and this paper does so with San Antonio during 1910. A spatial analysis of residential segregation based on race, ethnicity, and occupations is carried out with the colocation quotient to map and measure the attraction of residents. Results reveal the presence of residential segregation patterns on different sectors of the city based on households’ ethno-racial and occupational attributes; therefore, providing evidence of the existence of residential segregation prior to the commonly cited determinants of segregation of the 20th century.     

中小城市家庭生活用能碳排放空间分异——以开封市为例

利用2015年开封市居民家庭生活用能的大样本问卷调查数据,采用探索性空间数据分析（ESDA）和标准差椭圆（SDE）方法,探索城市居住区家庭生活用能碳排放空间分布特征。结果表明：① 家庭生活用能碳排放存在以热点区为主的空间正相关特性,碳排放高值集聚发生在城市新建开发区和建成区向外扩张较快区域,以2000年以后新建高档商品房小区和机关事业单位家属院为主,低值集聚区则发生在建成时间长、后续开发力度小的区域,以老商品房小区和胡同社区为主;② 开封市家庭电力消耗碳排放占生活用能总碳排放的67%,但人均生活用能碳排放空间格局由供暖碳排放决定,且人均供暖碳排放空间格局又由集中供暖碳排放空间格局决定,故降低集中供暖能耗、缩小居民供暖用能差异成为居民生活用能碳减排工作的重中之重;③ 家庭经济状况、集中供暖设施分布和城市发展的空间格局是家庭生活用能碳排放空间依赖性和空间异质性形成的主要驱动因素。     

GIS支持下山区县域农村居民点分布特征研究——以栖霞市为例

运用GIS空间分析技术、景观指数法和Voronoi图Cv值相结合的分析方法,研究了胶东山区栖霞市农村居民点的空间均匀性特征,并探讨了农村居民点在地形梯度上的分布特征。结果表明:全市农村居民点分布的Cv值为58.84%,空间分布表现为随机分布;唐家泊镇、松山镇、臧家庄镇和翠屏街道4个乡镇的农村居民点呈集群分布,其他乡镇为随机分布;农村居民点分布的优势区间在1~3地形位,随着地形位的增大农村居民点的优势度降低;农村居民点的面积、斑块数目和平均斑块面积随地形位的增大而减少,平均斑块形状指数和平均斑块分维数随地形位的增大而增大;同时,公路是影响山区农村居民点空间布局的重要因素。研究反映了栖霞市农村居民居住习惯的差异,为农村居民点的整治和规划提供了依据。     

Identification of tourist hot spots based on social networks: A comparative analysis of European metropolises using photo-sharing services and GIS

New sources of geolocated information, associated with big data and social networks, show great promise for geographical research, especially in the field of tourism geography. Photo-sharing services comprise one of these sources. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the potential of photo-sharing services for identifying and analyzing the main tourist attractions in eight major European cities: Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Rotterdam. Geotagged photographs on Panoramio were differentiated according to whether they had been taken by tourists or local residents, and their spatial distribution patterns were analyzed using spatial statistical techniques in a GIS. The results indicated the concentration and dispersion of photographs in each city and their main hot spots, and revealed marked differences between tourists' and residents' photographs, since the former showed higher spatial concentrations. In addition, differences were observed between cities; Barcelona and Rome presented a strong spatial concentration compared with London or Paris, which showed much greater dispersion.     

非平稳标准化降水蒸散指数构建及中国未来干旱时空格局

旱灾是一种致灾因子与成害机理均非常复杂的自然灾害,也是目前对其检测与风险防御最为困难的自然灾害种类之一。随着全球气候变化,干旱的变化逐渐趋于非平稳化,水文气象序列的非平稳性已有广泛研究,但在干旱检测指标中却鲜有考虑。基于标准化降水蒸散指数（SPEI）和非平稳性理论,构建非平稳性标准化降水蒸散指数（NSPEI）并进行适用性评价,利用NSPEI评估未来不同排放情景下中国气象干旱时空格局演变规律。结果表明：① 非平稳性站点集中在东北平原、黄淮海平原、长三角地区、青藏高原及周边区域,NSPEI拟合最优的站点占中国气象站点的88%（2177个站点）。② SPEI对温度较为敏感,在评估未来干旱变化时会高估干旱强度和持续时间性,而NSPEI能够克服这一弱点,较SPEI可更好的检测中国气象干旱,且能很好的刻画中国未来干旱变化。③ 低、高排放情景下中国北方干旱加剧,南方呈湿润化趋势;中排放情景下中国北方湿润化趋势明显,而中国南方则呈干旱化。基于NSPEI干旱检测结果,中高排放情景下中国未来极端干湿历时与发生频率均呈增加趋势。     

陕北黄土高原丘陵沟壑区聚落适宜空间模式研究——以米脂县东沟为例

黄土高原丘陵沟壑区是我国西部新型城镇化实践的克难攻坚地,在未厘清地域性特征的情况下,现代城乡规划设计的介入对当地环境和文化产生了较大冲击。以陕北米脂县东沟为例,基于卫星遥感影像、数字高程模型(DEM)等数据,利用格网法揭示东沟地形变化与聚落规模的空间分布特征,借助四象限散点图法和立体网格分维模型测度并评价东沟地形复杂性与聚落集聚性的耦合协调关系及聚落空间分布效率,总结适宜于沟壑区的聚落空间营建模式。结果表明:(1)东沟聚落从沟口至沟内存在明显的空间分异特征:如聚落逐步偏离河岸,其建筑密度和容积率呈现从高到低、再升高降低的变化等。(2)根据东沟地形复杂度与聚落集聚度的叠加分析,平缓地形中的集聚聚落与复杂地形中的分散聚落属于人地关系协调的聚落类型,这两类聚落约占所有聚落总规模的70.5%。(3)东沟聚落的立体网格分维数分段特征明显,其中台地行列式和自由行列式聚落的立体分维数最高,为2.35~2.55。(4)在5种东沟典型人居空间模式中,台地行列式、自由行列式及密集斑块式聚落具有人地协调、空间利用高效的双重特征,可作为丘陵沟壑区聚落空间营建的参考。     

The Use of Comaps to Explore the Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Fire Incidents: A Case Study in South Wales,United Kingdom*

This article reports on the results from a spatiotemporal analysis of disaggregate fire incident data. The innovative analysis presented here focuses on the exploration of spatial and temporal patterns for four principal fire incident categories: property, vehicle, secondary fires, and malicious false alarms. This research extends previous work on spatial exploration of spatiotemporal patterns by demonstrating the benefits of comaps and kernel density estimation in examining temporal and spatiotemporal dynamics in calls for services. Results indicate that fire incidents are not static in either time or space and that spatiotemporal variation is related to incident type. The application of these techniques has the potential to inform policy decisions both from a reactive, resource‐allocation perspective and from a more proactive perspective, such as through spatial targeting of preventive measures.     

Qualitative satellite image analysis: Mapping spatial distribution of farming types in Ethiopia

Satellite images have enormous potential for qualitative land use analysis. This paper presents empirical results that demonstrate how normally invisible dimensions produced by land use can be identified by enriching satellite data with qualitative information from field studies.Land use can be defined as the intentional use of a specific piece of land resulting in patterns of ecological responses that are visible in the land cover and landscape. Responses to land use often result in a heterogeneous combination of reflectance in satellite images. Statistical methods used in the classification of satellite imagery are limited in their capacity to handle categories consisting of heterogeneous combinations of spectral values. To overcome this limitation, a contextual post-classification method has been used to map land cover configurations as related to different agricultural practices in the district of Sodo, Ethiopia.The results show that it is possible to map socio-spatial distribution of different agricultural and socioeconomic practices on a regional level by combining field observations and spatial contextual information. The empirical findings show local agricultural activity variations in cash crop production and subsistence agriculture in the Sodo district of Ethiopia.     

Paper-Based GIS: A Practical Answer to the Implementation of GIS Education into Resource-Poor Schools in South Africa

Abstract

Geographical information systems (GIS) were phased into the geography curriculum of South African schools from 2006–2008 as part of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for grades 10–12. Since its introduction, GIS education in schools across the country has been met with a number of challenges including the cost of purchasing the hardware and software required to elucidate the basic concepts of GIS to learners. This article examines the introduction of GIS education in schools in South Africa. The development and distribution of a paper-based GIS educational package for resource-poor schools in the country is also highlighted. Preliminary educator and learner evaluations of the paper-based GIS package are discussed and the broader learning opportunities and benefits associated with flexible teaching mechanisms are examined.     

A continental analysis of correlations between tree patterns in African savannas and human and environmental variables

This study analyses possible relationships between natural processes taking place in savannas and the tree patterns found in savannas. This can lead to new hypotheses about which processes are driving savanna physiognomy. To do so tree patterns were quantified for African savannas from historical aerial photographs applying frequently used landscape metrics. Also, additional data for these areas were collected to quantify the processes taking place at these locations. Correlations between tree pattern indices and explaining factors were analysed. We found a negative trend between tree cover and density of sheep and goats, but no relationship between tree cover and density of cattle, suggesting that small livestock have an effect on tree cover, but that larger livestock (or obligate grazers) do not. Also, a positive correlation between human population density and tree cover was found. Possible explanations for the found relations are discussed. Subsequent ways to analyse the latter correlation are discussed, and the potential of the presented historical database of aerial photographs is highlighted.     

消费转型背景下度假型旅游地时空修复——基于三亚海棠湾的案例研究

消费转型背景下旅游目的地供需失衡矛盾凸显,由此引致了目的地新一轮的结构性调整,然而这一现象并未引起学界足够重视,现有的理论框架在解释力度上也存在明显不足。本文在详细剖析时空修复理论研究成果的基础上,结合中国情境与旅游情境,提出了资本应对消费转型的一般框架,分析了三亚海棠湾时空修复的整体历程,并揭示了案例背后的制度逻辑。研究表明：资本以时空修复的方式完成了对消费转型的应对。其中,时空修复的经济维度包括资本的空间修复与时间修复,在三亚海棠湾,空间修复突出的表现为地理扩张与空间重组,时间修复则重点表现在二级循环的缓建、停建及其向三级循环的跃迁。时空修复的非经济维度方面,政府部门藉由尺度重组用以促进资本的循环与积累,通过尺度上推,借助意识形态与城市战略,构建了资本空间运行的合法性;通过尺度下推,藉由绩效优先原则与权力下放策略,支持与服务资本的空间运行。但政府的部分行为在某种程度上干扰了市场秩序,延缓危机的同时制造了更大的隐患。此外,时空修复与尺度重组之间存在着理论关联,消费转型使得原有资本节律失常,地域组织通过尺度重组搭建起全新的地理架构,为资本的时空修复提供了相对稳定的地理平台。本文完善了时空修复的理论框架,部分回应了消费市场的理性回归对度假地的可能影响。     

海岸带的空间功能分区与管制方法——以宁波市为例

海岸带空间资源的合理开发和利用关系到海洋经济发展质量和优质资源利用效率,成为影响沿海城市区域可持续发展的重要内容。根据区域自然、经济、社会特征,运用相关分区方法,划分海岸线和海岸带开发与保护的适宜性空间,获取较高的空间资源配置效率,成为地理学研究关注的热点。大部分学者从经济和生态两个方面要素构建指标体系,并对分区方法进行了有益探索和尝试,但是由于海岸带具有自然地理的特殊性,所以在指标选择上有较大不同。以宁波海岸带为例,讨论海岸线及海岸带的空间区划指标体系选择和方法应用问题。在借鉴已有区划方法的基础上,重点讨论评价单元划分、评价指标选择与处理等技术方法,在评价海岸线开发适宜基础上,做进一步的海岸带空间功能分区,将宁波市海岸带空间划分为生态空间、生产空间和生活空间,并结合宁波市空间开发现状,提出不同类型区域空间布局调整引导方向和管制要求。