Generalising OS MasterMap Buildings

The purpose of map generalisation is to represent spatial data in a way that makes it possible to effectively view the data at scales smaller than that for which it was originally intended. In the case of the Ordnance Survey’s MasterMap product you have data at an incredibly fine level of spatial resolution, which is […]

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Weighted Mean Direction Surfaces in Python

I work a lot with flows and spatial interactions, one thing that I’ve wanted to do for a while is compute a mean flow direction surface. Unfortunately, arithmetic means don’t work for angular data, this is because it cannot account for the circular nature of the distribution of angular measurements. For instance the angles 5 […]

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A Spatial Approach to Location Quotients

The intent of this post is not simply to uncover where the highest density of people belonging to a particular ethnic group are, but rather to use the ‘location quotient’ (LQ) technique to compare the ethnic density in any one area to the overall ethnic density in Southwark, thus providing a relative insight into where […]

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QMRG Undergraduate Dissertation Prize 2011

The Quantitative Methods Research Group (QMRG) is pleased to welcome submissions for its 2011 dissertation prize. The prize is for the best dissertation in *any* area of quantitative geography, which include the application of existing techniques or the development of new ones in physical, human or environmental studies. Entries are limited to undergraduate students completing […]

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Network Population Density for Southwark

Using the excellent SANET extension for ArcGIS 9.3 I was able to take some of my data for Southwark that I had geocoded to address level, and estimate the population density using the OS Mastermap ITN product. The procedure is essentially a Kernel Density Estimation that takes place on a given network rather than across 2D space, this effectively controls […]

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Network Population Density for Southwark

Using the excellent SANET extension for ArcGIS 9.3 I was able to take some of my data for Southwark that I had geocoded to address level, and estimate the population density using the OS Mastermap ITN product. The procedure is essentially a Kernel Density Estimation that takes place on a given network rather than across 2D space, this effectively controls […]

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‘Compactness’ in Zoning: the circle as the ideal.

I saw a thought provoking presentation recently, given by Wenwen Li of the University of California Santa Barbara, the talk was a wide ranging insight into Cyber Infrastructure, its uses for geospatial information, and some of the computational techniques that underpinned the project. One element of the project involved zone design for the greater Los […]

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Mapping Spatial Entropy in Southwark

I’ve been doing a bit of work recently on segregation with Pablo Mateos, and having gone through the motions with aspatial indices of segregation (the classics): dissimilarity, exposure and so on, I decided to investigate the more explicitly spatial ones. Taking a lead from Reardon and O’Sullivan’s (2004) paper “Measures of Spatial Segregation” in sociological methodology, I […]

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Spatial Design for GP Consortia?

The government is set to release a bill detailing how it is they expect the proposed GP Consortia to work. GP Consortia, groups of GPs working together, are set to replace the current structure of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) as the mechanism through which primary healthcare is provided to the […]

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RGS Session: Early Careers Research in Quantitative Geography and Geographic Information Science

The QMRG is pleased to be co-sponsoring a session at the RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2011 with the GIScRG on: Early Careers Research in Quantitative Geography and Geographic Information Science. It is convened by James Cheshire (GIScRG) and Alex Singleton (QMRG). The abstract is as follows: The data and tools that are used for analysing, visualising […]

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Representing Populations: a Spatial Ecology

A subtitle to this post might also be: Are we all being mislead by the New York Times? In stating this I am referring to the recent maps released by the New York Times looking at ethnic distributions from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The most immediate thing we can learn about this […]

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Some Thoughts on the US Critical Facilities List

Naturally, as a Geographer the wikileaks release of facilities that the US believes critical to its security was interesting. Much like the chaps over at Floatingsheep some of us (Martin Austwick, James Cheshire, Peter Baudains, Alex Braithwaite) took it upon ourselves to map out the reported list. Martin came up with the following visualisation that […]

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Finnish Municipalities: A case for zone design?

In Finland, municipalities are incredibly powerful; like local authorities in the UK, municipalities are responsible for local administration, but they also levy an income tax and are responsible for providing most public services. Municipalities were founded on the assumption of equality, which forms the basis for the reform considerations currently ongoing in the Finnish government. […]

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ArcGIS 10 – Field Calculator and Python

Python has been more tightly integrated in the new release of ArcGIS 10, allowing scripting to occur directly through a Python process without even opening up ArcMap. Admittedly this was available before, but now everything is more tightly coupled and a lot cleaner in it’s implementation. However, what has really interested, and indeed confused me […]

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Standard Colours for OAC

We at the OAC User Group feel that implementing a standard set of colours would help OAC. It would make it easier to share data visualisations, such as graphs and maps if the groups were directly comparable by colour, and would give OAC a branded feel, bringing it in line with other commercial classifications. As […]

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QMRG Dissertation Prize Winner 2010

The QMRG Committee is delighted to announce that Laura Steele from the University of Bristol is the winner of this year’s undergraduate dissertation prize. Her project entitled “A Multilevel Modelling Approach to Ethnic Residential Segregation in Urban England, 1991-2001″ demonstrated Laura’s high level of understanding of this complex topic. Tim Foster and Robin Wilson’s entries, […]

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2010 Quantitative Methods Undergraduate Dissertation Prize

The QMRG are happy to receive nominations for this year’s best undergraduate dissertation in *any* area of quantitative geography. Topics may include the application of existing techniques or the development of new ones in physical, human or environmental studies. Entries are limited to undergraduate students completing BSc / BA level dissertations in UK higher education […]

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Call for Papers – RGS-IBG Session on ‘The Spatial Dimensions of Health’

Abstracts are invited for a session at the annual conference of the the Royal Geographical Society – Institute of British Geographers in 2010 on the spatial dimensions of health. The session is jointly sponsored by the QMRG as well as the Health geography research group (HGRG) of the RGS. Details are as follows: The Spatial […]

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