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Spatial Economic AnalysisVolume 11, Issue 1, 2 January 2016, Pages 67-91

A Free, Open-Source Tool for Identifying Urban Agglomerations using Point Data(Article)

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  • aThe University of Melbourne, 757 Swanston St., Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
  • bThe University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
  • cLead Urban Economist, South Asia Urban Development Unit, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433, United States
  • dThe World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433, United States

Abstract

This paper describes a software tool for identifying urban agglomerations in low-information settings. The framework outlined in this paper is designed to work using point data. Our tool and all required data are provided free and in open-source format. This paper describes the advantages and disadvantages of using point-based geographies in regional analysis, discusses the practical and ethical challenges of distinguishing urban from rural regions, details the function of our software, and directs the interested reader to the source code. The paper also examines the tool's outputs for Sri Lanka and compares them with published United Nations urbanization figures. Our outputs indicate that Sri Lanka's urban population is significantly undercounted in official statistics. © 2016 Regional Studies Association.

Author keywords

metropolitan regionpoint dataurban extentsUrbanization
  • ISSN: 17421772
  • Source Type: Journal
  • Original language: English
  • DOI: 10.1080/17421772.2016.1102957
  • Document Type: Article
  • Publisher: Routledge

  Day, J.; The University of Melbourne, 757 Swanston St., Parkville, VIC, Australia;
© Copyright 2016 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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