A Fractal Approach to Identifying Urban Boundaries. 城市边界识别的分形方法

Fractal geometry can be used for determining the morphological boundaries of metropolitan areas. A two‐step method is proposed here: (1) Minkowski's dilation is applied to detect any multiscale spatial discontinuity and (2) a distance threshold is located on the dilation curve corresponding to a major change in its behavior. We therefore measure the maximum curvature of the dilation curve. The method is tested on theoretical urban patterns and on several European cities to identify their morphological boundaries and to track boundary changes over space and time. Results obtained show that cities characterized by comparable global densities may exhibit different distance thresholds. The less the distances separating buildings differ between an urban agglomeration and its surrounding built landscape, the greater the distance threshold. The fewer the buildings that are connected across scales, the greater the distance threshold.     

Determinants of Variation in Population–Employment Interaction Findings: A Quasi‐Experimental Meta‐Analysis. 人口‐就业相互作用的决定因素研究：一种准实验元分析法

This article reports about a metaregression analysis of empirical results generated using data for the northern Netherlands (1988–2002) in order to investigate the ambiguity in results in the population–employment interaction literature. Specifically, the analysis deals with the issue whether “jobs follow people” or “people follow jobs.” The article starts with introducing the basics of quasi‐experimental meta‐analysis and with identifying some advantages of using quasi‐experimental meta‐analysis as compared with the standard meta‐analysis approach. Two subsequent sections document the selection of the population–employment interaction model and salient characteristics of the data set as well as the setup of the primary analyses. A total of 4,050 quasi‐experimental empirical results for the jobs–people direction of causality are generated using different specifications and estimators for a spatial econometric interaction model. The subsequent metaregression analysis reveals that the empirical results are largely shaped by the spatial, temporal, and employment characteristics of the data sampling. The results also appear much more sensitive to different measurements of the model's key variables when compared with alternative specifications of the spatial weights matrix. The main determinant driving empirical results about jobs–people causality are differences in model specification and estimation, as revealed by an inherent bias in parameter estimates and misguided inferences for some of the commonly used specifications. Finally, suggestions for future research are identified.     

Adaptive Cell Tower Location Using Geostatistics. 基于地统计学的适应性基站发射塔选址研究

In this article, we address the problem of allocating an additional cell tower (or a set of towers) to an existing cellular network, maximizing the call completion probability. Our approach is derived from the adaptive spatial sampling problem using kriging, capitalizing on spatial correlation between cell phone signal strength data points and accounting for terrain morphology. Cell phone demand is reflected by population counts in the form of weights. The objective function, which is the weighted call completion probability, is highly nonlinear and complex (nondifferentiable and discontinuous). Sequential and simultaneous discrete optimization techniques are presented, and heuristics such as simulated annealing and Nelder–Mead are suggested to solve our problem. The adaptive spatial sampling problem is defined and related to the additional facility location problem. The approach is illustrated using data on cell phone call completion probability in a rural region of Erie County in western New York, and accounts for terrain variation using a line‐of‐sight approach. Finally, the computational results of sequential and simultaneous approaches are compared. Our model is also applicable to other facility location problems that aim to minimize the uncertainty associated with a customer visiting a new facility that has been added to an existing set of facilities.     

Variabilité et fréquence des cycles de gel‐dégel dans la région de Québec, 1977–2006

Freeze‐thaw cycles are most common at the beginning or near the end of the winter season. These cycles have various effects on the ecosystems of Eastern Canada, affecting both biotic and abiotic components of temperate cold environments. Using air temperature minima and maxima from four meteorological stations close to Québec City, we determined the frequency of daily freeze‐thaw cycles for the last 30 years. The results show no significant increase in the number of freeze‐thaw cycles despite a small increase in air temperature. Polynomial curves describing the relationship between mean air temperatures and the number of freeze‐thaw cycles were calculated. Based on these equations and anticipating a climate change scenario, we projected future freeze‐thaw cycles. Assuming a 5 °C increase in mean air temperatures by 2100, we estimated that the number of days with a freeze‐thaw cycle could increase by approximately 20 days per winter. The increase in the number of such cycles will be concentrated during the coldest months of the winter (January and February).     

An Empirically Based Implementation and Evaluation of a Hierarchical Model for Commuting Flows. 一种基于经验的层状通勤流模型实现与评估

This article provides an empirical evaluation of a hierarchical approach to modeling commuting flows. As the gravity family of spatial interaction models represents a benchmark for empirical evaluation, we begin by reviewing basic aspects of these models. The hierarchical modeling framework is the same that Thorsen, Ubøe, and Nævdal (1999) used. However, because some modifications are required to construct a more workable model, we undertake a relatively detailed presentation of the model, rather than merely referring to the presentation in Thorsen, Ubøe, and Nævdal (1999) . The model uses a hierarchical specification of a transportation network and the individual search procedure. Journeys to work are determined by the effects of distance deterrence and of intervening opportunities, and by the location of potential destinations relative to alternatives at subsequent levels in a transportation network. The model calibration uses commuting data from a region in western Norway. The estimated parameter values are reasonable, and the explanatory power is very satisfactory when compared with the results of a competing destinations approach.     

Inferences for Selected Location Quotients with Applications to Health Outcomes. 选择性区位商推断及其在医疗成效中的应用

The location quotient (LQ) is an index frequently used in geography and economics to measure the relative concentration of activities. This quotient is calculated in a variety of ways depending on which group is used as a reference. Here, we focus on a simultaneous inference for the ratios of the individual proportions to the overall proportion based on binomial data. This is a multiple comparison problem and inferences for LQs with adjustments for multiplicity have not been addressed before. The comparisons are negatively correlated. The quotients can be simultaneously tested against unity, and simultaneous confidence intervals can be constructed for the LQs based on existing probability inequalities and by directly using the asymptotic joint distribution of the associated test statistics. The proposed inferences are appropriate for analysis based on sample surveys. Two real data sets are used to demonstrate the application of multiplicity‐adjusted LQs. A simulation study is also carried out to assess the performance of the proposed methods to achieve a nominal coverage probability. For the LQs considered, the coverage of the simple Bonferroni‐adjusted Fieller intervals for LQs is observed to be almost as good as the coverage of the method that directly takes the correlations into account.     

Dealing with Timing and Synchronization in Opportunities for Joint Activity Participation. 公共活动参与机会中实时性与同步性处理

The ability of people to access opportunities offered by the built environment is circumscribed by various sets of space–time constraints, including the requirements to meet other persons at particular times and places to undertake activities together. While models of space–time accessibility recognize that joint activities may constrain the performance of activities in space and time, their specifications do not explicitly acknowledge the opportunities that individuals of a group have for joint activity participation. Therefore, this article focuses on joint activity participation and argues that collective activity decisions are the outcome of a complex process involving various aspects of timing, synchronization, and social hierarchy. The utility‐theoretic model proposed here quantifies the extent to which opportunities can be jointly accessed by a particular group of people within a specific time period. Central to the approach are three key variables: the attractiveness of an opportunity, the time available for activity participation, and the travel time to an activity location. Because of the multiperson character of joint activities, the determination of these variables is subject to individual preferences, privileges, and power differentials within a group. Specific attention is given to how time‐of‐day and synchronization effects influence the opportunities accessible to a group of individuals. The impact of these factors on joint accessibility is illustrated by a real‐world example of an everyday rendezvous scenario. The outcomes of a simulation exercise suggest that time‐of‐day and synchronization effects significantly affect the benefits that can be gained from opportunities for joint activities.