Scottish Population Distribution
Implications for Locational Decisions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8963736 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Isobel M L Robertson (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1974 |
| Issue | 63 |
| Pages | 111-111 |
| Publication date | 1974-11-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-2754 • E-ISSN: 1475-5661 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.2307/621535 |
| OpenAlex | W2334833994 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 4 |
Eighty per cent of the inhabitants of Scotland are concentrated on only 5 per cent of the land surface, while another 2 per cent are dispersed over 70 per cent of the area. The implications of this markedly uneven spread of population in relation to the provision of certain facilities are examined. Population data set out on the 5 km2 units of the National Grid provide a base for computation of the number of persons who could be collected within given distances of some I620 locations. Secondly, for these locations, estimates are made of the sizes of hinterlands which would provide a viable population threshold for institutions of given size. Using the Tornqvist algorithm, the optimum locations and hinterlands for a set of facilities are calculated. SCOTLAND exhibits marked contrasts in population density. While extensive tracts of the Highlands are virtually uninhabited, pockets in the Central Lowlands register among the highest densities in Europe. This variation in density poses problems for administrators and planners who try to ensure that all citizens have, as far as possible, similar access to medical, educational, social and other facilities. Financial constraints make it imperative that a balance is struck between the travel tolerance of the population and the number and size of the establishments provided. Where the capacity of a facility can be defined with some precision, as in the case of a regional hospital, locations must be sought where the requisite catchment can be guaranteed without imposing excessive travel on potential patients. Where the population threshold is less rigid but the distance travelled more critical, as with a primary school or small factory, it is important to find a site where an acceptable number of persons with certain characteristics of age or occupation can be collected within the prescribed distance. Sometimes it is necessary to locate several facilities simultaneously. If, for example, day nurseries have to be provided in the poorer housing areas of a city, sites have to be found which minimize the total travel distance or cost for the population concerned. Most locational decisions involve consideration of the two variables, population and distance, whether total population and linear distance or some more specific criteria such as maladjusted children and a travelling time of 30 minutes. A simple approach by computer to some locational problems is to scan a population matrix with a 'circle' of fixed radius, centred at stated locations, and to calculate the number of persons within the given distance (Robertson, 1972). Similarly, it is possible to use a circle of varying radius. Each location can be taken in turn and surrounded by circles until a given population catchment is achieved (Nordbeck and Rystedt, 1969). Results can be printed out as an array of distances. A number of more sophisticated techniques have been devised for multiple location problems, such as the location of schools (Yeates, 1963), of hospitals (Godlund, 1961) and of administrative centres (Goodchild and Massam, 1969). The most flexible solution to date, of the location-allocation problem is that of Tornqvist et al. (i97I), since it allows the user to vary the size and number of establishments while searching over the demand surface for a set of locations which will minimize the total cost or time expenditure of the population moving to the facilities
Distribution (mathematics · Economic geography · Geography · Population · Sociology · Demography · Mathematics · Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies · Urban Transport and Accessibility
| Citations per year | 0.06 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1976 - 1978 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |