The form of the regional density function

Parr J. B. (1985) The form of the regional density function, Reg. Studies 19, 535–546. The concept of the population density function is considered in the context of a metropolitan-area-based region. The observed characteristics of such a density function for the different parts of a region are outlined, and three mathematical functions are examined in terms of their ability to reflect these characteristics. Two of these functions, which have been widely employed in a metropolitan-area context, are shown to be inappropriate at the regional scale. A third function, the lognormal function, appears to be capable of reproducing these characteristics. Various aspects of this function are discussed, including its use in the analysis of spatial-structure development in highly urbanized regions.

[1]  M.J.H. Mogridge.  Transport, Land Use and Energy Interaction , 1985 .

[2]  Frank E. Horton,et al.  Geographic Perspectives on Urban Systems , 1971 .

[3]  J. Mcdonald,et al.  Some tests of alternative urban population density functions , 1976 .

[4]  J. Amson.  The Dependence of Population Distribution on Location Costs , 1972 .

[5]  John B. Parr,et al.  A Population-Density Approach to Regional Spatial Structure , 1985 .

[6]  J. Parr,et al.  City size distributions and urban density functions: some interrelationships. , 1983, Journal of regional science.

[7]  Bruce E. Newling.  The Spatial Variation of Urban Population Densities , 1969 .

[8]  Hans Blumenfeld,et al.  The Tidal Wave of Metropolitan Expansion , 1954 .

[9]  Ye. S. Aynvarg.  Zones of Influence of Middle-Size Cities, Their Boundaries and Passenger Flows , 1969 .

[10]  Shaul Krakover,et al.  Spatio-Temporal Structure of Population Growth in Urban Regions: The Cases of Tel-Aviv and Haifa, Israel , 1985 .

[11]  J. Friedmann,et al.  THE URBAN FIELD , 1965 .

[12]  K. Zielinski,et al.  Experimental Analysis of Eleven Models of Urban Population Density , 1979, Environment & planning A.

[13]  Brian J. L. Berry,et al.  Urban Population Densities: Structure and Change , 1963 .

[14]  Shlomo Angel,et al.  Urban Spatial Interaction , 1972 .

[15]  J. L. H. Sibbons,et al.  Problems of Regional Economic Planning , 1966 .

[16]  D. J. Bogue,et al.  The structure of the metropolitan community , 1949 .

[17]  C. Clark.  Urban Population Densities , 1951 .

[18]  A. Warnes,et al.  Commuting towards city centres: a study of population and employment density gradients in Liverpool and Manchester , 1975 .