Scholarly record

RESEARCH OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL & BUSINESS ACTIVITIES IN A LARGE CITY USING GEOINFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

A. Gushchin, S. Sanok, Y. Tatarnikova

Abstract

This paper focuses on the spatial distribution of social and business activities using geoinformation technologies. Previously, only a spatial population density was studied in this way. It was shown that the spatial density of the population exponentially falls from the city center to its outskirts. This law was called Clarke's law. To study spatial magnitudes we used a freely distributed GIS – QGIS project. The data from the open geoinformation project OpenStreetMaps was used as a source of data on the location of business objects and social objects. The analysis carried out in the work showed that the OpenStreetMaps project data is sufficiently reliable for the purposes of scientific research. It is established in the work that the spatial distribution of social and business activities (objects) also has an exponentially falling character from the city center to its outskirts. But unambiguous conclusions about the mathematical formula describing spatial distribution could not be done. Also, the presence of spherical waves of spatial density, similar to those described by Hans Blumenfeld in his model, was established. The authors consider the existence of such spherical waves on the basis of the framework and fabric model. Within the frame and fabric model, the formation of spherical waves characterizes the process of strengthening the city framework, which precedes the next phase, the phase of spatial growth of urban fabric. Also, the study studied spatial distribution for the components of the overall social and business activity: the spatial distribution of shopping centers and shops, the spatial distribution of consumer services objects, the spatial distribution of education objects. It is revealed that the spatial density of objects of all the above types also has an exponentially decreasing character. Similarly, spherical density waves are observed. The quantitative characteristics of spatial distribution for activities of different types have been studied and it is shown that the quantitative characteristics differ. In the spirit of the framework and fabric patterns it is possible to conclude that the urban framework is not uniform and is not uniformly strengthened.

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