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Examining Spatial Structure Using Gravity Models

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The Mathematics of Urban Morphology

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss the use of gravity models in the study of spatial structure. Using the recent discussion on functional polycentricity as a background, we argue that the gravity model approach has one obvious advantage when examining spatial structure: it can simultaneously assess functional polycentricity and spatial interdependencies within one modelling framework. The chapter concludes with a discussion of methods that can be applied to estimate the gravity model.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For an exception at the city-level, see Harris and Ullman (1945) and Alonso (1956).

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Correspondence to Martijn Burger .

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Burger, M., van Oort, F., Meijers, E. (2019). Examining Spatial Structure Using Gravity Models. In: D'Acci, L. (eds) The Mathematics of Urban Morphology. Modeling and Simulation in Science, Engineering and Technology. Birkhäuser, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12381-9_21

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