Using GIS in Analyzing Population Development

Abstract

Population development can be regarded as the result of natural increase and migration, both caused by a manifold of explanatory factors. This research focuses on population development in the province of Fryslân over the years 2000-2008 and the use of GIS in analyzing this subject. Two applications of GIS are described: visualization of spatial patterns and spatial analysis. Examples of spatial analysis are distances, area calculations, overlay functions, neighborhood functions and travel time.

The explanatory factors related to population development are divided into three themes: population characteristics, planning & infrastructure and amenities & economy. For a number of factors the correlation with population development can be demonstrated. These explanatory factors include the number of inhabitants, age composition, average household size, planning hierarchy, railway stations, housing stock and amenities. The correlations between straight line distances, travel time by car, employment and population development can not be proven.

Of all explanatory factors the development of the housing stock can be regarded as the most strongly correlated explanatory factor. Also the factors related to population characteristics have a relative strong correlation: population size, age composition and average household size.