Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-28DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103670
Jennifer Mapes
{"title":"A critical assessment of the role of mapping in Ohio Safe Routes to School travel plans","authors":"Jennifer Mapes","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103670","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103670","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Safe Routes to School is a billion-dollar U.S. government program that funds infrastructure to make walking and biking to school safer. The <span>Ohio Department of Transportation</span> (ODOT) selects projects to fund using GIS. These maps show where students live in relationship to the school and where pedestrian and bicycle crashes occurred nearby in the past five years. In this paper, I take a closer look at what data is used -- and how it is used -- in this analysis and ask if a more detailed, literature-informed GIS analysis could improve the metrics used to select the most impactful neighborhood projects. To answer this question, I analyzed the application of quantitative criteria to create a school travel plan in Kent (Ohio) City School District as well as the guidelines that explain how these data are used to make funding decisions. I then created new maps that use similar data but change the methodology by following best practices for identifying walkability and traffic issues. My analysis indicates that a more nuanced GIS analysis can identify the most impactful projects better than the maps created by the current mapping approach used in the Ohio SRTS program.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103670"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An integrative social-ecological approach for urban boundary mapping","authors":"Chenmeng Guo , Guopan Xie , Wenjuan Yu , Weiqi Zhou , Steward T.A. Pickett","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Clear definition and accurate delineation of urban boundaries are the prerequisite for urban-rural studies. However, urban boundaries have been typically mapped based either on biophysical or socio-economical properties, resulting in barriers in conducting integrative social-ecological studies. Here, we developed a new approach that integrates the biophysical and socio-economical perspectives for urban boundaries mapping, and tested the approach in mainland of China. First, we divided the study area into 1 × 1 km grids, some of which were classified into urban and rural based on Points of Interest (POIs) and official urban-rural classification. The classified grids were then served as training samples to determine thresholds of impervious surface percentage (ISP) for further urban-rural separation. Combined threshold of ISP (biophysical properties) with connectivity to administrative urban centers (socio-economical properties), the unclassified grids were assigned as either urban or rural. Finally, all urban grids were merged to create China's urban boundary (CUB). The integrative approach improved the accuracy of town mapping and village mapping by 15 % and 17 % respectively, compared with existing urban boundary products. Our approach is thus capable to improve mapping accuracy and provide urban boundary for social-ecological studies in urban-rural areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103665"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144131211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-22DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103659
Yating Teng , Yangyi Wu , Meitong Liu
{"title":"How do urban amenities shape knowledge-intensive industry locations within cities? A multi-scalar study of Wuhan, China","authors":"Yating Teng , Yangyi Wu , Meitong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103659","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103659","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban amenities are key factors in knowledge-intensive industrial agglomeration, yet their impact on cities remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by proposing a multi-scalar framework that distinguishes metropolitan-scale effects, shapes urban structure, and establishes regional competitive advantages from local-scale amenities, whose availability and diversity drive placemaking. Using Wuhan's automotive industry as a case study, detailed firm-level data, comprehensive amenity information, and spatial econometric techniques were employed. Findings reveal that while automotive firms cluster near high-amenity urban sectors, local urban areas exhibit specialized industrial clusters. The regression results confirm that localized attractiveness is driven by both the availability and diversity of amenities, as well as the division of urban spatial structure. However, high availability is particularly valued for essential infrastructure and public services rather than consumer amenities. Crucially, the effects of these factors vary due to the division of urban sectors: central districts mainly leverage amenities that may form a local innovation system for specialized clustering, whereas outer areas depend more on foundational public services and functional accessibility. These differentiated, amenity-driven localization patterns underscore the necessity for context-specific urban planning strategies that meet the distinct needs of different urban sectors, thereby optimizing intra-urban industrial agglomeration and economic performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103659"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103669
Zuo Zhang, Rui Zhang
{"title":"Top-down versus bottom-up: Spatial pattern and human mobility of newly developing industrial towns in Chinese “city-NIT” network","authors":"Zuo Zhang, Rui Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103669","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103669","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, during Chinas rapid urbanization and industrial transformation, newly-developing industrial towns (NITs) have emerged at the interface between cities and rural areas in China. Among them, characteristic towns (Tese Xiaozhen) and Taobao towns exemplify top-down and bottom-up development pathways, respectively. These emerging towns may become critical nodes in China’s evolving urban–rural system and present opportunities for modeling human mobility. This study focuses on the spatial patterns, human mobility, and their network features of NITs within China’s urban system. Specifically, we analyzed the spatial distribution of NITs and their geographic linkages with major cities. Under hypothetical short-term mobility scenarios, interconnections within the “city–NIT” system were simulated using both the radiation model and the gravity model, followed by a comparative analysis of the two approaches. Furthermore, the radiation model outputs were used to construct a directed city–NIT network, which was subsequently evaluated using complex network indicators. Results indicated significant differences in spatial distribution between characteristic towns and Taobao towns, with the latter prominently concentrated in coastal areas. Despite differences in model assumptions, results from both models showed strong positive correlations across spatial scales, with radiation model estimates exhibiting greater regional stability. From a directed network perspective, NITs channeled short-term mobility flows, shaping sub-networks anchored by major metropolitan areas. This underscores the ongoing redefinition of China’s urban system, in which smaller nodes are capable of attracting or catalyzing short-term population movements. These findings suggest differences in adaptability between the two primary human mobility models. The findings may inform optimal planning for short-term human mobility to NITs and deepen understanding of the spatial organization and hierarchical characteristics of China’s urban system. Further, the proposed framework offers a reference for integrating emerging towns in other developing countries into existing urban systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103669"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-20DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103666
Jonathan Wood, Sotirios Thanos, Anupam Nanda
{"title":"Deserts and hotspots: the evolution of centrality, accessibility, and socio-economic impacts in bar and restaurant location patterns","authors":"Jonathan Wood, Sotirios Thanos, Anupam Nanda","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103666","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103666","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The literature of bar and restaurant location patterns does not account sufficiently for temporal dynamics and the role of urban spatial. We address these gaps by developing a novel urban economic framework with a two-fold empirical approach: a) dynamic longitudinal Poisson models that incorporate socio-economics, demographics and accessibility to analyse temporal shifts in the concentration of bar and restaurants, or ‘hotspots’; and b) a longitudinal logit approach that models the determinants of bar and restaurant ‘deserts’. We compile a unique dataset of more than 1100 small areas over a 17-year period (2002–2019) across two carefully selected UK city-regions, Greater Manchester and Nottingham. The key findings reflect a fundamental shift in consumer preference over time. During the study period, the probability of bar ‘desert’ formation increased almost 20-fold along with the reduction in bar counts by around 35 percent in both study-areas. Conversely, restaurant numbers have increased by almost 35 percent and the probability of restaurant ‘deserts’ reduced by at least a factor of 5. While, the Poisson specification provides evidence of positive path dependence in areas with an established bar and restaurant ‘ecosystem’, both approaches show significant accessibility, agglomeration, and socioeconomic sorting effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103666"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-20DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103667
Hongji Chen , Pengxin Chen , Senlin Hu , Xianzhong Cao , Gang Zeng
{"title":"The impact of relatedness and unrelatedness on breakthrough innovation in China: Examining the role of complementary interregional linkages","authors":"Hongji Chen , Pengxin Chen , Senlin Hu , Xianzhong Cao , Gang Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103667","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103667","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study discusses the effects of local knowledge base and complementary interregional linkages on regional breakthrough technological development. The empirical analysis takes China as a case study, and the data are 4.12 million patents for 132 technologies in 275 Chinese cities from 2000 to 2020. The study finds that: (1) China's breakthrough innovations exhibit spatially polarized patterns of uneven development, and the technological focus has transitioned from traditional industrial sectors to technology-intensive and emerging strategic industries. (2) Technological relatedness exerted a positive influence on both the entry and growth stage of breakthrough innovations.Conversely, technological unrelatedness facilitates the growth of breakthrough technologies in established technological fields, yet exerts no significant effect on their entry into novel technological fields. Moreover, the effects of technological relatedness and unrelatedness on breakthrough innovations are significantly city-specific. (3) While interregional complementary linkages play a pivotal role in fostering breakthrough innovation formation and development, their interaction with technological unrelatedness exerts a suppressive influence on the technological growth of breakthrough innovations in established fields. This findings provide critical policy implications for nurturing breakthrough technologies in underdeveloped regions, not only within China but also across the global landscape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103667"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Long time-series change characteristics and suitable scale of oasis in arid and semi-arid regions of China","authors":"Lei Zhang, Xia Jia, Yonghua Zhao , Manya Luo, Qi Mu, Hongliang Kang, Peng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103663","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103663","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oasis is the key supporter of ecological environment and social economy in arid and semi-arid regions. Studying the change characteristics of oasis and suitable scale of oasis is significant for the stability and sustainable development. In this study, the change characteristics of oasis in the Hexi Corridor from 1985 to 2022 were analyzed, the complex network model was employed to analyze the specific process of oasis change, the hydrothermal balance method was used to evaluate the suitable scale of oasis. The results indicated that the scale of oasis in the Hexi Corridor increased by 6394.196 km<sup>2</sup> from 1985 to 2022. Among the oases, 57.455 % remained stable over time. Weak change dominated, comprising 61.326 % of the total area. Meanwhile, the intensity of expansion was more than three times that of contraction. The unused land and grassland played a key role in the change process. Furthermore, the oasis maintained in a sub-stable state of development. The suitable scale of oasis was smaller than the actual scale of oasis in all years. The largest suitable scale was 24117.707 km<sup>2</sup> in 2010, while the smallest was 13619.811 km<sup>2</sup> in 2020. This research provides valuable insights for guiding sustainable development in regional oasis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103663"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103649
Xin Gu , Lin Liu , Su Yeon Han , Minxuan Lan , Hanlin Zhou , Debao Chen , Zihan Su
{"title":"The impact of changing ambient population composition on crime during COVID-19 lockdowns","authors":"Xin Gu , Lin Liu , Su Yeon Han , Minxuan Lan , Hanlin Zhou , Debao Chen , Zihan Su","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Governments around the world implemented social distancing measures and lockdowns to limit people's movement and stem the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic. These restrictions have changed the ambient population and altered its racial composition. By analyzing trips between census block groups using data from SafeGraph, we calculate the ambient population and infer its racial makeup during pre-lockdown, lockdown, early-post lockdown, and late-post lockdown periods in Cincinnati, Ohio. We examine the relationship between the ambient population-based racial heterogeneity (H) index and assault, robbery, and theft across the four periods. Our findings indicate that the lockdown affected mobility differently across racial groups. Additionally, we observe a stable, statistically significant influence of the ambient population-based H index on street crimes, in contrast to traditional census-based and spatial lagged measurements. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the ambient population-based H index in explaining street crimes, particularly when people's routine interactions are significantly altered. It also contributes to theories of social organization, crime mobility, and routine activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103649"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103660
Krzysztof Janc , Marcin Mazur , Damian Mazurek , Wojciech Jurkowski , Marcin Wójcik
{"title":"Hidden gateways to digital space—the spatial distribution of Wi-Fi networks in the context of demographic structure in rural areas","authors":"Krzysztof Janc , Marcin Mazur , Damian Mazurek , Wojciech Jurkowski , Marcin Wójcik","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the spatial distribution of Wi-Fi networks at a local scale in the context of demographic structure in rural areas. According to the main assumptions, Wi-Fi networks can be treated as hidden gateways to digital space. Identifying and mapping these hidden gateways can reveal the complexity of human activities as they function across real and digital spaces and in between them. The authors explore the influence of the local spatial distribution of different age groups on the distribution of Wi-Fi networks, as well as the correlation between the spatial patterns of hidden gateways and demographic structures. The research was conducted in the rural areas of five communes in Poland. Data were collected through the wardriving method using the WiGLE app and subsequently analysed employing geostatistical techniques. The results confirmed a relationship between population density and the number of Wi-Fi networks, indicating that areas with higher populations are more likely to have access to these networks. Additionally, the study found that the spatial distribution of Wi-Fi networks closely aligns with the presence of younger age groups, highlighting the role of demographics in shaping access to digital connectivity. This research suggests that future studies should integrate additional socioeconomic factors and investigate local Wi-Fi usage patterns through social analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103660"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied GeographyPub Date : 2025-05-15DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103651
Justin H. White , Steven M. Radil , Collin S. Philipps , Ian J. Irmischer
{"title":"Using terrain-derived indices and environmental components to examine the spatial context of undocumented immigrant mortality along the USA–MEX border","authors":"Justin H. White , Steven M. Radil , Collin S. Philipps , Ian J. Irmischer","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental exposure is the leading identifiable cause of mortality for undocumented immigrants the Tucson Sector of the USA–Mexico border. This paper investigates the role of environmental components in predicting immigrant mortality sites between 1981 and 2023 (n = 3427). Using a high-resolution terrain surface and geospatial techniques to derive a suite of environmental metrics for a panel linear modeling framework, we found that potential evapotranspiration was the strongest predictor of mortality location. Since 2011, for every 1 mm/day increase in potential evapotranspiration, the probability of predicting a mortality site was 14.85 % higher than a random location. A 1-hr increase in direct solar radiation decreased the chance of predicting a mortality site by 2 % and slope followed the same trend at 1.094 % decrease per degree. Overall, mortality sites were situated in areas that were drier (p < 0.001), received direct solar radiation for less time (p < 0.001), were flatter (p < 0.001), and were nearer the USA–MEX border (p < 0.001) than random. These findings suggest that exposure to severe aridity for prolonged periods, rather than time spent in direct solar radiation, most influences where mortality is likely to occur.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 103651"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}