Real estate values, urban centrality, economic activities. A GIS analysis on the city of Swindon (UK)

Abstract

The paper is focused on the analysis of urban shape and structure by means of its constituting physical features, the spatial distribution of population and human activities. In particular we aim at analysing the relations these characteristics have with the house prices distribution in urban areas to examine the spatial form of the city and observe it from different perspectives. GIS and spatial analytical techniques are used to model and visualize the different shapes of a city, helping to understanding the spatial structures related to different urban uses and functions. Recalling the urban geographical theory carried on through the years, we use GIS and point pattern analysis to model such urban features. An ancillary aim of the present research is the exam of urban dynamics and structure relying on freely or publicly available geographical data as valuable elements for providing spatial information. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.