Alternative buffer formation

Abstract

Proximity buffers are used in many spatial applications in research and management. Nevertheless, they are limited in their representational validity. Since only the nearest points on the edge of an entity are used in calculating the buffer boundary, the various meanings of the 'influence' of an entity on its surrounding environment are not well-estimated. An alternative implementation of a more generalized class of buffers is described here. This method considers the contribution that the internal spatial geometry and attribute values of entities have on the buffered environment. It also considers the cumulative influence of multiple entities. The method is easily implemented by using a class of integrative spatial filters. For many applications, it is likely to yield results that are more meaningful than those obtained through proximity buffers. © Springer-Verlag; 2004.