Journal of Geographical Systems (2000) 2(1): 85-90.
Analysis of Human Spatial Behavior in a GIS Environment: Recent
Developments and Future Prospects
Mei-Po Kwan
Department of Geography, The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH 43210-1361
Abstract: In recent years, comprehensive geographic data sets of metropolitan areas and individual-level, georeferenced data are
becoming more available to social scientists. At the same time, tools for performing spatial analysis in a GIS environment have
also become more available. These developments provide many new opportunities for the analysis and theoretical understanding
of disaggregate human spatial behavior. This paper examines how these developments may enable the researcher to represent
complex urban and cognitive environments more realistically, and to overcome the limitations of aggregate spatial data
framework. It explores their implications for the theoretical and methodological development in geography and other social
science disciplines.
Key words: GIS, spatial analysis, behavioral modeling, human spatial behavior
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