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ON THE POPULATION DENSITY DISTRIBUTION ACROSS SPACE: A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH
Author(s) -
Epifani Ilenia,
Nicolini Rosella
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of regional science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.171
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1467-9787
pISSN - 0022-4146
DOI - 10.1111/jors.12018
Subject(s) - a priori and a posteriori , space (punctuation) , probabilistic logic , distribution (mathematics) , parametric statistics , population , bayesian probability , computer science , econometrics , measure (data warehouse) , mathematics , statistics , artificial intelligence , data mining , mathematical analysis , philosophy , demography , epistemology , sociology , operating system
Working within a Bayesian parametric framework, we develop a novel approach to studying the distribution of regional population density across space. By exploiting the Gamma distribution, we are able to introduce heterogeneity across space without incurring an a priori definition of territorial units. Our contribution also permits the inclusion of an approximation of individual preferences as a further driving force in location choices. We perform an empirical application to the case of Massachusetts. Our results demonstrate that a subjective measure of distance performs well in replicating the population distribution across Massachusetts.