Alan Wilson

Abstract

There has been much debate about the usefulness of human geography for public and private sector planning.In this paper we make the case in terms of quantitative analysis in geography. We provide a wealth of applicationsof applied research from the perspective of one team of quantitative geographers – based in the Schoolof Geography at the University of Leeds. This research is rooted in spatial interaction modelling, microsimulation,spatial optimisation and geodemographics. A number of applications are explored and their benefitsarticulated – for end-users. i.e. planners in the broadest sense of the word, the University and the School, forstudents and, more broadly, for the research environment within applied spatial analysis.

Keywords: applied quantitative geography, spatial interaction, microsimulation, optimization, geodemographics, GIS, benefits of applied geography

Mark Birkin, Chair of the IGU Commission on Applied Geography
Graham Clarke, University of Leeds School of Geography LS2 9JT Leeds: United Kingdom
Martin Clarke, University of Leeds School of Geography LS2 9JT Leeds: United Kingdom
Alan Wilson, University College London