Applying Spaghetti and Meatballs to Proximity Analysis

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2020

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Din, Alexander; Applying Spaghetti and Meatballs to Proximity Analysis; A Journal of Policy Development and Research, Volume 22, Number 2 , 2020; https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol22num2/article10.html

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Public Domain Mark 1.0
This is a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.

Subjects

Abstract

The spaghetti and meatballs technique is a geoprocessing method used in a Geographic Information System (GIS) that counts the number of overlapping polygons that are of unequal size and shape. Often, this method is used to calculate densities of coverage areas including, but not limited to, the extent of an oil spill over a period of time or the extent of a burn during a wildfire, or to compare perceptions of a region. In this demonstration, I use the spaghetti and meatballs technique to measure the density of proximity to points of interest, or amenities, in Washington, DC. I calculate summary statistics to describe the densities of amenities by the District’s eight city council wards.