Date of Award
11-1-1989
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Geography and Geology
First Advisor
Dr. Charles Gildersleeve
Abstract
This thesis is an urban factorial ecology of the Omaha/Douglas County area. The ecological unit used in the analysis is the Census Block Group. As a result, the data used are based on a more homogeneous areal unit, and the regionalization constructed yields social areas which more accurately display residential differentiation. The input data consists of a matrix of 84 variables by 399 block groups. Through factor analysis, the matrix is reduced to a factor score profile matrix of 10 factors by 399 block groups. The first eight factors are interpreted into social dimensions. From this factor structure, a regionalization is constructed for the Omaha/Douglas County area, consisting of twenty-eight social areas. These social areas are further grouped into an ecological model consisting of five concentric zones and four radial sectors. The regionalization and model demonstrate a comparability in social dimensions and ecological structure between Omaha and other American cities. And, the social areas constructed are also comparable to the real residential districts of the Omaha/Douglas County area. In addition, the automation of this study demonstrates a promising application potential of factorial ecology in urban planning and marketing analysis.
Recommended Citation
Ge, Xinglai, "A factorial ecology of Omaha: Using 1980 census data at block group scale" (1989). Student Work. 674.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/674
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Comments
A Thesis Presented to the Department of Geography-Geology and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 1989, Xinglai Ge.