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.

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.

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