1. Nearest Neighbour Analysis
Settlement Geography

2. Learning outcomes
To study the nearest neighbour analysis and how it determines patterns of settlements

3. Nearest Neighbour Analysis
Settlements often appear on maps as dots
The patterns of these dots are difficult to describe
Sometimes patterns are obvious:
Nucleated
Dispersed
However the pattern is likely to lie between these two extremes
Nearest neighbour helps to determine the pattern

4. The technique
Was devised by a botanist to determine plant distributions
Allows one region to be compared to another
It is only a technique and offers no explanation of patterns

5. Formula The formula is Rn= 2đ √n/A
Rn= The description of the distribution
đ = The mean distance between the nearest neighbours
n= the number of settlements in the study area
A= the area under study (km)

6. Rn Rn is the description of the settlement distribution
This can be as follows:
Clustering- where dots are very close together. In extreme cases the value of Rn=0
Random- distributions occur where there is no pattern at all. Rn= 1
Regular- these are perfectly uniform. If ever found in reality they would have a value of 2.15

7. Nearest Neighbour values
See page 402 in Waugh