Settlement system of the Kaliningrad region: dasymetric analysis
- DOI
- 10.5922/gikbfu-2023-4-3
- Pages
- 38-49
Abstract
The article examines the settlement system of the Kaliningrad region using the dasymetric method, first proposed in the early 20th century by the Russian geographer V. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky as a more precise alternative to population density cartograms. Several dasymetric analysis approaches (buffer zone delineation and grid methods) of the settlement system and mapping of the territory in the Kaliningrad Oblast are demonstrated using GIS tools. Areas of the highest population concentration within the region, coinciding with the agglomeration's influence territory, have been identified. A decrease in population density to the east of Kaliningrad is also shown. For the municipal entities of the Kaliningrad region, the area and density of inhabited territories have been calculated. Dasymetric analysis has revealed areas of compact placement of rural settlements, aligning with the designated government rural agglomerations. The conclusion is drawn regarding the existence of stronger connections between settlements within different municipal entities and the potential for the expansion of rural agglomerations beyond administrative boundaries. The connectivity of rural and urban settlements within the boundaries of the Kaliningrad agglomeration suggests the formation of second-order agglomerations. The dasymetric method can be utilized in further research to analyze the settlement system for studying the development of rural territories.