Additional Resources

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Location-Allocation Sampling Strategy 

• Location-allocation approach was used to develop a formal method of optimally locating air pollution monitoring stations. 
  
• The model identifies locations derived from land use, transportation patterns and biophysical characteristics and controls for spatial autocorrelation. 
• Read the following literature for more information 
Kanaroglou, Pavlos et al (2005). Establishing an air pollution monitoring network for intra-urban population exposure assessment: A location-allocation approach. 

Kumar, Naresh and Veronica Nixon et al (2009). An optimal spatial configuration of sample sites for air pollution monitoring. 

We will use a variety of tools and programs for spatial analysis and modeling relationships between public health and urban canopy. 

BenMap

• BenMap is an open source software program designed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to calculate health care impacts and costs associated with variation in air pollution concentrations. 
• We will use BenMap to assess how modifications of existing urban canopy designs in our 13 selected cities to improve public health and reduce health costs.

Below is an example of a premature mortality health impact function (Mortality change = Air pollution change * Mortality Effect Estimate * Exposed Population). (Click on image for larger view)  

Fragstats

• Fragstats calculates landscape metrics that quantify spatial characteristics of canopy patterns. We will apply Fragstats to quantify vegetation patterns using a series of composition and configuration indices. 
• Composition is simply the variety or abundance of canopy.  Spatial configuration is the spatial orientation, arrangement, position or orientation of canopy patches. 
• Potential metrics include: 
  • patch size distribution and density (edge density) 
  • isolation/proximity, contagion/interspersion (aggregation index, percentage of like adjacencies) 
  • connectivity (patch cohesion, connectance index)