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Spatial Sampling

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Handbook of Regional Science

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Abstract

In spatial sampling, we collect observations in a two-dimensional framework. Careful attention is paid to the quantity of the samples, dictated by the budget at hand, and the location of the samples. A sampling scheme is generally designed to maximize the probability of capturing the spatial variation of the variable under study. Once initial samples of the primary variable have been collected and its variation documented, additional measurements can be taken at other locations. This approach is known as second-phase sampling and various optimization criteria have recently been proposed to determine the optimal location of these new observations. In this chapter, we review fundamentals of spatial sampling and second-phase designs. Their characteristics and merits under different situations are discussed, while a numerical example illustrates a modeling strategy to use covariate information in guiding the location of new samples. The chapter ends with a discussion on heuristic methods to accelerate the search procedure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Eric M. Delmelle

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  1. Eric M. Delmelle
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Correspondence to Eric M. Delmelle .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria

    Manfred M. Fischer

  2. and Business Administration Department of Spatial Economics, Free University Faculty of Economics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter Nijkamp

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Delmelle, E.M. (2019). Spatial Sampling. In: Fischer, M., Nijkamp, P. (eds) Handbook of Regional Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36203-3_73-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36203-3_73-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-36203-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-36203-3

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