An Application of the Nearest Neighbour Technique: Patterns of Urban Places in Southern Saskatchewan

Abstract

The patterns of certain groups of urban places, selected on the basis of population size and area location, in southern Saskatchewan are classified by the use of the nearest neighbour technique. Through a study of the variations within the overall pattern, which are revealed by differences in the derived pattern statistic, a partial contribution is made to the understanding of the distributive process that underlies the observed settlement pattern. Explanations for the variations in the nature of the spatial arrangement of the various groups of places are suggested through the use of multivariate analysis, and by reference to theoretical and empirical works in the field of Central Place Theory.