Mapping Central and Marginal Areas

Advantages / Limitations:

The method is suitable in areas, where detatailed spatial information is barely available and access to topograpic maps is sufficient for using the methodology; Spatial awareness about an area can be increased; Development potentials can be identified; Development deficits can be addressed in a demand oriented way; The model can be applied within different contexts, depending on spatial data on the infrastucture available (such as social infrastructure, agricultural infrastructure etc.); A higher transparency in planning and decision making can be achieved, this is important, where the public is involved in the planning processes and therefore contributes to “good governance”; Centrality is one component which reflects the value of land, therefore it can be used for land value assessments; A Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to collect additional spatial information; By-products (such as maps indicating cost distaces) can be used for other purposes

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for modelling requires a detailed technical knowledge; The development of a digital elevation model using the topographic map is time consuming; The selection of a infrastructure and its weighing is based on a subjective decision of the planner, therefore resulting maps vary accordingly; The GIS-model can not be applied, where topographic maps are not available or in almost flat areas;