Catchment Area Analysis Research Articles

Analisis Dampak Perubahan Tata Guna Lahan terhadap Debit Limpasan di Kecamatan Selaparang dan Mataram

Selaparang and Mataram Districts are two of the six districts in the Mataram City area that experience changes in land use every year. This change can affect the absorption capacity of groundwater in the area to decrease so that if there is rain with a fairly high intensity, it can cause water to overflow to the surface and inundate the area. This study was conducted to determine the runoff discharge that occurred due to changes in land use that occurred in 2013, 2018, and 2023, and to compare the runoff discharge in 2023 with the runoff discharge based on the Regional Spatial Plan of Selaparang and Mataram Districts in 2011-2031. The initial stage in this study was to collect several secondary data such as rainfall data, land use based on the regional spatial plan, and others that can be obtained from related agencies. After that, the next stage is the delineation of the catchment area and land use analysis with the help of ArcGis and Google Earth software, as well as runoff discharge analysis. The results of the analysis show that the percentage increase in runoff discharge that occurred in Selaparang District in 2013-2018, 2018-2023, and 2013-2023 was 2.21%, 1.40%, and 3.64%, respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage increase in runoff discharge in Mataram District in 2013-2018, 2018-2023, and 2013-2023 was 2.43%, 0.73%, and 3.18%, respectively. Based on this, it can be concluded that the reduction in green land area and the increase in built-up land area each year will cause an increase in the runoff coefficient value, so that the runoff discharge that occurs in Selaparang and Mataram Districts also increases every year.

Tectonic evolution of Bursa Yenişehir Basin, Turkey from the Neogene to the Quaternary using a morphotectonic approach

In this study, the morphotectonic features of the Yenişehir pull‐apart basin in Bursa in northwestern Turkey were analysed. The faults in the region are the most important structural elements that characterize the morphology of the Yenişehir pull‐apart basin. The aim of this study is to show the deformation effects of these active faults on the geomorphology with some basic morphometric indices. The morphotectonic features were evaluated using the hypsometric curve and hypsometric integral (Hi), drainage basin asymmetry (the asymmetry factor (AF) and the transverse topographic symmetry factor (T)), river length gradient index, mountain front sinuosity, and valley floor ratio. The morphometric indices that play an important role in the analysis of catchment areas are the Hi, AF, and T indices, which indicate tilting and erosion activities. According to the results of the hypsometric curve and hypsometric integral, the Yenişehir Basin is a young basin with a uniform topography as expected in an active pull‐apart basin formed by faulting in the Quaternary. The relative tectonic activity index (Iat) of the study area was calculated using the values of hypsometric integral, transverse topographic symmetry factor, asymmetry factor, mountain front sinuosity, valley floor ratio and stream length gradient index. The Iat values indicate the tectonic activity of the basin from Pliocene to Recent. Three different tectonic classes were identified in the study area. These are class 1 (high relative tectonic activity), class 2 (moderate relative tectonic activity), and class 3 (low relative tectonic activity). The Iat classification data show that the impact of tectonic activity on the geomorphology is lower in the Iat class 3 indices than in the others. The Iat data show high tectonic activity in the region where active faults of the North Anatolian Fault Zone southern branch are located.

A Novel Approach for Conducting a Catchment Area Analysis of Breast Cancer by Age and Stage for a Community Cancer Center.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently issued an updated draft recommendation statement to initiate breast cancer screening at age 40, reflecting well-documented disparities in breast cancer-related mortality that disproportionately impact younger Black women. This study applied a novel approach to identify hotspots of breast cancer diagnosed before age 50 and/or at an advanced stage to improve breast cancer detection within these communities. Cancer registry data for 3,497 women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed or treated between 2012 and 2020 at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute (HFGCCRI) and who resided in the HFGCCRI catchment area, defined as New Castle County, Delaware, were geocoded and analyzed with spatial intensity. Standardized incidence ratios stratified by age and race were calculated for each hotspot. Four hotspots were identified, two for breast cancer diagnosed before age 50, one for advanced breast cancer, and one for advanced breast cancer diagnosed before age 50. Younger Black women were overrepresented in these hotspots relative to the full-catchment area. The novel use of spatial methods to analyze a community cancer center catchment area identified geographic areas with higher rates of breast cancer with poor prognostic factors and evidence that these areas made an outsized contribution to racial disparities in breast cancer. Identifying and prioritizing hotspot breast cancer communities for community outreach and engagement activities designed to improve breast cancer detection have the potential to reduce the overall burden of breast cancer and narrow racial disparities in breast cancer.

A Simulation-Based Approach for Strategic Evaluation of Resource Allocation for Improving Spatial Access to Radiation Oncology

Access to radiation therapy is essential to oncologic care. Prior studies have examined geographic distribution of radiation oncologists and centers but with methodologies that fail to account for patient movement across artificially constructed boundaries. This analysis utilizes an approach agnostic to geographic boundaries as well as a mathematical metric to assess the equality of access to care and quantify the impact additional resource allocation would have on a geographic area. Government databases were utilized to collect information on supply of radiation oncologists and population over 65 years old as a surrogate for demand. Addresses were geocoded to create coordinates for spatial analysis. US Census Centers of Population files were used to assign population data to spatial coordinates. Isochrone lines for driving time around population centers were generated using an internet road maps programming interface. Enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) analysis was performed with catchment area defined as a 120-minute drive from the population centers. A distance decay factor was applied. Spatial access ratios (SPARs), defined as the ratio of a given county's access to care against the mean across all counties, were calculated for each of the 3143 US counties, where a value <1 represents underserved and >1 represents overserved areas. A Gini coefficient was calculated to create a value representing spatial access equality (SPAE) for the current geographic distribution of supply and demand across the US. The incremental impact on SPAE was determined by iteratively simulating the addition of a single radiation oncologist in each of the 3143 US counties, and subsequently used to quantifiably rank areas by magnitude and direction of impact. Olmsted County, MN and the surrounding counties represent 8 of the 10 most overserved in the US (SPAR: 4.03 - 5.84). There are 1713 underserved counties with SPARs <1 and 130 counties with a SPAR of 0. Thomas County, KS would have greatest benefit on SPAE from the addition of a single radiation oncologist as it would introduce access to numerous neighboring underserved counties. Conversely, introduction of a single radiation oncologist negatively impacted SPAE in 173 of the previously underserved counties by shifting SPAR to overserved without significant positive effect on neighboring counties due to having a small population and isolated location. E2SFCA and SPAE provide a method for evaluating spatial access and a mathematical framework for assessing areas with the greatest potential benefit from new resource allocation. In some instances, resource allocation to a previously underserved area paradoxically has a negative impact on equal access to care. Better solutions such as travel/lodging programs and appropriate hypofractionation would do more to improve issues of access inequality for these areas.

Assessing the Accessibility and Equity of Urban Green Spaces from Supply and Demand Perspectives: A Case Study of a Mountainous City in China

Urban green space accessibility is an essential consideration in determining environmental liveability and the well-being of individuals, and the spatial inequity of urban green space supply and demand has become a research focus. However, few studies have conducted a multidimensional and comprehensive assessment of the influences on accessibility from the different perspectives of supply and demand. To address this, our study centred on the mountainous Chongqing region and established a comprehensive research framework examining the spatial pattern of accessibility of urban green spaces and its correlation with physical geographical elements and socioeconomic factors. We reveal the spatial distribution characteristics of urban green space accessibility by using Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area and network analysis methods and further observe the spatial clustering features utilising hotspot analysis. The ordinary least squares (OLS) model and the spatial lag model were used to evaluate the physical geographical and socioeconomic disparities. Our findings reveal explicit blind spots in urban green space accessibility, primarily within the 30 min travel threshold in the city’s marginal area. A discernible supply–demand imbalance existed in the urban core, constituted by implicit blind spots. Furthermore, we identified that the relationship between urban green space accessibility and elevation under different methods is not always consistently significant over space because spatial heterogeneity may exist. Most concerningly, the study found inequities in urban green space accessibility, particularly impacting vulnerable demographics such as the elderly and lower-income groups. These results can inform urban planners and policymakers about the blind spots of urban green space accessibility and sufficiently consider the physical and socioeconomic heterogeneity of the space to determine where and how to implement inclusive urban greening policies or planning schemes. It is also of great significance in increasing awareness of vulnerable groups and preventing environmental inequality.

Health impact of borders: general reflections and a case study from the Polish–German border

Background and objectivePolitical, economic, communicative and cultural borders still limit the accessibility of acute healthcare services for patients so that they frequently have to accept longer distances to travel to the next provider within their own country. In this paper, we analyze the impact of borders and opening of borders on acute medical care in hospitals and on patients in border regions.MethodsWe develop a conceptual framework model of cross-border healthcare and apply it to the Polish–German border area. The model combines the distance decay effect, a catchment area analysis, economies of scale and the learning curve.ResultsBorders have a major impact on acute medical care in hospitals and on patients. Setting of new borders will reduce the accessibility of health facilities for patients or require the establishment of new hospitals. Reopening borders might induce a vicious circle leading to the insolvency of a hospital which might result in poorer health for some patients.ConclusionStrong effort should be invested to overcome political and cultural borders to improve the health of the population in border regions. Similarly, increased cross-border acute healthcare must be seen in the context of rural health and the special situation of small rural hospitals in rural peripheral areas.

Measuring Geographic Access to Transgender Hormone Therapy in Texas: A Three-step Floating Catchment Area Analysis

While the extant literature has established that transgender people face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, no studies to date have offered an explicitly spatial analysis of their access to trans-specific care. This study aims to fill that gap by providing a spatial analysis of access to gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) using Texas as a case study. We used the three-step floating catchment area method, which relies on census tract-level population data and location data for healthcare facilities to quantify spatial access to healthcare within a specific drive-time window, in our case 120 min. For our tract-level population estimates we adapt estimates of the rates of transgender identification from a recent data source, the Household Pulse Survey, and use these in tandem with a spatial database of GAHT providers of the lead author's creation. We then compare results of the 3SFCA with data on urbanicity and rurality, as well as which areas are deemed medically underserved. Finally, we conduct a hot-spot analysis that identifies specific areas where health services could be planned in ways that could improve both access to GAHT for trans people and access to primary care for the general population. Ultimately, we conclude that our results illustrate that patterns of access to trans-specific medical care, like GAHT, do not neatly follow patterns of access to primary care for the general population and that therefore trans communities’ access to healthcare warrants specific, further investigation.

Low cost, LoRa based river water level data acquisition system

In recent years, climate change and catchment degradation have negatively affected stage patterns in rivers which in turn have affected the availability of enough water for various ecosystems. To realize and quantify the effects of climate change and catchment degradation on rivers, water level monitoring is essential. Various effective infrastructures for river water level monitoring that have been developed and deployed in developing countries over the years, are often bulky, complex and expensive to build and maintain. Additionally, most are not equipped with communication hardware components which can enable wireless data transmission. This paper presents a river water level data acquisition system that improves on the effectiveness, size, deployment design and data transmission capabilities of systems being utilized. The main component of the system is a river water level sensor node. The node is based on the MultiTech mDot – an ARM-Mbed programmable, low power RF module – interfaced with an ultrasonic sensor for data acquisition. The data is transmitted via LoRaWAN and stored on servers. The quality of the stored raw data is controlled using various outlier detection and prediction machine learning models. Simplified firmware and easy to connect hardware make the sensor node design easy to develop. The developed sensor nodes were deployed along River Muringato in Nyeri, Kenya for a period of 18 months for continuous data collection. The results obtained showed that the developed system can practically and accurately obtain data that can be useful for analysis of river catchment areas.

Estimated travel time and staffing constraints to accessing the Ethiopian health care system: A two-step floating catchment area analysis

Despite large investments in the public health care system, disparities in health outcomes persist between lower- and upper-income individuals, as well as rural vs urban dwellers in Ethiopia. Evidence from Ethiopia and other low- and middle-income countries suggests that challenges in health care access may contribute to poverty in these settings. We employed a two-step floating catchment area to estimate variations in spatial access to health care and in staffing levels at health care facilities. We estimated the average travel time from the population centers of administrative areas and adjusted them with provider-to-population ratios. To test hypotheses about the role of travel time vs staffing, we applied Spearman's rank tests to these two variables against the access score to assess the significance of observed variations. Among Ethiopia's 11 first-level administrative units, Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Harari had the best access scores. Regions with the lowest access scores were generally poorer and more rural/pastoral. Approximately 18% of the country did not have access to a public health care facility within a two-hour walk. Our results suggest that spatial access and staffing issues both contribute to access challenges. Investments both in new health facilities and staffing in existing facilities will be necessary to improve health care access within Ethiopia. Because rural and low-income areas are more likely to have poor access, future strategies for expanding and strengthening the health care system should strongly emphasize equity and the role of improved access in reducing poverty.

Spatial inequalities in preventive breast cancer care: A comparison of different accessibility approaches for prevention facilities in Bavaria, Germany

BackgroundAccessibility analysis is a essential method for depict spatial inequalities. Healthcare services should be accessible to everyone in a timely manner and available in sufficient number. The main objective is to analyze the equivalence of access to preventive breast cancer care facilities in Bavaria, Germany. MethodsAccessibility is understood as a multidimensional concept, which is applied by different accessibility methods (Nearest facility and 2-step flow and catchment area analysis (2SFCA)) and two means of transportation. For both methodological approaches, we compare the results for individual and public transport. We use high-resolution population-based data to provide small-scale comparisons. ResultsThe access for women over 50 years varies widely. In particularly large differences were found between accessibility by car and public transport, especially in rural regions. The results also differ within urban and rural regions, in some cases strongly, depending on the share of vulnerable population groups and the infrastructural situation. The comparison of the 2SFCA indices show that the supply situation depends not only on the proximity to the population and adequate supply capacities, but also on their connection to the transport system. In the case of public transport, it was shown that within the estimated operating distances, it usually provides better supply, especially in the urban area. ConclusionsWe were able to reveal spatial inequalities in access to preventive breast cancer care facilities in Bavaria for women over 50 years. By identifying underserved regions and especially discriminate between public and individual transportation, more precise actions to overcome inequalities in accessibility for single regions and resident groups can be drawn. Especially, policy-makers and other stakeholders rely on comprehensive information to (likely) initiate interventions to reduce spatial inequalities to health care facilities. Based on demographics, trends in outpatient planning and the findings of this paper, inequality is expected to increase.

Transfer station choice in a multimodal transit system: An empirical study

Connectivity between modes and lines constitutes a core aspect for multimodal transport system user experiences. Using a large-scale transit smart card dataset, we reveal transfer station choices in bus–rail intermodal trips frequently deviate from the “nearest-station” heuristics, motivating research to better explain real transfer behaviors and define more realistic station catchment areas. The investigation is centered on modeling transfers from bus to rail using multinomial logistic regression discrete choice models applied to 200k observations from four weeks of transit smart card observations. The results show that: (1) for trips requiring an intermodal transfer, riders select the nearest rail station in only 40% of cases; (2) commuters’ transfer station selections are jointly influenced by the trip attributes of all involved modes, with the bus ride distance contributing the most, followed by the walking distance; and (3) commuters’ sensitivity to travel distances exhibits nonlinear trends: sensitivity to bus ride distance dampens gradually as a function of trip length, while the sensitivity to walking distance exhibits a concave shape peaking at around 0.6 km. Catchment area modeling reveals that (4) location attributes (e.g., distance from the city center) play a greater role in defining the station catchment area than other attributes (e.g., land use and built environment). Specifically, the catchment area radius is larger for stations located further away from the city center or from the nearest interchange station. Moreover, (5) stations with more amenities (e.g., higher density of shops and greater accessibility) are likely to attract commuters from a larger area. This study strengthens the connections between station selection patterns and station catchment area analysis, to better guide intermodal transit design and operations, such as improving predictions of passenger flows at transfer stations.

A hierarchical two-step floating catchment area analysis for high-tier hospital accessibility in an urban agglomeration region

The medical facility is one of the essential public service facilities. Its spatial accessibility is an important indicator to measure the convenience of access to medical services and a significant factor affecting urban development and the living standards of residents. With the constant process of urbanization, urban agglomerations are formed and developing rapidly. The high-tier healthcare facilities in an urban agglomeration no longer only serve a single city but multiple connected cities. How to characterize healthcare accessibility and supply-demand relationships between medical resources and residents in the context of the urban agglomeration is worthy of being studied but still not fully involved in existing researches. To fill this gap, based on the conventional enhanced two-step floating catchment area method (E2SFCA) and considering the regional development discrepancy and medical preference of residents in the urban agglomeration, this paper proposes a new hierarchical two-step floating catchment area method (H2SFCA) to analyze accessibility to medical facilities. The applicability of the newly proposed method is demonstrated with reference to the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration case. The research findings suggest that: 1) A new method to evaluate accessibility to high-level medical facilities in the urban agglomeration is needed; 2) Due to the ignorance of intensive competition between potential demands, the healthcare accessibility in the core city is overestimated; 3) Residents' medical preference has various impacts on healthcare accessibility in different regions.

How Did School Meal Access Change during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Analysis of a Large Metropolitan Area.

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) resulted in school closures and contingencies across the U.S. that limited access to school meals for students. While some schools attempted to provide alternative meal access points where students or parents could pick up meals, many students—especially those in low-income households—lacked adequate transportation to these access points. Thus, physical proximity to meal access points was particularly important during the pandemic. In this study, we explore how school meal access changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as it relates to race/ethnicity and socio-economic status. Taking into account both the “supply” (meal access points) and the “demand” (low-income students) for free meals, we employed a two-step floating catchment area analysis to compare meal accessibility in St. Louis, Missouri before and during the pandemic in the spring and summer of 2019 and 2020. Overall, while school meal access decreased during the spring of 2020 during the early months of the pandemic, it increased during the summer of 2020. Moreover, increased access was greatest in low-income areas and areas with a higher proportion of Black residents. Thus, continuing new policies that expanded access to school meals—especially for summer meal programs—could lead to positive long-term impacts on children’s health and well-being.

The Revitalization of Makassar Urban Drainage System Based on Eco Drainage Retention Pond

One of the causes of flooding in Makassar City is the management of the water system that is not optimal. It is necessary to arrange a drainage system to overcome flooding in Makassar City. In this study the topography on Catchment area analysis, analysis of hydrology and hydraulics analysis. Modeling the distribution of flood performed using HEC-RAS applications. This research was conducted in the Tallo watershed which consists of the Upper Tallo sub-watershed and the Mangalarang sub-watershed. The results of the analysis of flood discharge in the Tallo Hilir sub-watershed are 523.76 m3/s and in the Mangalarang sub-watershed are 886.82 m3/s. The flood overflow of the Tallo River spread over 6.48 km2 of Manggala District, 0.31 km2 of Rappocini District, 4.24 km2 of Panakukang District, 3.37 km2 of Tallo District, 11.59 km2 of Tamalanrea District and 0.01 km2 of Biringkanaya District. The total area of flood distribution is 26 km2. The solution to overcome the flooding of the Tallo River with an environmentally sound drainage system, it is necessary to plan the construction of a retention pond in Tamalanrea District, with a normal total storage volume of 2.48 million m3 and a maximum capacity of 5.31 million m3. The construction of this retention pond can reduce 17.7 km2 of flood-affected area.

Characterizing opioid-involved overdose risk in local communities: An opioid overdose vulnerability assessment across Indiana, 2017

The objective of this initiative was to conduct a comprehensive opioid overdose vulnerability assessment in Indiana and evaluate spatial accessibility to opioid use disorder treatment, harm reduction services, and opioid response programs. We compiled 2017 county-level (n = 92) data on opioid-related and socioeconomic indicators from publicly available state and federal sources. First, we assessed the spatial distribution of opioid-related indicators in a geographic information system (GIS). Next, we used a novel regression-weighted ranking approach with mean standardized covariates and an opioid-involved overdose mortality outcome to calculate county-level vulnerability scores. Finally, we examined accessibility to opioid use disorder treatment services and opioid response programs at the census tract-level (n = 1511) using two-step floating catchment area analysis. Opioid-related emergency department visit rate, opioid-related arrest rate, chronic hepatitis C virus infection rate, opioid prescription rate, unemployment rate, and percent of female-led households were independently and positively associated with opioid-involved overdose mortality (p < 0.05). We identified high-risk counties across the rural–urban continuum and primarily in east central Indiana. We found that only one of the 19 most vulnerable counties was in the top quintile for treatment services and had naloxone provider accessibility in all of its census tracts. Findings from our vulnerability assessment provide local-level context and evidence to support and inform future public health policies and targeted interventions in Indiana in areas with high opioid overdose vulnerability and low service accessibility. Our approach can be replicated in other state and local public health jurisdictions to assess opioid-involved public health vulnerabilities.

A Study on the Facility Location Selection for Emergency Shelter - Catchment area and accessibility analysis of vacant space and shelter-in-place -

A Study on the Facility Location Selection for Emergency Shelter - Catchment area and accessibility analysis of vacant space and shelter-in-place -

Геоинформационные карты рельефа Северо-Востока Азии как основа изучения морфологии речных бассейнов

Цель. Создать первые геоинформационные карты горного рельефа Северо-Востока Азии и получить на этой основе морфологические характеристики водосборов, как имеющихся в информационных источниках, так и новых с оценкой точности и уровня корреляционных связей между ними. Материалы и методы. На их основании сравнительного анализа методов количественной морфометрии рельефа Северо-Востока Азии (аэрофотоснимки, карты, ГИС технологии) установлена перспективность расширения информационной базы с помощью геоинформационных карт. Применение цифровых моделей рельефа наиболее важно для слабо изученных бассейнов малых рек, данные о которых отсутствуют в справочно-фондовых источниках. Выбранная универсальная программа ArcGIS, версии 10.4, дает возможность получить так же принципиально новые параметры водосборных площадей горных рек. В связи с этим цифровая карта с высотными отметками рельефа земной поверхности (SRTM) и послужила исходным материалом для расчета различных морфометрических характеристик водосборов (например, площади и средние высоты водосборов, длину водотоков и т. д.). Результаты и обсуждение. Статистический анализ величин площадей водосборов, на основе геоинформационных карт (программа ArcGIS, версия 10.4) и растровых аналогов свидетельствует о незначительном их отличии (–3.9 to +3.0 %). Показана перспективность применения цифровых моделей рельефа для получения совершенно новых характеристик бассейнов рек, отсутствующих в известных источниках информации (например, форм, периметров, уклонов средних высот, и. т. д.). Кроме того, на основе статистического анализа дана оценка параметров различных водосборов и их частей (верховье, низовье), например, неоднородность поверхности долин рек и водоразделов. В дополнении указанном выше, установлена тесная, или, в отдельных случаях, функциональная связь между некоторыми характеристиками водосборов (например, уклоны – средние высоты). Выводы. Построенные впервые цифровые модели горного рельефа Северо-Востока Азии (программа ArcGIS, версия 10.4) позволили с достаточной точностью вычислить основные морфометрические параметры водосборов рек. Использование цифровых карт с высотами земной поверхности, в частности, SRTM, дали возможность получить принципиально новые, по сравнению с имеющимся уровнем изученности, параметры бассейнов водотоков, необходимые для науки и практики.

Analysis on Preschool Location and Demand Based on Accessibility

This study analyzes both locations and demands for preschool in the city of Jeonju, Jeolabuk-do, Korea through measuring the accessibility to preschools within the city and then addresses the issue of its spatial disparity. In order to deal with this problem, this paper calculates the index of its accessability using 2-Step Floating Catchment Area(2SFCA) and network analysis. Then, the level of accessibility is divided into five categories: Level 1(Highly Satisfactory), Level 2(Satisfactory), Level 3 (Accessible), Level 4(Accessible but Deficient), and Level 5(Not Accessible). Finally, the measures and policies appropriate for each level are made to solve inadequate distribution. The results are as follows. While the ratio of supply to demand is more than 70% in total, demands within Level 1 and Level 2 category accounts only for 25.2% out of the total demand, showing that there is serious inadequate distribution and spatial disparity. Therefore, it is recommended that the areas categorized Level 1 and 2 are appropriate to maintain the current preschool services. However, the areas in Level 3 should enhance its accessibility and the regions belonging to Level 4 should try to make accessibility improvement as well as capacity expansion of preschools. Lastly, the areas in Level 5 should provide additional preschools to satisfy its basic demands.

Measure of accessibility to postal services in France: A potential spatial accessibility approach applied in an urban region

AbstractIn a context where the demand and supply of mail and parcel delivery services are undergoing major changes due to the widespread use of the Internet and digital communications, this paper focuses on the accessibility of postal services through the physical retail network. The accessibility constraints applied to the outlets network of Le Groupe La Poste (the French postal operator responsible for the universal postal service and three other services of general economic interest) are based on a “simplified” approach that considers accessibility only in terms of time or distance‐time. This paper proposes to measure potential spatial accessibility by applying postal supply and potential demand dimensions using a two‐step floating catchment area (2SFCA) analysis. Based on an equilibrium between supply and demand through distance function, this method, which is often used in studies of the accessibility of health services, is transposed and adapted into the field of postal activities. It aims to measure accessibility by taking into account the population and population/provider ratio, considering standard postal services provided at service points. While until recently the 2SFCA methods were mostly applied in healthcare contexts, some applications have been developed in non‐health‐related services over the last decade. This paper proposes an original contribution to analysing variations in the accessibility of postal services. Referring to the “primary postal services” (sales of stamps, letters or parcels postage, remittance of postal items, and so on), it outlines the conditions that activities (or services) must satisfy in order to use the floating catchment area method.

It Shouldn’t Take a Pandemic to Increase School Meal Access for Low-Income Students: A Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Analysis of School Meal Access during COVID-19

COVID-19 created an additional barrier for students who benefit from free school meals. While some schools attempted to provide alternative meal access points, many students lack adequate transportation. Thus, physical proximity to meal access points is particularly important during the pandemic. Taking into account both the “supply” and the “demand” for free meals, we employed a two-step floating catchment area analysis to analyze meal accessibility in St. Louis, MO. Overall, while meal access during the spring 2020 semester was substantially lower than the spring 2019 semester, meal access during the 2020 summer was substantially higher than the 2019 summer. Moreover, increased access was most prevalent in low-income areas and areas with a higher proportion of African Americans.