In the realm of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial analysis tools like NEAR are invaluable for uncovering hidden patterns in our world. By calculating the proximity between features, NEAR allows us to explore how isolated or connected places are—an insight that is particularly revealing when applied to cities. In this blog, we explore how to use NEAR analysis in ArcGIS Pro to identify and study some of the most remote yet populous cities across the globe.
Understanding the NEAR Tool
The NEAR tool in ArcGIS Pro calculates the distance from each feature in a dataset to the nearest feature in another dataset or within the same dataset. This functionality is crucial when analyzing the remoteness of cities—especially when trying to pinpoint urban areas that stand apart in their isolation.
Applications of NEAR Analysis:
Site Selection: Identifying optimal locations for new facilities (e.g., schools, hospitals) based on their proximity to existing infrastructure or population centres.
Emergency Response: Planning emergency services by analyzing the distance to critical infrastructure (e.g., fire stations, hospitals) to ensure quick response times.
Urban Planning: Assessing accessibility to amenities like parks, shopping centres, and transportation hubs to enhance urban development strategies.
Environmental Impact Studies: Evaluating the impact of new developments on sensitive environmental areas, such as wetlands or endangered species habitats, by analyzing proximity to these areas.
Market Analysis: Determining the accessibility of potential markets or customers by analyzing distances to transportation routes or competitor locations.
Infrastructure Management: Assessing the proximity of infrastructure components (e.g., roads, utilities) to manage maintenance and upgrades more effectively.
Collecting and Preparing Data
The first step in this analysis involved gathering spatial data from Natural Earth, a reliable source for global mapping data. We downloaded the dataset of populated places of the world.
Collecting data from Natural Earth.
After adding the layer to ArcGIS pro.
With the data added, we now need to select cities with a population >100,000 to ensure we are only analysing large cities. This threshold is fairly arbitrary and you can use whatever value you like. We use the Select By Attributes tool.
The selection applied to the original dataset.
Next, we can export it to a new feature class. This step is not essential as the subsequent steps will produce new outputs, but it is good practice to leave a trail of feature classes behind as you work through a process so you can go back a few steps if needed.
Cities/ Places with population greater than 100,000.
Reprojecting the Data
To ensure that the distance calculations are accurate, reproject the shapefile into a coordinate system that uses linear units. This step is essential to avoid distortions in the distance measurements.
Go to Analysis> Tools> Project
Choose your input dataset and select an appropriate output coordinate system.
Running the NEAR tool
Now, it's time to run the NEAR analysis, which will calculate the distance from each city to its nearest neighbouring city. Go to Analysis> Tools> NEAR
Set your input features to the cities layer and the near features to the same cities layer. This configuration will calculate the distance of each city to the nearest other city.
Choose the output location and run the tool.
Running the NEAR tool in ArcGIS Pro with the cities layer as input.
Reviewing the Results
Once the NEAR tool has completed, a new field will be added to your attribute table showing the distance to the nearest neighbouring city. These values can be used to identify which cities are the most remote. Open the attribute table of your cities layer. Sort the NEAR_DIST field in descending order to see the cities with the greatest distance to their nearest neighbour.
Table showing the most remote cities in the world with a population of greater than 100,000.
Visualizing Remote Cities
After completing the NEAR analysis and visualizing the results, several cities stand out due to their significant isolation:
Honolulu, USA: As the capital of Hawaii, Honolulu is one of the most isolated cities in the world. The NEAR tool calculates that Honolulu is 3,858 kilometres away from its closest large neighbour, emphasizing its unique geographical position in the Pacific Ocean.
Perth, Australia: Perth is another city highlighted by the NEAR analysis. With a population of over 880,000, Perth is situated 2,137 kilometres from the next nearest city of similar size, underlining its isolation on the western coast of Australia.
Anchorage, USA: Located in Alaska, Anchorage is 2,134 kilometres away from the nearest major city, making it one of the most remote urban centres in North America.
Reykjavík, Iceland: The capital of Iceland, Reykjavík, is a quintessential remote city, with the NEAR tool calculating 1,327 kilometres to its nearest urban neighbour. This isolation is part of what gives Reykjavík its distinctive cultural and environmental character.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia: Situated on the Kamchatka Peninsula, this city is 1,321 kilometres away from the closest city with a population of over 100,000, highlighting its remote and rugged location in the Russian Far East.