Vol. 46, No. 1, Spring/Summer 2008 - "Human Geography"
A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP CUSTOMER SALES AREAS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
(pp. 3 - 34)
Stephen J. Zlato
GIS Specialist
Loudoun County, Virginia
Abstract
This study examines the spatial structure of customer sales areas for three western Pennsylvania automobile dealerships using cartographic and statistical analyses. GIS techniques were used to map the geographic pattern of customers for each dealership, while multiple regression analysis was used to determine the degree of relationship between the number of customers in zip code areas and selected socioeconomic variables. The results of the regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between automobile sales and the socioeconomic variables. The variables that accounted for the greatest explained variation in the spatial distribution of customers for the three dealerships was population aged 18 through 64 and distance, while median family income and highway corridors accounted for a smaller percentage of the variation in customers. My research suggests that advertising and customer perception are areas for future research.
AMISH TOURISM PROMOTION IN EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS
(pp. 35 - 57)
Jim Davis
Michael Cornebise
Mallory White
Laura Giboo
Department of Geology and Geography
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois
Abstract
Due in part to promotional efforts from local community members, the towns and hinterlands of Arthur and Arcola in East-Central Illinois have witnessed an increase in tourist traffic in recent years. The emergence of tourism as an important economic source mirrors trends in other Amish-dominated communities in the United States, namely the settlements in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In this paper, we first situate the evolution of tourism as an economic strategy in North American Amish communities. We then focus on the extent and nature of tourism promotion efforts that involve both Amish and non-Amish actors from the local communities and we discuss tourism’s impact at the community level. We then consider the geographic impact of tourism promotion efforts by examining data drawn from various geographic scales. This paper is based in part on data collected at the Amish Interpretive Center in Arcola, Illinois and the Visitors Centers in Arcola and Arthur, Illinois.
(pp. 58 - 77)
Kevin Keenan
The Graduate School of Geography
Clark University
Dubuque, Iowa
Abstract
The four concepts of space, place, scale, and context are used to evaluate and review the Fall/Winter 2006 special edition of The Pennsylvania Geographer on geography and terrorism. I selected these concepts because they are fundamental to the discipline and often inform the work of its practitioners; it is the hope that this review will contribute to continued development of geographical theories of terrorism. Space as process has generally not been explicitly engaged within geographical research (though this situation is changing); this situation is mirrored in the works reviewed here. The concept of place is only minimally engaged despite its recent theorization as integral to understanding the power of terrorism. The author provide a roadmap for thinking about scale in terrorism studies, intimating the role of globalized interconnections, governmental and societal responses, and micro-geographies. Finally, context, the locally operating but globally connected structures and processes that shape daily activities for people in space and place, is engaged through study of political institutions, social networks, and access to resources that facilitate mitigation.
(pp. 78 - 99)
Christopher R. Schaney
Department of Geology and Geography
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
Abstract
Geomorphology of the Presque Isle peninsula in Erie, Pennsylvania is inherently unstable. Erosion on the western shoreline has breached the connection to the mainland four times in the past 200 years. The harbor, created by Presque Isle, has been paramount to the development and sustained existence of industry and commerce in Erie. Success of the harbor has led to an interest in controlling the natural forces that affect Presque Isle. Initially, preservation of the neck of the peninsula was not very successful as shown by the peninsula migration dataset developed for this research. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) provide useful tools in studying the historical geography of Presque Isle, especially in identifying the spatial aspects of historical phenomena, understanding links between humans and their environment and documenting the cultural/economic transition from industrial to recreational activities during the latter part of the 20th Century.
(pp. 100 - 122)
Paul Marr and Kurt Fuellhart
Department of Geography-Earth Science
Shippensburg University
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
Abstract
This paper focuses on the influence that the warehousing, distribution, and trucking industries are having on the transport network of Cumberland and Franklin counties in south-central Pennsylvania. Warehousing and trucking have become key economic sectors during the past decade, and the region will in all likelihood continue to experience growth in these industries. Currently the study area has over 54 million ft2 of warehousing and distribution space, and over 63 trucking facilities. The interstate was designed for rural traffic loads and is currently operating well beyond its original design capacity in terms of truck traffic. Rail access within the region is good, but linking newly built warehousing developments to the rail lines will require multiple grade-level crossings. To handle the current and project truck traffic levels we suggest several low-cost mitigation measures, the most important being limiting warehouse and trucking development to a few locations. This would not only limit the spatial impact of these industries, but also allow funding for transportation upgrades and maintenance to be maximized.