Using SaTScan to identify and map nightlife areas in Philadelphia, PA.

Area of Science:

• Urban planning
• Public health
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Background:

• Cities often establish entertainment districts to revitalize neighborhoods.
• These districts can stimulate economic growth but also pose public health risks like crime and accidents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a scalable method for identifying entertainment districts using spatial cluster detection.
• To map these districts in Philadelphia to understand their spatial distribution and relationship with the built environment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Establishment Time Series (NETS) business database.
• Employed SaTScan cluster detection software to identify spatial concentrations of entertainment businesses.
• Applied the methodology in a case study of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Main Results:

• Identified and mapped 101 distinct spatial clusters of entertainment businesses in Philadelphia.
• The developed approach is scalable and does not necessitate pre-existing local knowledge of entertainment zones.
• Results contribute to the literature on using SaTScan for mapping neighborhood features.

Conclusions:

• Spatial identification of entertainment districts provides crucial context for understanding their impact on public health.
• The built environment's role in amplifying or mitigating health risks associated with these districts can be better assessed.
• This methodology offers a transferable tool for urban planners and public health officials.