The Effect of a Physio-Political Barrier Upon Urban Activity Space

Abstract

This research examines what effect a physical and political barrier, the Ohio River and the Ohio-Kentucky state boundary, have upon the urban activity space of a sample population. Activity space is defined as the geographical domain in which a specified set of activities takes place, i.e., specified social, economic, and service activities. The sample was selected from households in Newport, Kentucky, a community separated from the Central Business District of Cincinnati, Ohio by the barriers. Data was collected by questionnaire. Results analyzed graphically and by correlation coefficients showed that these barriers are highly influential upon the behavior of the sample. The influence of the barriers upon spatial behavior, however, does vary depending on the particular activity.