Clustering of Territorial Areas: A Multi-Criteria Districting Problem

This paper aims to propose a framework for obtaining homogenous territorial clusters based on a max-p-regions optimisation problem, considering multiple criteria related to endogenous resources, economic profile and socio-cultural features of territories. This framework is developed in three steps. First, the dissimilarity criteria correlated with development at the territorial unit level are identified, using a multiple linear regression analysis. Then, a multi-criteria max-p-regions model is developed, in order to allocate each territorial unit (parishes) to a territorial agglomerate. Finally, the max-p-model is used to generate alternative efficient district maps according to the changes in the threshold of spatial attributes.