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CLASSIFICATION OF AMERICAN CITIES FOR CASE STUDY ANALYSIS. VOLUME I. SUMMARY REPORT
Citation:
Lake, E., C. Blair, J. Hudson, AND R. Tabors. CLASSIFICATION OF AMERICAN CITIES FOR CASE STUDY ANALYSIS. VOLUME I. SUMMARY REPORT. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/5-77/008a.
Description:
Attempts to analyze and evaluate the impacts of federal programs has led to the extensive use of case studies of program impacts at selected sites. This project has developed a methodology for the systematic selection of representative case study sites and for generalizing the study results. The methodology, involving two stage factor analysis and clustering, is applied to a specific program/policy problem, and the selection of metropolitan areas. The methodology begins with a data base on standard metropolitan statistical areas, SMSAs, including variables related to environmental quality, urban form, and household, industrial, and government activity. It analyzes these variables through a two-stage factor analysis technique which allows heuristic consideration of the significant characteristics. Finally, it develops city clusters which group areas with similar attributes. Modal (or representative) cities are selected for each group and suggested as case study sites. These groups may be used to generalize the study results and to analyze the transferrability of results between areas. The methodology is sufficiently flexible to consider a wide range of research hypotheses.