HOW FUNCTIONAL ARE ECONOMIC AREAS - TESTS FOR INTRA-REGIONAL SPATIAL ASSOCIATION USING SPATIAL DATA-ANALYSIS

Spatial associations within eight Southeastern Functional Economic Are as were investigated using three spatial data analysis techniques (Mor an's I, G(i)(d) statistic and local Moran) and 1980 to 1990 population change at the county and census tract levels. Core-hinterland relatio nships in the FEAs were categorized as spread through growth, spread t hrough decentralization, backwash or independent, based on intraregion al patterns of spatial association. Findings indicate that all four of the spread-backwash typologies were evident among the eight economic regions. Yet, spatial association with the core (spread or backwash) g enerally was limited to hinterland areas at the core's fringe. Spatial dependence between core and hinterland areas declined with distance f rom the economic region's core area. For many rural locations, changes in economic activity are independent of economic development experien ces in nearby locations.