MEASURING DIVERSITY - CHOICE IN LOCAL HOUSING MARKETS

In this paper a method of measuring object diversity, based on an appl ication of a diversity index, is proposed. The problem of finding an a ppropriate measure of diversity is formulated as a projection from a f inite-dimensional space onto a one-dimensional space. In such an appro ach, the measure of diversity is expressed in the form of a one-dimens ional descriptor (index). Properties of the index, such as exactness o f measurement of diversity and examination of the behavior of the inde x as a function in three-dimensional space, are described and illustra ted. A procedure for normalizing the index and identifying characteris tic points for the interpretation of the results is proposed. The util ization of characteristic points and a fuzzy set theory to distinguish the levels of diversity is also proposed. An application of the metho d to measure the diversity of the housing stock in local areas of some Australian cities is presented. A further application of the normaliz ed diversity index, that is, to find a relationship between housing di versity and population characteristics in particular areas, is also de veloped.