Catchment area

A catchment area can be defined relative to a location, and based upon a number of factors, including distance, travel time, geographic boundaries or population within the catchment.

Catchment areas generally fall under two categories, those that occur organically, i.e., "de facto" catchment area, and a place people are naturally drawn to, such as a large shopping centre. A catchment area in terms of a place people are drawn to could be a city, service or institution.

Catchment area boundaries can be modeled using geographic information systems (GIS).{{cite journal |last1=McLafferty |first1=Sara L. |title=GIS and Health Care |journal=Annual Review of Public Health |volume=24 |pages=25–42 |year=2003 |pmid=12668754 |doi=10.1146/annurev.publhealth.24.012902.141012 |doi-access=free}} There can be large variability in the services provided within different catchment areas in the same region depending upon how and when those catchments were established.{{cite journal |last1=Jenkins |first1=C. |last2=Campbell |first2=J. |title=Catchment areas in general practice and their relation to size and quality of practice and deprivation: a descriptive study in one London borough |journal=BMJ |volume=313 |issue=7066 |pages=1189–92 |year=1996 |pmid=8916754 |pmc=2352502 |doi=10.1136/bmj.313.7066.1189 }} They are usually contiguous but can overlap when they describe competing services.{{cite journal |last1=Schuurman |first1=Nadine |last2=Fiedler |first2=Robert S |last3=Grzybowski |first3=Stefan CW |last4=Grund |first4=Darrin |title=Defining rational hospital catchments for non-urban areas based on travel-time |journal=International Journal of Health Geographics |volume=5 |pages=43 |year=2006 |pmid=17018146 |pmc=1617091 |doi=10.1186/1476-072X-5-43 |doi-access=free }} For example, the boundaries of catchment areas can also vary by travel time, whereby 1-hour is indicative of daily commuting time and a 3-hour cut-off reflecting essential, but less frequent services.{{Cite journal |last1=Cattaneo |first1=Andrea |last2=Girgin |first2=Serkan |last3=de By |first3=Rolf |last4=McMenomy |first4=Theresa |last5=Nelson |first5=Andrew |last6=Vaz |first6=Sara |date=2024-06-26 |title=Worldwide delineation of multi-tier city–regions |journal=Nature Cities |volume=1 |issue=7 |language=en |pages=469–479 |doi=10.1038/s44284-024-00083-z |issn=2731-9997|doi-access=free }}

GIS technology has allowed for the modeling of catchment areas, and in particular those relating to urban areas. Based on travel time between rural areas and cities of different sizes, the urban–rural catchment areas (URCAs) is a global GIS dataset that allows for comparison across countries, such as the distribution of population along the rural–urban continuum.{{Cite journal|last1=Cattaneo|first1=Andrea|last2=Nelson|first2=Andrew|last3=McMenomy|first3=Theresa|date=2021-01-12|title=Global mapping of urban–rural catchment areas reveals unequal access to services|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=118|issue=2|pages=e2011990118|doi=10.1073/pnas.2011990118|issn=0027-8424|pmc=7959575|pmid=33431572|bibcode=2021PNAS..11820119C|doi-access=free }} Functional economic areas (FEAs), also called larger urban zone or functional urban areas, are catchment areas of commuters or commuting zones.{{Cite journal|last1=Moreno-Monroy|first1=Ana I.|last2=Schiavina|first2=Marcello|last3=Veneri|first3=Paolo|date=2020|title=Metropolitan areas in the world. Delineation and population trends|journal=Journal of Urban Economics|volume=125|language=en|pages=103242|doi=10.1016/j.jue.2020.103242|doi-access=free}} A limitation of the URCA and FEA is that the models link locations to a single urban center of reference, even though there may be multiple centers of reference for varying activities.{{Cite journal |last1=Cattaneo |first1=Andrea |last2=Adukia |first2=Anjali |last3=Brown |first3=David L. |last4=Christiaensen |first4=Luc |last5=Evans |first5=David K. |last6=Haakenstad |first6=Annie |last7=McMenomy |first7=Theresa |last8=Partridge |first8=Mark |last9=Vaz |first9=Sara |last10=Weiss |first10=Daniel J. |date=2022-09-01 |title=Economic and social development along the urban–rural continuum: New opportunities to inform policy |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X22001310 |journal=World Development |volume=157 |pages=105941 |doi=10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105941 |issn=0305-750X|hdl=10986/36199 |hdl-access=free }}

Catchment areas may be established for the provision of services. For example, a school catchment area is the geographic area from which students are eligible to attend a local school. When a facility's capacity can only service a specific volume, the catchment may be used to limit a population's ability to access services outside that area.{{cite journal |last1=Parsons |first1=Eddie |last2=Chalkley |first2=Brian |last3=Jones |first3=Allan |title=School Catchments and Pupil Movements: A case study in parental choice |journal=Educational Studies |volume=26 |issue=1 |year=2000 |pages=33–48 |doi=10.1080/03055690097727 |s2cid=144365321 }} In the case of a school catchment area, children may be unable to enroll in a school outside their catchment to prevent the school's services being exceeded.

GIS can also inform for the establishment of health care or hospital catchment areas. Such catchment areas can also define the epidemiological disease burdens{{Cite journal|last1=Alegana|first1=Victor A.|last2=Khazenzi|first2=Cynthia|last3=Akech|first3=Samuel O.|last4=Snow|first4=Robert W.|date=2020-01-28|title=Estimating hospital catchments from in-patient admission records: a spatial statistical approach applied to malaria|journal=Scientific Reports|language=en|volume=10|issue=1|pages=1324|doi=10.1038/s41598-020-58284-0|pmid=31992809|issn=2045-2322|pmc=6987150|bibcode=2020NatSR..10.1324A}} or forecast hospital needs amid a disease outbreak.{{Cite medRxiv |last1=Massonnaud |first1=Clément |last2=Roux |first2=Jonathan |last3=Crépey |first3=Pascal |date=2020-03-20 |title=COVID-19: Forecasting short term hospital needs in France |language=en |medrxiv=10.1101/2020.03.16.20036939v1}} They are used to evaluate population health outcomes, especially for diseases like cancer and chronic conditions. Understanding the catchment area helps health systems optimize service coverage, measure healthcare utilization, and identify underserved regions.{{Cite journal |title=Catchment area and cancer population health research through a novel population-based statewide database: a scoping review |journal=JNCI Cancer Spectrum |doi=10.1093/jncics/pkae066 |year=2024 |last1=Spees |first1=Lisa P. |last2=Albaneze |first2=Natasha |last3=Baggett |first3=Christopher D. |last4=Green |first4=Laura |last5=Johnson |first5=Katie |last6=Morris |first6=Hayley N. |last7=Salas |first7=Ana I. |last8=Olshan |first8=Andrew |last9=Wheeler |first9=Stephanie B. |volume=8 |issue=5 |pmid=39151445 |pmc=11410196 }}

Health catchment areas are often employed in research to study the relationship between geographical factors and healthcare outcomes. For example, they are used in cancer research to understand the distribution of cases and ensure that healthcare resources are equitably distributed. They are also used in epidemiological studies to assess the reach and impact of healthcare interventions.{{Cite journal |title=Healthcare access and catchment area in rural populations |journal=Materials |year=2021|pmid=34300902 |last1=Cucu |first1=C. I. |last2=Giurcăneanu |first2=C. |last3=Popa |first3=L. G. |last4=Orzan |first4=O. A. |last5=Beiu |first5=C. |last6=Holban |first6=A. M. |last7=Grumezescu |first7=A. M. |last8=Matei |first8=B. M. |last9=Popescu |first9=M. N. |last10=Căruntu |first10=C. |last11=Mihai |first11=M. M. |volume=14 |issue=14 |doi=10.3390/ma14143985 |doi-access=free |pmc=8305146 }} One challenge in defining catchment areas is that they may not accurately reflect patient behavior or health-seeking patterns, particularly in areas where patients have access to multiple health facilities.{{Cite journal |title=Limitations of catchment area models in modern healthcare systems |journal=Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention |year=2022|pmid=34737210 |last1=Siegel |first1=S. D. |last2=Brooks |first2=M. M. |last3=Sims-Mourtada |first3=J. |last4=Schug |first4=Z. T. |last5=Leonard |first5=D. J. |last6=Petrelli |first6=N. |last7=Curriero |first7=F. C. |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=108–116 |doi=10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-1031 |pmc=8755608 }}

Overlapping catchment areas can be used to determine city–regions, reflecting the interconnectedness of urban centers. The Nature Cities article “Worldwide Delineation of Multi-Tier City–Regions” maps the catchment areas of urban centers across four tiers—town, small, intermediate, and large city—based on travel time using a global travel friction grid, acknowledging that individuals may rely on multiple centers for various needs, with larger centers offering a wider range of activities. The dataset, classifying over 30,000 urban centers into the four tiers, is publicly available.{{Cite web |last1=Cattaneo |first1=Andrea |last2=Girgin |first2=Serkan |last3=de By |first3=Rolf A |last4=McMenomy |first4=Theresa |last5=Nelson |first5=Andy |last6=Vaz |first6=Sara |date=May 15, 2024 |title=Worldwide Delineation of Multi-Tier City-Regions |url=https://zenodo.org/records/11187634 |website=Zenodo}}

• Airports can be built and maintained in locations which minimize the driving distance for the surrounding population to reach them.{{cite web |title=Airports: Non-Financial Analysis |publisher=Transport Canada |url=http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/airports/RSAS/nonfinanalysis.htm }}
• A neighborhood or district of a city often has several small convenience shops, each with a catchment area of several streets. Supermarkets, on the other hand, have a much lower density, with catchment areas of several neighborhoods (or several villages in rural areas). This principle, similar to the central place theory, makes catchment areas an important area of study for geographers, economists, and urban planners.
• In order to compensate for income inequalities, distances, variations in secondary educational level, and other similar factors, a nation may structure its higher education{{cite web |title=Admission: University Admission |publisher=Students Nigeria |url=https://www.students.com.ng/category/admission |access-date=2014-12-17 |archive-date=2019-04-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420015938/https://students.com.ng/category/admission/ |url-status=dead }} catchment areas to ensure a good mixture of students from different backgrounds.
• School catchment areas are a simple method of assigning children to schools.{{cite book | last1=Fitz | first1=John | last2=Davies | first2=Brian | last3=Evans | first3=John | title=Education Policy and Social Reproduction: Class Inscription & Symbolic Control | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2005 | isbn=978-1-134-55248-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ASeCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA58 | access-date=11 February 2025 | page=58}} They have been described by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as "an important tool in the governance of the school network and student assignment".{{cite book | author=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development| series=OECD Reviews of School Resources |title=Responsive School Systems Connecting Facilities, Sectors and Programmes for Student Success | publisher=OECD Publishing | year=2018 | isbn=978-92-64-30670-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CQp0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA72 | access-date=11 February 2025 | page=72}} Authorities can adjust them as needed or in line with social policies, such as aiming to increase diversity. Catchment areas can reflect geographical inequality or segregation.{{cite book | editor-last=Dronkers | editor-first=Jaap | title=Quality and Inequality of Education: Cross-National Perspectives | publisher=Springer Netherlands | year=2010 | isbn=978-90-481-3993-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EU_5777ZlqwC&pg=PA144 | access-date=11 February 2025 | page=144}}
• Hong Kong divides its primary schools into School Nets under its Primary One Admission System, functioning as catchment areas for allocation of school places.{{cite web |title=Primary One Admission for September 2020 |url=https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/EDB-POALeaflet2020_EN.pdf |website=Education Bureau |access-date=7 March 2020 |date=August 2019 |archive-date=19 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019134326/https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/EDB-POALeaflet2020_EN.pdf |url-status=dead }}
• To inform prospective employers, transport providers, planners and local authorities, data detailing the travel to work patterns of seven towns in the Western Region of Ireland were used to define each towns’ labour catchments.{{Cite web|date=May 2018|title=Travel to Work and Labour Catchments in the Western Region. A Profile of Seven Town Labour Catchments|url=https://www.wdc.ie/docs/TraveltoWork_LabourCatchments_WesternRegion2016_FullDoc.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719032833/https://www.wdc.ie/docs/TraveltoWork_LabourCatchments_WesternRegion2016_FullDoc.pdf |access-date=July 20, 2021|publisher=WDC Insights|archive-date=2021-07-19 }}

• City region
• Hinterland
• Rural-urban commuting area
• School district
• Urban planning
• Catchment area (health)

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Category:Human geography

Category:Economic geography