Shape Metrics

Jason Parent
jason.parent@uconn.edu
Academic Assistant – GIS Analyst

Daniel Civco
Professor of Geomatics

Center for Land Use Education And Research (CLEAR)

Natural Resources and the Environment
University of Connecticut

Shlomo Angel
Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning
Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, New York University
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs,
Princeton University

1
 Background
► Metricsthat quantify aspects of shape have
widespread applications
 Pattern analysis in landscape ecology and geography
 Identify suitability of a given area for a particular
purpose
► Hundreds of metrics exist for measuring
characteristics of shapes.
 The relevancy and appropriate use is often not clear

2
 Why measure characteristics of shape?

► Patch shape and area influences the viability of

forest patches for certain forest species.
► Compactness of the urban footprint can be a
measure of sprawl in cities.
► Compactness of election districts may indicate
gerrymandering.
► Patch shape and area may determine the
suitability of a patch of land for a particular
purpose

3
 Objectives
► Present 10 metrics for measuring various aspects of
shape that can be applied to contiguous patches.
► Present a normalized version of each metric that is
not affected by shape area
 Measures shape compactness
 Values range between 0 and 1 with higher values
indicating greater compactness
► Present a framework for determining the
appropriate metric(s) for a given analysis.
► Present a script tool that can calculate each of the
metrics for polygons in a feature class.

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Defining a polygon in terms of points
Interior points Vertex points Perimeter points
► Points evenly ► Points defining ► Points equally
distributed perimeter vertices spaced along
throughout shape (inflexion points) perimeter

20,000 points 100 points

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 Normalizing shape metrics
- the Equal Area Circle
►A circle is the most compact shape possible for a
given area (Angel et al. 2009).
► The Equal Area Circle (EAC) is a circle with an area
equal the area of the shape.
► The normalized metrics presented are normalized
using the EAC
 Creates a measurement of compactness
 Metrics normalized with the EAC are highly correlated
► Normalized metrics are appropriate when the
influence of shape area is irrelevant or misleading
or when a measure of compactness is needed.

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 Shape characteristics
► Distribution of the polygon around a central
point
► Distribution of points within the polygon
► Characterizing the polygon interior and
perimeter
► Characterizing the polygon as an object to
traverse or circumvent

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Distribution of the shape around
a central point

8
 Proximity index - definition
► Theaverage Euclidean distance from all interior
points to the centroid*
d1 + d2 +…dn
Proximity =
n

d4 d3

d1

d2

* The average XY coordinates for all vertices that define the shape
 Normalized proximity index
ProximityEAC
normalized proximity (nPI) =
ProximityShape

ProximityEAC = 2 * radius
3 EAC

index

I = 5776 I = 4968 I = 4944 I = 7267 I = 6177

nI = 0.98 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.69 nI = 0.55 nI = 0.44

normalized index 10
 Proximity index - comments
► Allpoints in shape are given equal weight.
► Relatively quick calculation time
► Basic index appropriate for use when
distance to the shape’s center is needed…
 i.e. Proximity calculated for an urban footprint gives an
estimate of the travel distance for residents commuting
to the urban center – used to infer travel costs (time,
fuel, pollution, etc.)
► Normalizedindex appropriate for measuring
compactness
11
 Spin index - definition
► The average of the square of the Euclidean distances
between all interior points and the centroid.
► Also known as Moment of Inertia in the literature.

d12 + d22 +…dn2

spin =
# of points

d4
d3
d1

d2

12
 Normalized spin index
spinEAC
normalized spin =
spinShape

spinEAC = 0.5 * radius2EAC

index

I = 37990552 I = 27768701 I = 27634615 I = 54370006 I = 50360516

nI =0.95 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.48 nI = 0.33 nI = 0.17

normalized index
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 Spin index - comments
► Similar to Proximity except more
weight is given to the polygon’s
extremities.
► Relatively quick calculation time.
► Basic metric results not very intuitive. nProximity = 0.44
nSpin = 0.17
► Normalized metric appropriate for
measuring compactness when focus is
on shape extremities…

i.e. Normalized spin calculated for an urban footprint gives

a measure of compactness that is more sensitive to the
outlying parts of the footprint. This index is more capable
of identifying footprints that have “tendril-like” projections
(often perceived as an indicator of sprawl).
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 Dispersion - definition
► The average distance from the centroid to all points on the
shape perimeter.
► Based on the Boyce-Clark Index (Boyce and Clarke 1964).
d1 + d2 +…dn
dispersion =
n

d4
d3
d1
d2

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 Normalized dispersion index
circle with dispersion
equal to shape dispersion dx is the distance between
shape perimeter and the
d3 circle perimeter along a
d2 radial emanating from the
centroid.
d4
d1 d1 + d2 +…dn
deviation =
n

normalized dispersion – deviation

dispersion
=
dispersion
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 Dispersion index - examples

index

I = 8664 I = 7451 I = 4539 I = 7469 I = 6802

nI = 0.90 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.56 nI = 0.81 nI = 0.53

normalized index

► Normalized values close to 1 indicate equal

dispersion in all directions.

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 Dispersion index - comments
► Only points in perimeter are
used to calculate compactness. nI = 0.90 nI = 0.90
 Gaps in a shape do not affect
the metric
► Relatively quick calculation time.
► Use basic metric when average spread of a phenomena is
of interest.
► Normalized metric appropriate for measuring shape
compactness when gaps in the shape should be ignored…
 i.e. Normalized dispersion can indicate whether a
phenomena (i.e. invasive species spread) is propagating
from an epicenter equally in all directions. This can give
an idea of the effectiveness of containment efforts.
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Distribution of points within
the shape

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 Cohesion index - definition
► The average distance between all pairs of interior points.

d1 + d2 +…dn
cohesion =
# of point pairs

d3
d4
d5 d6 d2
d1

20
 Normalized cohesion index
cohesionEAC
normalized cohesion =
cohesionShape

cohesionEAC = 0.9054 * radiusEAC

index

I = 7881 I = 6739 I = 6719 I = 9386 I = 8282

nI = 0.98 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.69 nI = 0.58 nI = 0.45

normalized index
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 Cohesion index - comments
► All points in shape given equal weight
► Computationally intensive for large numbers of points
 Only calculated for a sample of points to improve calculation
time.
► Appropriate when the average distance between
points in a shape is needed or when distribution of
the shape about the center is not relevant.
 i.e. Cohesion calculated for an urban footprint gives an
estimate of the travel distance for residents commuting
within the city – does not assume residents
predominantly travel to the urban center. Can be used
to infer travel costs (time, fuel, pollution, etc.).
22
Characterizing the shape
interior and perimeter

23
 Depth index - definition
► Theaverage distance from the shape’s interior
points to the nearest point on the perimeter.

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 Normalized depth index
depthShape
normalized depth =
depthEAC

depthEAC = 1 * radiusEAC
3

index

I = 2530 I = 2487 I = 563 I = 711 I = 552

nI = 0.89 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.33 nI = 0.35 nI = 0.41

normalized index
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 Depth index - comments
► Measures average distance from the interior of a
polygon to the edge of the polygon.
► Indicates how susceptible the patch may be to
disturbances outside the shape perimeter.
 Larger distances indicate greater insulation of the shape’s
interior to external events.
► Appropriate when the insulation of a patch’s interior
from the surrounding environment is important.
 i.e. The depth of a forest patch can indicate the
suitability of the patch for species that do not tolerate
close proximity to development, open fields, or other
land cover types.
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 Viable interior index - definition
► Thearea of the shape that is beyond the depth of
the edge-effect.

Edge-width

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 The edge-effect
► Occurs when a patch can be influenced or degraded by the
surrounding environment.
 i.e. The edge of a forest patch can be affected by increased
exposure to wind, light, invasive species, etc.
► The distance over which the “edge-effect” can occur depends
on the issue or species or study
 In ecological literature, distances ranges from 25 meters to
several hundred meters depending on species and land
cover type.
 Timber harvest may not be practical within some distance
from developed areas.
► We typically assume a 100 meter edge-width for general
purposes studies.

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Normalized viable interior index
interiorEAC
normalized interior =
interiorShape

interiorEAC = Π * (radiusEAC – edge)2

Index (ha)

I = 17,127 I = 13,068 I = 353 I = 2,176 I = 339

nI = 0.97 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.07 nI = 0.27 nI = 0.11

normalized index
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 Viable interior index - comments
► Measures area of shape that is not susceptible to
influence from the surrounding environment.
► An appropriate edge-width distance must be used for
meaningful results.
► Easy and quick to calculate.
► Appropriate when the insulation of a patch’s interior
from the surrounding environment is important and
an appropriate edge-width is known.
 i.e. The interior index of a forest patch can indicate
whether the patch contains enough suitable area to
support the desired diversity of interior forest species

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 Girth index - definition
► The radius of the largest circle that can be
inscribed in the shape

31
 Normalized girth index
girthShape
normalized girth =
radiusEAC

index

I = 7417 I = 7344 I = 1461 I = 1700 I = 1200

nI = 0.87 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.28 nI = 0.28 nI = 0.29

normalized index

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 Girth index - comments
► Measures the largest circular area that can be fully
contained within a shape.
► Can be used to determine if a polygon can
accommodate the footprint of a feature such as a
proposed development.
 i.e. A suitability analysis indicates patches of area that
are suitable for development. The girth index can be
used to determine which patches contains a contiguous
area large enough to contain the footprint of the
proposed development.
Shape area
A = 1.19 A = 1.01
a = 0.21 a = 0.74
Circle area 33
 Perimeter index - definition
► The perimeter of the shape

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 Normalized perimeter index
perimeterEAC
normalized perimeter =
perimeterShape

index

I = 60,357 I = 46,918 I = 134,879 I = 97,017 I = 53,447

nI = 0.89 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.24 nI = 0.39 nI = 0.48

normalized index

35
Normalized perimeter index - comments
► Measures the length of the perimeter of a given
shape.
► Very quick and easy to calculate
► Metric gives an indication of the shape’s exposure to
external conditions.
 i.e. The normalized perimeter index for a forest patch
will indicate the exposure of the patch to the
surrounding environment. Patches for which the
normalized index is maximized will have less exposure.

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Characterizing the shape as
an object to traverse or
circumvent

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 Detour Index
► The perimeter of the shape’s convex hull *
Convex
hull

* The convex hull is the convex polygon with the shortest

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possible perimeter that fully encompasses it.
 Normalized detour index
perimeterEAC
normalized detour =
perimeterConvex Hull

► Larger normalized values indicate that a relatively

shorter path is needed to circumvent the shape

index

I = 66,373 I = 48,349 I = 48,118 I = 65,447 I = 75,747

nI = 0.81 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.67 nI = 0.58 nI = 0.34

normalized index 39
 Detour index - comments
► The convex hull is the shortest path needed to
circumvent a shape.
► The normalized index indicates how large an obstacle
a shape presents relative to its area.
► Relatively quick to calculate.
► Appropriate to use when the shape is an obstacle to
passage and cannot be traversed.
 i.e. The normalized detour index can be used quantify
the degree to which a highway obstructs wildlife
movement. The effectiveness of wildlife crossings in
reducing the obstruction can be analyzed.

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 Traversal Index
► The average distance of the shortest paths connecting any
two points on the shape perimeter.
 The paths must remain inside the shape.

d1 + d2 +…dn
traversal =
# of point pairs

d1
d3
d2

41
 Normalized traversal index
traversalEAC
normalized traversal =
traversalShape

4 * radiusEAC
traversalEAC =
Π

index

I = 11,019 I = 9397 I = 7679 I = 13,357 I = 9039

nI = 0.98 nI = 1.00 nI = 0.85 nI = 0.57 nI = 0.58

normalized index 42
 Traversal index - comments
► The traversal index is the shortest average distance
between two points on the perimeter – the paths
between points cannot intersect the shape boundary.
► Very long calculation time
 10-15 minutes per feature
► Appropriate to use when the shortest interior distance
between any two points on the patch’s perimeter is
relevant.
 i.e. The traversal index can estimate the distance
required to cross a lake from any direction.

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 Choosing the appropriate metric
► The basic metrics each provide different information
about shape characteristics.
 The metric used should make logical sense for the
analysis.
► The normalized metrics tend to be highly correlated with
each other.
 One metric may be a good proxy for another to measure
compactness.

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 Summary: shape aspect
and suggested metrics
► Distribution of the shape ► Characterizing the shape
around a central point… interior and exposure to
 Proximity external conditions
 Spin  Perimeter
 Dispersion  Girth
► The shape as an object to  Depth
traverse or circumvent  Viable interior
 Traversal ► Distribution of points
 Detour within the shape…
 Cohesion

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 The Shape Metrics Tool

► A Python script has been

developed to calculate the
metrics presented
► Script will run out of
ArcToolbox for ArcGIS 9.3
► Will be available through
Center for Land use
Education And Research
(CLEAR) website
 http://
clear.uconn.edu/tools/Shape_M
etrics/index.html

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 Conclusions
► Thebasic form of the metrics are influenced by
shape area
 The appropriate metric to use depends on the
application – the metric should make logical sense.
► The
normalized version of the metrics provides a
measure of compactness.
 Normalized metrics tend to be highly correlated with
each other and with people’s perception of compactness.
► Thescript tool will facilitate calculation of shape
metrics for polygon feature class data.

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 References
► Angel, S., J. Parent, and D.L. Civco. 2009. Ten
Compactness Properties of Circles: A Unified
Theoretical Foundation for the Practical
Measurement of Compactness. Canadian
Geographer. (in press)
► Angel, S and GM Hyman (2009). Ten Theorems
Concerning the Compactness of Circles.
(forthcoming).

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 QUESTIONS?
Jason Parent
jason.parent@uconn.edu
Academic Assistant – GIS Analyst

Daniel Civco
Professor of Geomatics

Center for Land Use Education And Research (CLEAR)

Natural Resources and the Environment
University of Connecticut

Shlomo Angel
Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning
Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, New York University
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs,
Princeton University

Download script at:

http://clear.uconn.edu/tools/Shape_Metrics/index.html 49