Application of quantitative techniques in urban and regional studies

The continuing phobia for Statistics, especially among learners and at times scholars of disciplines in the built environment, and the resultant difficulties encountered in explaining and/or drawing appropriate inferences from statistical analyses, particularly when contracted out to statisticians, who have little or no knowledge of the purpose of the study is becoming a concern. Against this background, this paper attempts a de-mystifying approach to ‘localize’ the seemingly ‘foreign’ statistical techniques in urban and regional studies, with examples of infrastructure-related matters. With background information on the subject and relevant examples and/or illustrations from issues in the built environment disciplines, the paper unveils the philosophy, techniques and use of certain multivariate techniques. It explores issues such as identification, treatment and measurement of data, as well as the operations of specific multivariate techniques. The paper concludes by recommending the need for potential users of such techniques to learn about how data are managed and results discussed, especially when such analyses are carried out using the computer. It also and more importantly recommends the need for users of statistical techniques to adopt such they have control over. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014