Understanding Gender Commuting Gap Using Geographic Visualization

This paper discusses the spatial patterns of gender commuting to work gap using geographic visualization. Geographic visualization is a tool to understand and communicate spatial patterns. Geographic visualization integrates many disciplines - cartography, image analysis, visualization in scientific computing, information visualization, exploratory data analysis and geographic information system. Commuting to work is a global phenomenon. It involves number of vehicles on the roads and the consequences of this transportation event have impacts on the population, environment and the economy. Commuting to work is associated with daily travel, long distance journey and more time on the road. GIS is a system capable of geographic visualizing, analyzing and modelling spatially referenced real world data. It provides a framework that models the interactions of real world objects in space and time to find existing patterns and predicts what will happen. All transportation related events and attributes have space and time coordinates attached to them. This paper reviews the application of GIS in geographic visualizing and analyzing spatial patterns of commuting to work using different modes of transport and gender. Data on commuting to work by motorized vehicles such as cars, buses, rail and underground trains in the United Kingdom by regions is used in this study. The sample includes all individuals in employment in the age group 16 to 64, with valid geographical coordinates of residence and work place in 2011. The discussion is focus on the commuting gap between male and female commuters by regions.