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The proposed approach, which constitutes an option to avoid the endless confrontations that may be derived from the essentially subjective political criteria, explores two branches of spatial analysis: spatial statistics and spatial modelling. Spatial statistics tools are used to identify the characteristics of local association and are combined with a neural network in order to build prediction models. The analyses conducted with exploratory spatial data analysis tools and census data give a clear indication of clusters of zones with similar characteristics, which can be seen as uniform regions. Spatial models can then be used to foresee the global behaviour of regions in terms of growth, albeit the basis of local (and historical) relationships among zones. The proposed approach is tested in a case study carried out in Portugal, where this is a timely issue.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1068\/b31117","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,1,23]],"date-time":"2007-01-23T07:16:11Z","timestamp":1169536571000},"page":"171-185","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["A Spatial Analysis Approach for the Definition of Metropolitan Regions\u2014The Case of Portugal"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"34","author":[{"given":"Rui Ant\u00f3nio Rodrigues","family":"Ramos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, Braga 4710-057, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ant\u00f4nio N\u00e9lson Rodrigues","family":"da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Transportation, S\u00e3o Carlos School of Engineering, University of S\u00e3o Paulo, 400 Avenida Trabalhador S\u00e3o-Carlense, S\u00e3o Carlos 13566-590, Brazil"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2007,2]]},"reference":[{"doi-asserted-by":"publisher","key":"e_1_2_1_2_1","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1538-4632.1995.tb00338.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_3_1","first-page":"111","volume-title":"Spatial Analytical Perspectives on GIS","author":"Anselin L","year":"1996","unstructured":"Anselin L, 1996, \u201cThe Moran scatterplot as an ESDA tool to assess local instability in spatial association\u201d, in Spatial Analytical Perspectives on GIS Eds Fischer M, Scholten H, Unwin D (Taylor and Francis, London) pp 111\u2013125"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_4_1","first-page":"77","volume-title":"GeoComputation, a Primer","author":"Anselin L","year":"1998","unstructured":"Anselin L, 1998, \u201cExploratory spatial data analysis in a geocomputational environment\u201d, in GeoComputation, a Primer Eds Longley P, Brooks S, Macmillan B, McDonnell R (John Wiley, New York) pp 77\u201394"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_5_1","first-page":"251","volume-title":"Geographical Information Systems: Principles, Techniques, Management and Applications\u2014Volume 1","author":"Anselin L","year":"1999","unstructured":"Anselin L, 1999, \u201cInteractive techniques and exploratory spatial data analysis\u201d, in Geographical Information Systems: Principles, Techniques, Management and Applications\u2014Volume 1 Eds Longley P, Goodchild M, Maquire D, Rhind D (John Wiley, New York) pp 251\u2013264"},{"doi-asserted-by":"publisher","key":"e_1_2_1_6_1","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-662-03499-6_3"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_7_1","volume-title":"The SpaceStat Extension for ArcView 3.0","author":"Anselin L","year":"1998","unstructured":"Anselin L, Smirnov O, 1998 The SpaceStat Extension for ArcView 3.0 Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV"},{"doi-asserted-by":"publisher","key":"e_1_2_1_8_1","DOI":"10.1002\/9781119115151"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_9_1","first-page":"7","article-title":"\u201cDelimita\u00e7\u00e3o das aglomera\u00e7\u00f5es metropolitanas de Lisboa e Porto com base no crit\u00e9rio de continuidade de espa\u00e7o constru\u00eddo\u201d [Delimitations of Lisbon and Oporto metropolitan regions based on the continuity of built space]","volume":"2","author":"Ferr\u00e3o J","year":"2001","unstructured":"Ferr\u00e3o J, Vala F, 2001, \u201cDelimita\u00e7\u00e3o das aglomera\u00e7\u00f5es metropolitanas de Lisboa e Porto com base no crit\u00e9rio de continuidade de espa\u00e7o constru\u00eddo\u201d [Delimitations of Lisbon and Oporto metropolitan regions based on the continuity of built space] Revista de Estudos Regionais\u2014Regi\u00e3o Lisboa e Vale do Tejo 2 7\u201335","journal-title":"Revista de Estudos Regionais\u2014Regi\u00e3o Lisboa e Vale do Tejo"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_10_1","volume-title":"As regi\u00f5es metropolitanas portuguesas no contexto ib\u00e9rico [The Portuguese metropolitan regions in the Iberian context]","author":"Ferr\u00e3o J","year":"2002","unstructured":"Ferr\u00e3o J, Rodrigues D, Vala F, 2002 As regi\u00f5es metropolitanas portuguesas no contexto ib\u00e9rico [The Portuguese metropolitan regions in the Iberian context] Direc\u00e7\u00e3o-Geral do Ordenamento do Territ\u00f3rio e Desenvolvimento Urbano, Campo Grande 50, Lisbon"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_11_1","first-page":"38","volume-title":"Grandes \u00c1reas Urbanas. 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