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GENERIC STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH STEP THREE
A Define the study area
Decide on the study area and administrative level at which the accessibility study will be done. Ideally it
should be done at a provincial level. This will provide a holistic view of where government services
should be located most optimally. Provinces have distinct differences in their geography, socio-
economic and cultural character. However, accessibility studies may also be done at the district and
local municipality level to take into consideration the distinct socio-economic characteristics and
service needs of communities (for example, Metropolitan areas).
B Create a buffer area around the study area
Create a buffer of at least 10km around your study area, keeping in mind that people often move across
administrative boundaries to access service points that are closest to them. Figure 18 provides an
example of a buffer area that has been created around OR Tambo District Municipality.
Figure 18: An example of a buffer around a study area
Extract the spatial information for the study area from the full dataset and store it as a separate file. Only
the spatial information within the study area should be extracted – with the buffer area clipped out from
the full dataset.
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