An evaluation of accessibility to preschool education institutions using geographic information systems

This study aims to evaluate current locations of preschool education institutions and suggest alternative spatial arrangements in the Afyonkarahisar province in Turkey, using heuristic location-allocation modelling approaches to improve overall spatial accessibility. The population totals were generated by supplying a unique code for each spatial unit. The census information was joined with a vector layer to transfer the population values to source units. In order to better predict the school age population distribution structure within the source zones, an intelligent areal interpolation approach was performed. The digital boundaries of the central district and villages of the Afyonkarahisar province were used as the source zones. The population surfaces of the source units were modelled by using the Corine Land use/cover (2018 dated) dataset and dasymetric mapping method. The gridded population surface model with population estimates and 1199 grid points across the province were used to model the preschool aged population in need of preschool educational services. With the current distribution of preschools in Afyonkarahisar, the preschool aged population would have to travel an average distance of 4629.49 m to access the closest preschool to them. The results of this study show that the provision of alternative preschool locations decreased the average travel distance from each residential home to each preschool by 626.82 m, thereby improving overall accessibility to preschools.