METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES OF USING THE GRAVITY MODEL TO DETERMINE THE POWER OF BORDER EFFECT

Using modelling is one of the ways how to recognize the power of spatial interactions between sites. Output from the model is the inherent power of this spatial interaction, which should not be too different from real interactions when correctly calibrating the model. In cases when the model shows good results in most areas, but in certain locations its results are significantly different from reality, it is necessary to ask what is the reason of these deviations. In border areas, the results are often significantly affected by the border effect. This article describes how to measure border effect strength using geographic spatial interaction models. The gravity model is used, for the individual masses are used data about the number of inhabitants of municipalities. Real interactions, expressed in measured data on the daily frequency of vehicles in individual sections, are compared with the expected values, their share being the border effect strength.