Spatial Analysis of the Sustainability of Small Communities: A Case Study on the Island of Ilovik, Croatia

This paper outlines the primary research conducted on the small island of Ilovik, Croatia and the following spatial statistical analysis performed with a central goal of examining current sustainability of the village and providing future planning recommendations. For two weeks in mid-June of 2011, residents were interviewed about their current socioeconomic status and perceptions of tourism, the natural environment, and government. Their responses were assigned numeric values with dummy variables excluding the least common response, and were entered as attributes of building footprint polygons digitized in a GIS to allow for spatial statistical analysis. Tests included Local and Global Getis Ord G, Ordinary Least Squares, and Geographically Weighted Regression. Clear hot and cold spots were found, showing where additional water sources are needed or where water quality should be addressed and that a coastal vs. inland divide exists. Weak correlations existed between income and all other attributes, but from the results one could suggest a focus on increasing tourism and decreasing the supply of houses for sale.