Cape Town Waste Location-Allocation
Overview
Inspired by a Spatial Thoughts blog post, this project replicates a Location-Allocation Analysis for waste drop-off facilities in Cape Town. The goal is to minimise travel costs and optimise waste management across the city by evaluating two potential waste drop-off sites and assigning each demand point to its nearest facility.
Workflow
Follow the process. Expand a step for the details.
01Data Preparation
Loaded ward boundaries, refuse collection schedules and Cape Town's road network as the base inputs for the location-allocation model.
02Facility Evaluation
Evaluated two potential waste drop-off sites, using the road network to calculate travel costs from each demand point to each candidate facility.
03Nearest Facility Assignment
Assigned each demand point to its nearest facility to streamline the waste collection process, minimising overall travel cost across the city.
Tools & Technologies
- QGIS — Location-Allocation and Network Analysis
- Ward boundaries and refuse collection schedule data
- Cape Town road network
- Methodology based on Spatial Thoughts Location-Allocation guide
Outcome
The analysis demonstrated how assigning demand points to their nearest facility reduces travel costs and improves overall waste collection efficiency — providing a replicable spatial planning approach for urban waste management.
Project Outputs
