The Hidden Cost of Straight Lines: Quantifying Misallocation Risk in Voronoi-based Service Area Models

TL;DR

This paper introduces a probabilistic framework to quantify misallocation risks in Voronoi-based service area models, especially in complex terrains, improving spatial planning accuracy and efficiency.

Contribution

It develops a novel probabilistic model accounting for topography-induced distance distortions, with practical calibration methods for real-world spatial planning applications.

Findings

15.4% of municipalities are misallocated according to the model.

The Log-Normal distribution best fits travel distance scaling.

The framework achieves 95% agreement with complex spatial models.

Abstract

Voronoi tessellations are standard in spatial planning for assigning service areas based on Euclidean proximity, underpinning regulatory frameworks like the proximity principle in waste management. However, in regions with complex topography, Euclidean distance poorly approximates functional accessibility, causing misallocations that undermine efficiency and equity. This paper develops a probabilistic framework to quantify misallocation risk by modeling travel distances as random scaling of Euclidean distances and deriving incorrect assignment probability as a function of local Voronoi geometry. Using plant-municipality observations (n=383) in Extremadura, Spain (41,635 km2), we demonstrate that the Log-Normal distribution provides best relative fit among alternatives (K-S statistic=0.110). Validation reveals 15.4% of municipalities are misallocated, consistent with the theoretical prediction interval (52-65 municipalities at 95% confidence). Our framework achieves 95% agreement with complex spatial models at O(n) complexity. Poor absolute fit of global distributions (p-values<0.01) reflects diverse topography (elevation 200-2,400m), motivating spatial stratification. Sensitivity analysis validates the fitted dispersion parameter (s=0.093) for predicting observed misallocation. We provide a calibration protocol requiring only 30-100 pilot samples per zone, enabling rapid risk assessment without full network analysis. This establishes the first probabilistic framework for Voronoi misallocation risk with practical guidelines emphasizing spatial heterogeneity and context-dependent calibration.