Spatial Durbin meets Tobler

Luc Anselin et al.

Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences2026https://doi.org/10.1007/s12076-026-00436-3article
AJG 1
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

An important practical use of coefficient estimates in a spatial regression model is to interpret the strength and range of implied spatial spillovers. In the classic spatial lag model, the structure of the reduced form ensures a smooth distance decay of neighboring multiplier effects. This can be viewed as following Tobler’s First Law of Geography. However, in the linear SLX and spatial Durbin models, this is no longer guaranteed. In this paper, we investigate the interplay between parameter space for the spatial coefficients and Tobler’s law, with a particular focus on the spatial Durbin model. We carry out a series of numerical illustrations and complement this with a small meta-analysis of empirical results reported in the literature. We provide a taxonomy of parameter values that yield different multiplier effects and the implied Tobler constraint. We close with some recommendations for practice.

Open paper page →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s12076-026-00436-3

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{luc2026,
  title        = {{Spatial Durbin meets Tobler}},
  author       = {Luc Anselin et al.},
  journal      = {Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s12076-026-00436-3},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

Spatial Durbin meets Tobler

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.


Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.