Overview

A buffer in Population Explorer (PopEx) represents a circular area around a chosen point on the map — such as a potential store site, tower, or facility. Buffers are among the most common analysis tools in PopEx, allowing you to measure population, income, and accessibility within a specified distance.

They answer one of the most fundamental spatial questions: “How many people live within X kilometers or minutes of this location?” Buffers underpin many workflows across industries — from mapping franchise trade areas to estimating telecom coverage or assessing populations served by humanitarian facilities.

Why Buffers Matter Across Workflows

Retail and Franchise Site Selection

• Measure potential customers within a 5-, 10-, or 15-km/mile radius.

• Compare buffer overlaps between stores to identify competition or redundancy.

• Combine population results with observed POI clusters (via map search) to understand market context.

Sales Territory Mapping

• Evaluate how far each sales office or depot reaches based on a fixed distance.

• Adjust boundaries by comparing overlapping buffers and identifying underserved areas.

Telecom Site Planning

• Quantify population within a tower’s effective range.

• Use drive-time buffers to identify corridors with weak signal coverage or unserved populations.

Humanitarian and Public Sector Applications

• Estimate the number of people within reach of hospitals, clinics, schools, or aid centers.

• Measure accessibility gaps in rural or hazard-prone zones.

Step-by-Step: Creating a New Buffer in PopEx

1. Open the Buffer Tool: In the left drawer, click New → Create Item → Buffer. The cursor will change to a crosshair, prompting you to select a point on the map.

2. Place the Buffer Center: Click anywhere on the map to set the buffer’s center point. A dialog box will open for you to define radius and units.

3. Set Buffer Parameters: Enter a distance (e.g., 5 km, 10 km) or time threshold (e.g., 10 minutes drive time). Choose Distance Buffer or Drive-Time Buffer as needed and click Apply.

4. View and Verify: The buffer appears as a shaded polygon and is automatically added as a new Item in your active folder.

5. Analyze Population and Income: Select the buffer in the left drawer to view ASB results — population, density, and income within the area. Use the map’s search bar to locate POIs (e.g., stores, schools, clinics) within your buffer for context.

6. Rename or Adjust the Buffer: Click the buffer name in the folder list to rename it, or right-click the shape on the map and choose Edit Buffer Radius to modify size.

7. Export or Compare: Export results via Export → Excel or Export → KML for visualization and sharing. Create multiple buffers for comparative analysis.

Best Practices

• Name buffers clearly (e.g., “5km Downtown” or “15min Catchment”).

• Create tiered buffers (5, 10, and 15 minutes) to visualize primary and secondary catchments.

• Use drive-time buffers in urban areas and fixed-distance buffers in rural contexts.

• Use the map search bar to explore local POIs.

• Export regularly to preserve analytical snapshots.

Example Applications

Next Steps

• Using Isochrones for Catchments

• Working with Marker Files

• Balancing Service Areas with Population

• Population Density Map