How to build a buffer or isochrone for location analysis
October 2, 2025
A step-by-step guide to creating buffers and isochrones for spatial analysis: compare reach, accessibility, and influence zones
A step-by-step guide to creating buffers and isochrones for spatial analysis: compare reach, accessibility, and influence zones
A step-by-step guide to creating buffers and isochrones for spatial analysis: compare reach, accessibility, and influence zones
Why buffers and isochrones matter
When you’re analyzing locations — whether for architecture, real estate, urban planning, or business — it’s not enough to see just the point. You want to understand how far people can reach, how accessible amenities and transit are, and which areas fall within an influence zone.
When you’re analyzing locations — whether for architecture, real estate, urban planning, or business — it’s not enough to see just the point. You want to understand how far people can reach, how accessible amenities and transit are, and which areas fall within an influence zone.
When you’re analyzing locations — whether for architecture, real estate, urban planning, or business — it’s not enough to see just the point. You want to understand how far people can reach, how accessible amenities and transit are, and which areas fall within an influence zone.
Buffers (e.g. a 500 m radius) give a simple, straight-line “as the crow flies” boundary. Good for quick estimates of immediate reach
Buffers (e.g. a 500 m radius) give a simple, straight-line “as the crow flies” boundary. Good for quick estimates of immediate reach
Buffers (e.g. a 500 m radius) give a simple, straight-line “as the crow flies” boundary. Good for quick estimates of immediate reach
Isochrones (e.g. 5-minute walk, 10-minute drive) provide a more realistic catchment area based on actual road network and travel mode.
Isochrones (e.g. 5-minute walk, 10-minute drive) provide a more realistic catchment area based on actual road network and travel mode.
Isochrones (e.g. 5-minute walk, 10-minute drive) provide a more realistic catchment area based on actual road network and travel mode.
Comparing buffers vs isochrones helps you understand the difference between geometric proximity and real-world accessibility.
Comparing buffers vs isochrones helps you understand the difference between geometric proximity and real-world accessibility.
Comparing buffers vs isochrones helps you understand the difference between geometric proximity and real-world accessibility.
These zones are essential for calculating things like potential population, service area and even delivery zones.
These zones are essential for calculating things like potential population, service area and even delivery zones.
These zones are essential for calculating things like potential population, service area and even delivery zones.
Buffer vs Isochrone — when to use each
Key steps in basic site analysis
& what to focus on
Key steps in basic site analysis
& what to focus on
What
What
When
When
Why
Why
500m buffer
500m buffer
500m buffer
What to Do
A fast, rough approximation of immediate proximity (e.g. “within walking distance in theory”)
A fast, rough approximation of immediate proximity (e.g. “within walking distance in theory”)
A fast, rough approximation of immediate proximity (e.g. “within walking distance in theory”)
Preliminary checks
Better when you’re looking at long-term goals, since it doesn’t account for street infrastructure, which can change more quickly than buildings.
Better when you’re looking at long-term goals, since it doesn’t account for street infrastructure, which can change more quickly than buildings.
Better when you’re looking at long-term goals, since it doesn’t account for street infrastructure, which can change more quickly than buildings.
What to Emphasize (by Use Case)
Isochrone
Isochrone
Isochrone
What to Do
When you care about actual access via roads — walking, driving, cycling like how to build catchment zones based on travel time
When you care about actual access via roads — walking, driving, cycling like how to build catchment zones based on travel time
When you care about actual access via roads — walking, driving, cycling like how to build catchment zones based on travel time
What to Emphasize (by Use Case)
Better to evaluate the real effect here and now
Better to evaluate the real effect here and now
Better to evaluate the real effect here and now
Both
Both
Both
What to Do
Comparison to evaluate how much
of that buffer is truly reachable
Comparison to evaluate how much
of that buffer is truly reachable
Comparison to evaluate how much
of that buffer is truly reachable
What to Emphasize (by Use Case)
When you’re analyzing locations — whether for architecture, real estate, urban planning, or business — it’s not enough to see just the point. You want to understand how far people can reach, how accessible amenities and transit are, and which areas fall within an influence zone.
When you’re analyzing locations — whether for architecture, real estate, urban planning, or business — it’s not enough to see just the point. You want to understand how far people can reach, how accessible amenities and transit are, and which areas fall within an influence zone.
When you’re analyzing locations — whether for architecture, real estate, urban planning, or business — it’s not enough to see just the point. You want to understand how far people can reach, how accessible amenities and transit are, and which areas fall within an influence zone.
Choosing the right radius or travel time
The radius you choose depends on the purpose of your study.
The radius you choose depends on the purpose of your study.
The radius you choose depends on the purpose of your study.
Accessibility zones can often be found in planning regulations — for example, they specify walking distances to schools or kindergartens.
Accessibility zones can often be found in planning regulations — for example, they specify walking distances to schools or kindergartens.
Accessibility zones can often be found in planning regulations — for example, they specify walking distances to schools or kindergartens.
For business cases, look at the usage scenario and visit frequency. For instance, people go to grocery stores almost daily and usually spend about 5 minutes walking there, so a 5-minute isochrone works well. Clothing stores are visited less frequently, which means the accessibility zone should be larger.
For business cases, look at the usage scenario and visit frequency. For instance, people go to grocery stores almost daily and usually spend about 5 minutes walking there, so a 5-minute isochrone works well. Clothing stores are visited less frequently, which means the accessibility zone should be larger.
For business cases, look at the usage scenario and visit frequency. For instance, people go to grocery stores almost daily and usually spend about 5 minutes walking there, so a 5-minute isochrone works well. Clothing stores are visited less frequently, which means the accessibility zone should be larger.
Considerations when building a radius and buffer
Instead of manually preparing data layers, Aino lets you run your site analysis through prompts in natural language. You can:
Instead of manually preparing data layers, Aino lets you run your site analysis through prompts in natural language. You can:
Instead of manually preparing data layers, Aino lets you run your site analysis through prompts in natural language. You can:
Buffer
Buffer
Buffer
Use the right radius based on the assumptions
Use the right radius based on the assumptions
Use the right radius based on the assumptions
Isochrone
Isochrone
Isochrone
Use the right speed assumptions (walking ~5 km/h, driving ~40 km/h)
Use the right speed assumptions (walking ~5 km/h, driving ~40 km/h)
Use the right speed assumptions (walking ~5 km/h, driving ~40 km/h)
Check a street network graph (roads, sidewalks) in case that there aren’t gaps. Because if they are, the algoritm will show the smaller area
Check a street network graph (roads, sidewalks) in case that there aren’t gaps. Because if they are, the algoritm will show the smaller area
Check a street network graph (roads, sidewalks) in case that there aren’t gaps. Because if they are, the algoritm will show the smaller area
Consider barriers (rivers, highways)
Consider barriers (rivers, highways)
Consider barriers (rivers, highways)
Common layers to combine after buffer/isochrone
After you’ve built your zone, the power comes from layering complementary data:
After you’ve built your zone, the power comes from layering complementary data:
After you’ve built your zone, the power comes from layering complementary data:
Population and demographic layers
Income, age cohorts, employment
POIs / amenities (shops, transit, health facilities, schools)
Competitors / neighboring services
Transport stops / lines
Land use / zoning
Natural barriers, green areas, open spaces
Population and demographic layers
Income, age cohorts, employment
POIs / amenities (shops, transit, health facilities, schools)
Competitors / neighboring services
Transport stops / lines
Land use / zoning
Natural barriers, green areas, open spaces
Population and demographic layers
Income, age cohorts, employment
POIs / amenities (shops, transit, health facilities, schools)
Competitors / neighboring services
Transport stops / lines
Land use / zoning
Natural barriers, green areas, open spaces
This enriched zone becomes your “area of influence” — what’s within reach, and how valuable or viable it is.
This enriched zone becomes your “area of influence” — what’s within reach, and how valuable or viable it is.
This enriched zone becomes your “area of influence” — what’s within reach, and how valuable or viable it is.
How to do this in Aino
Instead of manually building isochrones or buffers in GIS and then layering data, Aino lets you prompt your analysis:
Instead of manually building isochrones or buffers in GIS and then layering data, Aino lets you prompt your analysis:
Instead of manually building isochrones or buffers in GIS and then layering data, Aino lets you prompt your analysis:
Specify a site or address
For buffer ask
Build 500 m buffer around the Pin
For isochrone ask
Build 5-minute walking isochrone around the Pin
Add demographics, POIs, transit stops and other layers you need and metrics inside each zone (population, income, amenity count)
Visualize on an interactive map or export as data or PNG/JPG.