Economic Downturns and Land-Use Change: A Spatial Analysis of Urban Transformations in Rome (Italy) Using a Geographically Weighted Principal Component Analysis

Antonio Tomao, Walter Mattioli, David Fanfani, Carlotta Ferrara, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia and Luca Salvati
Additional contact information
Antonio Tomao: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale Santa Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy
Walter Mattioli: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Via Valle della Quistione, 27, I-00166 Rome, Italy
David Fanfani: Architecture Department, University of Florence, Via della Mattonaia 8, I-50121 Florence, Italy
Carlotta Ferrara: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Via Valle della Quistione, 27, I-00166 Rome, Italy
Giovanni Quaranta: Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics Department, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, I-85100 Potenza, Italy
Rosanna Salvia: Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics Department, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, I-85100 Potenza, Italy
Luca Salvati: Department of Economics and Law, University of Macerata, Via Armaroli 43, I-62100 Macerata, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-14

Abstract: Globally, processes that drive urbanization have mostly evolved within economic downturns. Economic crises have been more severe and frequent, particularly in the Mediterranean region. However, studies on the recession effects on urbanization are limited. The present study explores possible differences in spatial direction and intensity of land-use change trajectories at two time intervals (2006–2012, 2012–2018) using high-resolution Copernicus Land Urban Atlas images in the Rome metropolitan area. To this aim, a landscape ecology classical approach based on land-use metric analysis combined with a multivariate spatial analysis has been carried out. Results have identified different land-use change patterns during expansion and recession. “Greening”, defined as the conversion of urban marginal areas into croplands and forests, increased during the recession. At the same time, the rate of urban expansion into rural areas decreased, thus indicating a beneficial effect of economic downturns in reducing urban sprawl.

Keywords: economic crisis; land-use change; land-use trajectories; urban sprawl; geographically weighted principal component analysis; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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