Street Centrality and Densities of Retail and Services in Bologna, Italy

Sergio Porta, Emanuele Strano, Valentino Iacoviello, Roberto Messora, Vito Latora, Alessio Cardillo, Fahui Wang and Salvatore Scellato
Additional contact information
Fahui Wang: Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Salvatore Scellato: Scuola Superiore di Catania, Via San Nullo, 5/i, 95123 Catania, Italy

Environment and Planning B, 2009, vol. 36, issue 3, 450-465

Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between street centrality and densities of commercial and service activities in the city of Bologna, northern Italy. Street centrality is calibrated in a multiple centrality assessment model composed of multiple measures such as closeness, betweenness, and straightness. Kernel density estimation is used to transform datasets of centrality and activities to one scale unit for analysis of correlation between them. Results indicate that retail and service activities in Bologna tend to concentrate in areas with better centralities. The distribution of these activities correlates highly with the global betweenness of the street network, and also, to a slightly lesser extent, with the global closeness. This confirms the hypothesis that street centrality plays a crucial role in shaping the formation of urban structure and land uses.

Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envirb:v:36:y:2009:i:3:p:450-465

DOI: 10.1068/b34098

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