Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Road Networks and Urban Expansion

Guoliang Zhao, Xinqi Zheng, Zhiyuan Yuan and Lulu Zhang
Additional contact information
Guoliang Zhao: School of Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
Xinqi Zheng: School of Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
Zhiyuan Yuan: School of Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
Lulu Zhang: School of Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China

Land, 2017, vol. 6, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: Urban expansion has become a widespread trend in developing countries. Road networks are an extremely important factor driving the expansion of urban land and require further study. To investigate the relationship between road networks and urban expansion, we selected Beijing, New York, London, and Chicago as study areas. First, we obtained urban land use vector data through image interpretation using a remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) platform and then used overlay analysis to extract information on urban expansion. A road network density map was generated using the density analysis tool. Finally, we conducted a spatial statistical analysis between road networks and urban expansion and then systematically analyzed their distribution features. In addition, the Urban Expansion-Road Network Density Model was established based on regression analysis. The results indicate that (1) the road network density thresholds of Beijing, New York, London, and Chicago are 18.9 km/km 2 , 37.8 km/km 2 , 57.0 km/km 2 , and 64.7 km/km 2 , respectively, and urban expansion has an inverted U-curve relationship with road networks when the road network density does not exceed the threshold; (2) the calculated turning points for urban expansion indicate that urban expansion initially accelerates with increasing road network density but then decreases after the turning point is reached; and (3) when the road density exceeds the threshold, urban areas cease to expand. The correlation between urban expansion and road network features provides an important reference for the future development of global cities. Understanding road network density offers some predictive capabilities for urban land expansion, facilitates the avoidance of irregular expansion, and provides new ideas for addressing the inefficient utilization of land.

Keywords: geography; regression analysis; urban expansion; road networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/6/2/30/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/6/2/30/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:6:y:2017:i:2:p:30-:d:97071

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().