Assessing the Effect of Spatial Proximity on Urban Growth

Eduardo Gomes, Arnaud Banos, Patrícia Abrantes and Jorge Rocha
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Eduardo Gomes: Géographie-cités, UMR 8504, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 75006 Paris, France
Arnaud Banos: Géographie-cités, UMR 8504, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 75006 Paris, France
Patrícia Abrantes: CEGOT, Dep. Geografia, FLUP, Universidade do Porto (UP), 4150-564 Porto, Portugal
Jorge Rocha: Centro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (IGOT), Universidade de Lisboa (UL), 1600-276 Lisboa, Portugal

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Land-Use/Cover Change (LUCC) reacts to demographic pressures, economic trends, or improved transport networks. Urban growth with implications on LUCC patterns can be measured using a diversity of methods. Our study derives from Tobler’s first law of geography: ‘everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant ones’. We identified and measured the influence of neighbouring distance on urban growth from the edge of existing urban areas. For that, we have developed a method, built using the NetLogo software tool, which we called Land-use chAnge and Neighbouring Distance (LAND). We selected Torres Vedras (Portugal) to conduct our case study due to its increasing urban development in the past few years. The periods of analysis were 1995–2010, 1995–2007, and 2007–2010. The results have shown the influence and the effect of strong spatial correlation between the proximity of existing artificial surfaces and the emergence of new ones. The understanding of the patterns of urban growth is helpful to plan forward land developments. This method can be used to write guidelines for decision makers to monitor urban expansion and define spatial planning priorities.

Keywords: Land-Use/Cover Change; transition matrix; neighbouring distance; urban growth; peri-urban (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1308-:d:142892

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