Source: adapted from Marshall, W.E. and N.W. Garrick (2010) “Street Network Types and Road Safety”, Urban Design International, 10.1057/udi.2009.31, April 21 2010. Prior to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a grid street pattern was relatively uncommon, as many cities grew organically along the landscape. The conventional street grid
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One Hour Commuting According to Different Urban Transportation Modes
Source: Adapted from P. Hugill (1995), World Trade since 1431, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, p. 213. There is a relationship between the form and structure of cities, a relationship that was shaped by subsequent changes in transportation technology. One way to express this relationship is through the commuting
Cities and Connectivity
A city performs different but interdependent functions related to its connectivity. Although a city can have several forms of connectivity, there is usually a dominance of a particular form based upon the main economic functions and specialization. This involves a range of activities, each having its own connectivity: Production and
Types of Urban Spatial Structures
The urban spatial structure can be characterized by its level of centralization and clustering of value-added activities such as retail, management, fabrication, and distribution. Centralization refers to the preponderance the central part of the city has on the organization of urban activities, which is mainly derived from accessibility. Clustering refers
Transportation, Urban Form and Spatial Structure
Elements of the urban transport system, namely modes, infrastructures, and users, have a spatial footprint. Transportation infrastructures consume space and their organization shapes urban form. The modes being used, by their technical and operational characteristics, also shape urban form as they underline what can be connected and what can be
Perspectives about the Urban Spatial Structure: From Dichotomy to Continuum
Source: adapted from World Bank (2009) World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography. Conventional perspectives about the urban spatial structure usually represent the urban and rural spaces as a dichotomy, and they were considered two separate entities, albeit interacting. However, the urban spatial structure is better understood as a continuum
Share of Housing Units Equipped with Air Conditioning by Region in the United States, 1980-2020
Source: US Department of Energy. Residential Energy Consumption Survey. Table HC7.3 Air conditioning in U.S. homes by year of construction, 2022. The importance of air conditioning is often not well acknowledged as a factor in the expansion of human settlements in warmer and humid climates, opening new regions and economic
Demographic Transition
The demographic transition theory focuses on changes over time in the causes of mortality affecting certain populations, such as health conditions and disease patterns. A decline in death rates and an increase in life expectancy has been observed through recent history, implying that societies go through a transition from one
Urban Population per Region, 1950-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects. The majority of the growth in the urban population takes place in developing economies, which will account for 93% of a 2 billion increase in the global urban population between 2000 and 2030. Much of this
Metropolitan Areas with more than 12 million Inhabitants, 2015
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2018). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, Online Edition. A large share of the world’s population lives in large urban agglomerations. There were 83 metropolitan areas with populations of more than 1 million in 1950, a figure that increased