Street Network Types

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

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

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