Urban Compactness and GIS: A Comprehensive Analysis

Introduction to Urban Compactness and GIS

Urban compactness is a critical concept in sustainable urban planning, aiming to create efficient, livable, and environmentally friendly cities. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play a pivotal role in measuring and analyzing urban compactness, providing valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers. This article synthesizes recent research on urban compactness using GIS, highlighting various methodologies and findings from different global contexts.

GIS-Based Compactness Measurement at Neighborhood Scale

A study focusing on Dhaka, Bangladesh, utilized GIS to evaluate urban compactness at the neighborhood level, addressing a significant research gap in developing countries. The study developed a Composite Compactness Index (CCI) using six indicators: population density, evenness of development, clustering nature of development, land-use diversity, floor use mix, and road network connectivity. The results classified neighborhoods into low, moderate, and high compactness categories, providing a preliminary guideline for urban planners to enhance compactness and sustainability.

Sustainable City Compactness Evaluation Using GIS and Bayes Rule

In Lithuania, a methodology integrating game theory with GIS was employed to evaluate city compactness. This approach helped identify urban fabric density issues and provided a data bank of population, public transport stops, and places of public attraction. The analysis, visualized through diagrams, highlighted the most problematic areas, aiding city planners in making informed decisions to enhance urban compactness.

Application of GIS and AHP in Urban Compactness Analysis

A study in Bialystok, Poland, used GIS and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify compact urban areas with fully developed functional and spatial structures. This method provided measurable criteria for urban compactness, resulting in maps that categorized the study area based on development levels. This approach supports urban policy promoting compact city concepts, crucial for sustainable urban planning.

Three-Dimensional Urban Compactness Growth

Research in Metro Vancouver, Canada, developed a spatial index for three-dimensional (3D) urban compactness, considering vertical development growth. The index, based on parameters like vertical urban growth suitability, land designation, and average building height, projected urban compactness growth over 30 years. The findings indicated concentrations of compactness growth near densely populated and transportation-oriented locations, aiding local governments in future planning.

Functional Compactness Index (FCI) for Urban Areas

A novel Functional Compactness Index (FCI) was introduced to quantify urban functional compactness by integrating multiple geospatial data sources, including Points of Interest (POIs), Road Network data, and nighttime light data. The FCI effectively reflected human activity intensity, functional zone differentiation, and mixing degree of different zones. This index provided a comprehensive measure of urban compactness, useful for urban planning and comparative analysis among cities.

Geometric Interpretations and Indicators of Urban Compactness

A study proposed new geometric interpretations and indicators for urban compactness, focusing on diameter and perimeter. These indicators were applied to theoretical shapes and English urban areas, offering insights into the core concept of compactness. Additional indicators like 'built compactness' and 'population compactness' were suggested to enhance the understanding and measurement of urban compactness.

Urban Compactness in Chinese Cities

Research on 160 Chinese cities measured urban compactness using density and mixed land use. Spatial autocorrelation analysis identified clustering patterns, and regression models explored relationships between compactness and various factors. The study revealed significant spatial clustering of compactness values and provided a new approach to measure urban compactness, aiding in policy-making based on local conditions.

Evaluating Urban Form in Kigali, Rwanda

A study on Kigali, Rwanda, analyzed urban form using GIS to evaluate physical compactness. The findings indicated a decrease in compact form due to haphazard development and lack of regulatory control. The study provided suggestive measures for sustainable urban development, emphasizing the need for regularity authority control.

Conclusion

GIS-based methodologies offer robust tools for measuring and analyzing urban compactness, providing critical insights for sustainable urban planning. From neighborhood-level evaluations to three-dimensional growth projections, these studies highlight the diverse applications and benefits of GIS in urban compactness research. By integrating various indicators and data sources, urban planners can develop more efficient, livable, and sustainable cities.

Urban compactness; GIS

Summary

Urban Compactness and GIS: A Comprehensive Analysis

Introduction to Urban Compactness and GIS

GIS-Based Compactness Measurement at Neighborhood Scale

Sustainable City Compactness Evaluation Using GIS and Bayes Rule

Application of GIS and AHP in Urban Compactness Analysis

Three-Dimensional Urban Compactness Growth

Functional Compactness Index (FCI) for Urban Areas

Geometric Interpretations and Indicators of Urban Compactness

Urban Compactness in Chinese Cities

Evaluating Urban Form in Kigali, Rwanda

Conclusion

Sources and full results

GIS-based compactness measurement of urban form at neighborhood scale: The case of Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Composite Compactness Index (CCI) categorizes eight neighborhoods in Dhaka, Bangladesh, into low, moderate, and high compactness levels, indicating the need for immediate planning interventions to improve urban sustainability.

Sustainable city compactness evaluation on the basis of GIS and bayes rule

This paper presents a GIS-based method for evaluating city compactness, aiding planners in identifying urban fabric density issues and improving decision-making.

Application of gis technology and AHP to determine the areas with fully developed, compact functional and spatial structure: A case study of Bialystok, Poland

This study developed a method using GIS technology and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify compact urban areas in Bialystok, Poland, promoting the concept of compact cities.

A local and regional spatial index for measuring three-dimensional urban compactness growth

The developed spatial index effectively measures urban compactness growth, aiding local governments in sustainable development planning.

Measuring urban compactness based on functional characterization and human activity intensity by integrating multiple geospatial data sources

The functional compactness index (FCI) effectively measures urban functional compactness by integrating geospatial data sources, reflecting human activity intensity, functional differentiation, and mixing degree, and comparing spatial characteristics among different cities.

Urban Compactness: New Geometric Interpretations and Indicators

This paper presents a new geometric interpretation of urban compactness, using diameter and perimeter indicators, to better understand its property in urban contexts.

The compactness of spatial structure in Chinese cities: measurement, clustering patterns and influencing factors

Urban compactness in Chinese cities is influenced by multiple factors, with hot spot regions in the south and cold spots in the north, and the GWR model provides a better fit for measuring compactness than the OLS model.

Evaluating the urban form of a mountainous city from the perspective of compactness characteristics: Kigali city, Rwanda

Kigali's urban form is decreasing in compactness due to lack of regularity, authority control, and haphazard development, suggesting a need for sustainable urban development measures.

Comprehensive Evaluation and Spatial Association analysis of the Urban Compactness of Prefecture-Level Cities or above in China

Urban compactness in China's prefecture-level cities or above is influenced by economic development, land use structure, and population density, with two spatial differentiation zones and a zonal distribution.

INDICATORS OF THE COMPACT CITY CONCEPT – NECESSARY DATA AND THE POSSIBILITY OF APPLICATION

A multi-criteria method can effectively determine the importance of individual compact city indicators, aiding in evaluation and implementation of the modern compact city model.

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