Multidimensional characterization of the regional urban model and the urban sprawl in Valencia

Abstract

The big urban development produced in Spain about last 30 years has produced a paradigm shift in the regional urban model. The traditionally compact city has become a scattered city. This phenomenon is usual in the American model but is relatively new in Spain and in the European context.Many of the contemporary cities present an urban sprawl model. In this situation, the city is not only constituted by its historical nucleus and its extension, but also includes discontinuous urban land. Therefore, new analysis tools are needed.This paper shows a part of PhD research and studies the characterization of the pattern of urban occupation from a morphological perspective. The application of multivariate statistical techniques allows to reduce an initial set of 12 variables in five independent dimensions: density, fragmentation, distance, complexity and extension.It is shown that the urban sprawl is a multidimensional phenomenon. The research conclude that urban sprawl is an urban model of occupation of the territory, characterized by low density settlements spread over large areas, fragmented in several urban units, distant between them and defining a complex structure.The research has been carried out in the Valencian Community at the municipal level. As a result, the five dimensions of the urban model have been calculated to all municipalities. This has allowed to identify processes of urban dispersion in the coastal areas and the metropolitan areas of the most important cities.

Relationships between urban form and mobility: gender and mode of transport

“…In the AMV, almost five million trips are made every day [24]. The central part 14 of the AMV has dense and compact urban fabrics, while the more peripheral areas corre- 15 spond to more dispersed urban areas [25]. 16 Data from the Basic Mobility Plan for the Valencia Metropolitan Area (PMOME) were 17 used [24].…”

“…Figure 1 shows that the city of Valencia has a higher intensity of residential use. The 37 compact historic urban cores of the different municipalities of the metropolitan area are 38 identified in contrast to the adjoining transport zones in numerous municipalities around 39 Valencia where there is a lower density associated with the existing urban sprawl [25]. 40 Table 1 shows the correlation results showing the effect of the form indicators on total 41 trips and by gender.…”