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Mixed Land Use as an Intrinsic Feature of Sprawl: A Short-Term Analysis of Settlement Growth and Population Distribution Using European Urban Atlas

Author

Listed:
  • Alessia D’Agata

    (Department of Methods and Models for Economics, Territory and Finance (MEMOTEF), Faculty of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, I-00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Giovanni Quaranta

    (Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics, University of Basilicata, I-85100 Potenza, Italy)

  • Rosanna Salvia

    (Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics, University of Basilicata, I-85100 Potenza, Italy)

  • Margherita Carlucci

    (Department of Social and Economic Sciences (DISSE), Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Luca Salvati

    (Department of Methods and Models for Economics, Territory and Finance (MEMOTEF), Faculty of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, I-00161 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

This study investigates the land-use/population mix over time as the base to derive an indicator of urban sprawl. Land-use individual patches (provided by Urban Atlas, hereafter UA, with a detailed spatial geometry at 1:10,000 scale) were associated with the total (resident) population based on official statistics (census enumeration districts and other public data sources), providing a comprehensive mapping of the spatial distribution of population density by land-use class in a representative case study for the Mediterranean region (metropolitan Athens, Greece). Data analysis adopted a mix of statistical techniques, such as descriptive statistics, non-parametric curve interpolation (smoothing splines), and exploratory multivariate statistics, namely hierarchical clustering, non-metric multi-dimensional scaling and confirmative factor analysis. The results of this study indicate a non-linear gradient of density decline from downtown (dominated by compact settlements) to peripheral locations (dominated by natural land). Population density in agricultural land was locally high and increasing over time; this result suggests how mixed land use may be the base of intense sprawl in large metropolitan regions. The methodology implemented in this study can be generalized over the whole sample of European cities included in Urban Atlas, providing a semi-automatic assessment of exurban development and population re-distribution over larger metropolitan regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessia D’Agata & Giovanni Quaranta & Rosanna Salvia & Margherita Carlucci & Luca Salvati, 2023. "Mixed Land Use as an Intrinsic Feature of Sprawl: A Short-Term Analysis of Settlement Growth and Population Distribution Using European Urban Atlas," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-21, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:5:p:972-:d:1134076
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mariateresa Ciommi & Francesco M. Chelli & Margherita Carlucci & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics in Southern Europe: Toward a New Statistical Approach to Regional Science," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Cristina Martinez‐Fernandez & Ivonne Audirac & Sylvie Fol & Emmanuèle Cunningham‐Sabot, 2012. "Shrinking Cities: Urban Challenges of Globalization," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(2), pages 213-225, March.
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    5. Ilaria Tombolini & Michele Munafò & Luca Salvati, 2016. "Soil sealing footprint as an indicator of dispersed urban growth: a multivariate statistics approach," Urban Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Francesca Assennato & Daniela Smiraglia & Alice Cavalli & Luca Congedo & Chiara Giuliani & Nicola Riitano & Andrea Strollo & Michele Munafò, 2022. "The Impact of Urbanization on Land: A Biophysical-Based Assessment of Ecosystem Services Loss Supported by Remote Sensed Indicators," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, February.
    7. Moroni, Stefano & Minola, Luca, 2019. "Unnatural sprawl: Reconsidering public responsibility for suburban development in Italy, and the desirability and possibility of changing the rules of the game," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 104-112.
    8. Marc Parés & Hug March & David Saurí, 2013. "Atlantic Gardens in Mediterranean Climates: Understanding the Production of Suburban Natures in Barcelona," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 328-347, January.
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    10. Zambon, Ilaria & Benedetti, Anna & Ferrara, Carlotta & Salvati, Luca, 2018. "Soil Matters? A Multivariate Analysis of Socioeconomic Constraints to Urban Expansion in Mediterranean Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 173-183.
    11. Allen J. Scott & Michael Storper, 2015. "The Nature of Cities: The Scope and Limits of Urban Theory," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 1-15, January.
    12. Luca Salvati, 2016. "The Dark Side of the Crisis: Disparities in per Capita income (2000–12) and the Urban-Rural Gradient in Greece," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 107(5), pages 628-641, December.
    13. Mariateresa Ciommi & Francesco M. Chelli & Luca Salvati, 2019. "Integrating parametric and non-parametric multivariate analysis of urban growth and commuting patterns in a European metropolitan area," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 957-979, March.
    14. Vittorio Gargiulo Morelli & Kostas Rontos & Luca Salvati, 2014. "Between suburbanisation and re-urbanisation: revisiting the urban life cycle in a Mediterranean compact city," Urban Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 74-88, January.
    15. Yılmaz, Merve & Terzi, Fatih, 2021. "Measuring the patterns of urban spatial growth of coastal cities in developing countries by geospatial metrics," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    16. Andrea Strollo & Daniela Smiraglia & Roberta Bruno & Francesca Assennato & Luca Congedo & Paolo De Fioravante & Chiara Giuliani & Ines Marinosci & Nicola Riitano & Michele Munafò, 2020. "Land consumption in Italy," Journal of Maps, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 113-123, January.
    17. Rosanna Salvia & Pere Serra & Ilaria Zambon & Massimo Cecchini & Luca Salvati, 2018. "In-Between Sprawl and Neo-Rurality: Sparse Settlements and the Evolution of Socio-Demographic Local Context in a Mediterranean Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, October.
    18. Paolo De Fioravante & Andrea Strollo & Francesca Assennato & Ines Marinosci & Luca Congedo & Michele Munafò, 2021. "High Resolution Land Cover Integrating Copernicus Products: A 2012–2020 Map of Italy," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-30, December.
    19. Paolo De Fioravante & Andrea Strollo & Alice Cavalli & Angela Cimini & Daniela Smiraglia & Francesca Assennato & Michele Munafò, 2023. "Ecosystem Mapping and Accounting in Italy Based on Copernicus and National Data through Integration of EAGLE and SEEA-EA Frameworks," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, January.
    20. Luca Salvati & Adele Sateriano & Eftathios Grigoriadis, 2016. "Crisis and the city: profiling urban growth under economic expansion and stagnation," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 329-342, October.
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