IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envirb/v47y2020i7p1289-1305.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Diversification in urban functions as a measure of metropolitan complexity

Author

Listed:
  • Margherita Carlucci

    (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)

  • Ilaria Zambon

    (Tuscia University, Italy)

  • Luca Salvati

Abstract

Newly emerging relationships between form and function reveal the increasingly complex nature of metropolitan regions. The present study investigates spatial diversification in settlement forms and socioeconomic functions in metropolitan Attica (the administrative region including Athens, the capital of Greece), with the aim of implementing a holistic framework assessing urban complexity in contemporary cities. Taken as key components of urban complexity, morphological and functional diversity have been analysed using multi-domain indicators that describe settlement characteristics (land-use, soil sealing, building use, vertical profile of buildings, building age, construction materials) and socioeconomic functions (economic base, working classes, education levels, population age structure, composition of non-native population by citizenship, distribution of personal incomes), thus providing a comprehensive description of local-scale diversification in urban structures. A correlation analysis was used to verify the spatial coherency between individual dimensions of urban diversification. Analysis of global Moran’s spatial autocorrelation index reveals specific gradients of urban diversification that discriminate morphological attributes from socioeconomic functions. Municipalities were profiled on the basis of Pielou’s evenness indexes for each urban dimension: a factor analysis indicates latent patterns characterizing areas with high and low diversification in metropolitan functions. Urban and rural municipalities were, respectively, characterized as the most and least diversified in the study area, with peri-urban municipalities ranking in-between, evidencing a diversification gradient correlated with the distance from downtown Athens. A multidimensional analysis of the most relevant dimensions of metropolitan complexity has proved to be a promising tool for monitoring urban gradients, polycentric development and (latent) socioeconomic transformations in contemporary cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Margherita Carlucci & Ilaria Zambon & Luca Salvati, 2020. "Diversification in urban functions as a measure of metropolitan complexity," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 47(7), pages 1289-1305, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:47:y:2020:i:7:p:1289-1305
    DOI: 10.1177/2399808319828374
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2399808319828374
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/2399808319828374?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Frank van Oort & Stefan de Geus & Teodora Dogaru, 2015. "Related Variety and Regional Economic Growth in a Cross-Section of European Urban Regions," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 1110-1127, June.
    2. Stephen Wood & Kim Dovey, 2015. "Creative Multiplicities: Urban Morphologies of Creative Clustering," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 52-74, February.
    3. Isabelle Thomas & Pierre Frankhauser & Dominique Badariotti, 2012. "Comparing the fractality of European urban neighbourhoods: do national contexts matter?," Journal of Geographical Systems, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 189-208, April.
    4. Koen Frenken & Frank Van Oort & Thijs Verburg, 2007. "Related Variety, Unrelated Variety and Regional Economic Growth," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(5), pages 685-697.
    5. François Riguelle & Isabelle Thomas & Ann Verhetsel, 2007. "Measuring urban polycentrism: a European case study and its implications," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 193-215, March.
    6. Evert J Meijers & Martijn J Burger, 2010. "Spatial Structure and Productivity in US Metropolitan Areas," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(6), pages 1383-1402, June.
    7. Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano & Giovanni Peri, 2021. "The economic value of cultural diversity: evidence from US cities," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Firms and Workers in a Globalized World Larger Markets, Tougher Competition, chapter 7, pages 187-222, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Luca Salvati & Giuseppe Venanzoni & Pere Serra & Margherita Carlucci, 2016. "Scattered or polycentric? Untangling urban growth in three southern European metropolitan regions through exploratory spatial data analysis," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 57(1), pages 1-29, July.
    9. Gilles Duranton & Diego Puga, 2000. "Diversity and Specialisation in Cities: Why, Where and When Does it Matter?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(3), pages 533-555, March.
    10. Dahly, Darren L. & Adair, Linda S., 2007. "Quantifying the urban environment: A scale measure of urbanicity outperforms the urban-rural dichotomy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(7), pages 1407-1419, April.
    11. Michael Hoyler & Robert Kloosterman & Martin Sokol, 2008. "Polycentric Puzzles - Emerging Mega-City Regions Seen through the Lens of Advanced Producer Services," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(8), pages 1055-1064.
    12. Christian Vandermotten & Ludovic Halbert & Marcel Roelandts & Pierre Cornut, 2008. "European Planning and the Polycentric Consensus: Wishful Thinking?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(8), pages 1205-1217.
    13. John Parr, 2004. "The Polycentric Urban Region: A Closer Inspection," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 231-240.
    14. Martijn Burger & Evert Meijers, 2012. "Form Follows Function? Linking Morphological and Functional Polycentricity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(5), pages 1127-1149, April.
    15. 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.
    16. Pierre Desrochers, 2001. "Local Diversity, Human Creativity, and Technological Innovation," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 369-394.
    17. 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.
    18. David Ellerman, 2005. "How Do We Grow? : Jane Jacobs on Diversification and Specialization," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 50-83.
    19. Marco Zitti & Carlotta Ferrara & Luigi Perini & Margherita Carlucci & Luca Salvati, 2015. "Long-Term Urban Growth and Land Use Efficiency in Southern Europe: Implications for Sustainable Land Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-27, March.
    20. Olof Ejermo, 2005. "Technological Diversity and Jacobs’ Externality Hypothesis Revisited," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(2), pages 167-195, June.
    21. Dan O'Donoghue & Ivan Townshend, 2005. "Diversification, specialization, convergence and divergence of sectoral employment structures in the British urban system, 1991-2001," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(5), pages 585-601.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luca Salvati & Margherita Carlucci, 2020. "Shaping Dimensions of Urban Complexity: The Role of Economic Structure and Socio-Demographic Local Contexts," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 263-285, January.
    2. Antti Vasanen, 2013. "Spatial Integration and Functional Balance in Polycentric Urban Systems: A Multi-Scalar Approach," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 104(4), pages 410-425, September.
    3. Martijn Burger & Evert Meijers, 2012. "Form Follows Function? Linking Morphological and Functional Polycentricity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(5), pages 1127-1149, April.
    4. Peng Ji & Lilin Yuan, 2023. "Whether polycentric spatial structure is conducive to regional coordinated development: A study on urban agglomerations in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 940-961, December.
    5. Antti Vasanen, 2012. "Functional Polycentricity: Examining Metropolitan Spatial Structure through the Connectivity of Urban Sub-centres," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(16), pages 3627-3644, December.
    6. Weiyang Zhang & Ben Derudder, 2019. "How sensitive are measures of polycentricity to the choice of ‘centres’? A methodological and empirical exploration," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(16), pages 3339-3357, December.
    7. Paolo Veneri & David Burgalassi, 2011. "Questioning Polycentric Development and its Effects. Issues of Definition and Measurement for the Italian NUTS-2 Regions," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(6), pages 1017-1037, January.
    8. Kyusang Kwon & Minho Seo, 2018. "Does the Polycentric Urban Region Contribute to Economic Performance? The Case of Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-10, November.
    9. Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Gianluca Egidi & Enrico Maria Mosconi & Stefano Poponi & Ahmed Alhuseen & Luca Salvati, 2020. "Uncovering Demographic Trends and Recent Urban Expansion in Metropolitan Regions: A Paradigmatic Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, May.
    10. Matthias Firgo & Peter Mayerhofer, 2015. "Wissens-Spillovers und regionale Entwicklung - welche strukturpolitische Ausrichtung optimiert des Wachstum?," Working Paper Reihe der AK Wien - Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 144, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik.
    11. Rosanna Salvia & Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Sirio Cividino & Luca Salvati & Giovanni Quaranta, 2020. "From Rural Spaces to Peri-Urban Districts: Metropolitan Growth, Sparse Settlements and Demographic Dynamics in a Mediterranean Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-20, June.
    12. Alain Thierstein & Stefan Lüthi, 2012. "Interlocking Firm Networks in the German Knowledge Economy: The Case of the Emerging Mega-city Region of Munich," Chapters, in: Marina van Geenhuizen & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), Creative Knowledge Cities, chapter 13, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Aurélie LALANNE & Guillaume POUYANNE, 2012. "Ten years of metropolization in economics: a bibliometric approach (In French)," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2012-11, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    14. Andres Dominguez & Hernán Enríquez Sierra & Nicolás Cuervo Ballesteros, 2021. "Regional Spatial Structure and Land Use: Evidence from Bogotá and 17 Municipalities," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, August.
    15. Yue, Wenze & Wang, Tianyu & Liu, Yong & Zhang, Qun & Ye, Xinyue, 2019. "Mismatch of morphological and functional polycentricity in Chinese cities: An evidence from land development and functional linkage," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    16. Luca Salvati, 2020. "Envisaging long-term urban dynamics: a spatially explicit analysis of local-scale population growth and natural balance," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 165-186, August.
    17. Musa Pazhuhan & Saeed Zanganeh Shahraki & Niloofar Kaveerad & Sirio Cividino & Matteo Clemente & Luca Salvati, 2020. "Factors Underlying Life Quality in Urban Contexts: Evidence from an Industrial City (Arak, Iran)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, March.
    18. Davide Burgalassi & Tommaso Luzzati, 2015. "Urban spatial structure and environmental emissions: a survey of the literature and some empirical evidence for Italian NUTS-3 regions," Discussion Papers 2015/199, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    19. Matthias Firgo & Peter Mayerhofer, 2015. "Wissensintensive Unternehmensdienste, Wissens-Spillovers und regionales Wachstum. Teilprojekt 1: Wissens-Spillovers und regionale Entwicklung – Welche strukturpolitische Ausrichtung optimiert das Wach," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 58342, April.
    20. Martijn J. Smit, 2017. "Innovation through new blood," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 58(3), pages 543-578, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:47:y:2020:i:7:p:1289-1305. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.