Self-organized criticality and urban form system dynamics with reference to a Brazilian city. Issue 3 (2nd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Krafta, Romulo; da Silva, Edson Luiz Bortoluzzi
• Is Part Of: Area development and policy. Volume 5:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 324
• Page End: 333
• Publication Date: 2020-07-02
• Subjects: urban morphology -- self-organized criticality -- urban spatial analysis; C00 -- C02; 城市形态 -- 自组织临界 -- 城市空间分析; morfología urbana -- criticidad autoorganizada -- análisis espacial urbano; городская морфология -- самоорганизующаяся критичность -- городской пространственный анализ; Regional planning -- BRIC countries -- Periodicals; Economic development -- BRIC countries -- Periodicals; Rural-urban relations -- BRIC countries -- Periodicals; Human geography -- BRIC countries -- Periodicals; Regional planning -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Economic development -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Rural-urban relations -- Periodicals; Human geography -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; 338.90091724
• DOI: 10.1080/23792949.2019.1631124
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2379-2949

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study of the evolution of urban forms examines the relationship between urban expansion (the enlargement of an urban area) and densification (the increase in the volume of the built form). Densification involves infinitesimally small, dispersed accretions, while the expansion of the urban surface involves the incorporation of larger areas usually on the edge of a city. As a result, built-form density grows steadily to the precise moment when a new urban land is added, when it suddenly falls, only to grow again until a new catastrophe occurs. This paper provides evidence that the size and duration of urban land accretions exhibit power-law distributions for both size and duration, and that the break points that occur when density falls due to new urban land accretion are predictable. These results provide further evidence that urban systems are characterized by self-organized criticality.