Multi-dimensional geometric complexity in urban transportation systems

Farideddin Peiravian

University of Illinois at Chicago Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN)

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0142-3956

Sybil Derrible

University of Illinois at Chicago Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5198/jtlu.2017.919

Keywords: complex urban systems, transportation networks, quantitative geography


Abstract

Transportation networks serve as windows into the complex world of urban systems. By properly characterizing a road network, one can better understand its encompassing urban system. This study offers a geometrical approach toward capturing inherent properties of urban road networks. It offers a robust and efficient methodology toward defining and extracting three relevant indicators of road networks—area, line, and point thresholds—through measures of their grid equivalents. By applying the methodology to 50 U.S. urban systems, one can successfully observe differences between eastern versus western, coastal versus inland, and old versus young cities. Moreover, we show that many socioeconomic characteristics, as well as travel patterns, within urban systems are directly correlated with their corresponding area, line, and point thresholds.

Author Biographies

Farideddin Peiravian, University of Illinois at Chicago Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN)

Research Associate Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN) Civil Engineering Department Dr. Peiravian is a Research Associate in the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN) Lab in the Civil and Materials Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). His research interests include the planning, modeling, and design of sustainable and resilient transportation system, which includes the use of science of complexity approaches. On the side, he is also interested in Fractional Calculus, Fractals, and their applications.

Sybil Derrible, University of Illinois at Chicago Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN)

Assistant Professor Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN) Civil Engineering Department Dr. Derrible is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Infrastructure Systems in the Civil and Materials Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and the Director of the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN) Lab. He is also a Research Assistant Professor with the Institute of Environmental Science and Policy at UIC. His long-term interests include the planning, design and modeling of urban infrastructure. More particularly, he looks at the geometric and topological network feature of infrastructure, which is a vital component of "smart cities". His main goal is to redefine infrastructure planning and develop new practices to address the challenges of the 21st century.

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