Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities System

Incessant spatial expansion of cities, the increasing socio-spatial segregation, and rising levels of emissions severely affect the underlying environment and generate emerging and unsustainable structures. The approach of complex systems, urban ecology and landscape ecology helps us to understand s...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cristián Henríquez, Cindy Mallea, Lenin Henríquez-Dole, Horacio Samaniego
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad de Chile, Departamento de Geografía 2017-12-01
Series:Investigaciones Geográficas
Online Access:https://investigacionesgeograficas.uchile.cl/index.php/IG/article/view/48039
_version_ 1818695999803097088
author Cristián Henríquez
Cindy Mallea
Lenin Henríquez-Dole
Horacio Samaniego
author_facet Cristián Henríquez
Cindy Mallea
Lenin Henríquez-Dole
Horacio Samaniego
author_sort Cristián Henríquez
collection DOAJ
description Incessant spatial expansion of cities, the increasing socio-spatial segregation, and rising levels of emissions severely affect the underlying environment and generate emerging and unsustainable structures. The approach of complex systems, urban ecology and landscape ecology helps us to understand some of the properties of this urban growth. In order to do this, the urban landscape fragmentation of 43 Chilean urban systems were calculated, between 1993, 2003 and 2011, using landscape metrics: fragmentation, elongation and isolation. Spatial layers of the Urban Observatory (MINVU) were processed in Fragstat program. Also, a scaling of the cities according to the level of CO2 emissions is carried out in an exploratory way. The results show that Santiago presents the highest percentages of fragmentation and maximum growth, along with the cities Arica and Calama; most of the cities undergo elongation processes and most of them increase their isolation (Illapel, San Antonio and Copiapó). On the other hand, the scaling of the emissions presents sublineal pace (0,8). The data show a heterogeneous allometry that depends very closely on the quality of the data used, moving from a model city relatively compact to a diffuse and disperse one. The spatial simulation methods of urban sprawl and urban scaling can be useful as a proxy of urban sustainability, aiding to determine the global trends of urban sprawl and forecasts how will be the evolution of the urban systems.
first_indexed 2024-12-17T13:54:24Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c198541b81984e9494bcb93c27c1a867
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0718-9575
0719-5370
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-17T13:54:24Z
publishDate 2017-12-01
publisher Universidad de Chile, Departamento de Geografía
record_format Article
series Investigaciones Geográficas
spelling doaj.art-c198541b81984e9494bcb93c27c1a8672022-12-21T21:45:58ZengUniversidad de Chile, Departamento de GeografíaInvestigaciones Geográficas0718-95750719-53702017-12-015452210.5354/0719-5370.2017.4803948039Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities SystemCristián Henríquez0Cindy Mallea1Lenin Henríquez-Dole2Horacio Samaniego3Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChilePontificia Universidad Católica de ChilePontificia Universidad Católica de ChileUniversidad Austral de ChileIncessant spatial expansion of cities, the increasing socio-spatial segregation, and rising levels of emissions severely affect the underlying environment and generate emerging and unsustainable structures. The approach of complex systems, urban ecology and landscape ecology helps us to understand some of the properties of this urban growth. In order to do this, the urban landscape fragmentation of 43 Chilean urban systems were calculated, between 1993, 2003 and 2011, using landscape metrics: fragmentation, elongation and isolation. Spatial layers of the Urban Observatory (MINVU) were processed in Fragstat program. Also, a scaling of the cities according to the level of CO2 emissions is carried out in an exploratory way. The results show that Santiago presents the highest percentages of fragmentation and maximum growth, along with the cities Arica and Calama; most of the cities undergo elongation processes and most of them increase their isolation (Illapel, San Antonio and Copiapó). On the other hand, the scaling of the emissions presents sublineal pace (0,8). The data show a heterogeneous allometry that depends very closely on the quality of the data used, moving from a model city relatively compact to a diffuse and disperse one. The spatial simulation methods of urban sprawl and urban scaling can be useful as a proxy of urban sustainability, aiding to determine the global trends of urban sprawl and forecasts how will be the evolution of the urban systems.https://investigacionesgeograficas.uchile.cl/index.php/IG/article/view/48039
spellingShingle Cristián Henríquez
Cindy Mallea
Lenin Henríquez-Dole
Horacio Samaniego
Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities System
Investigaciones Geográficas
title Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities System
title_full Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities System
title_fullStr Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities System
title_full_unstemmed Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities System
title_short Urban Sprawl and Scaling in the Chilean Cities System
title_sort urban sprawl and scaling in the chilean cities system
url https://investigacionesgeograficas.uchile.cl/index.php/IG/article/view/48039
work_keys_str_mv AT cristianhenriquez urbansprawlandscalinginthechileancitiessystem
AT cindymallea urbansprawlandscalinginthechileancitiessystem
AT leninhenriquezdole urbansprawlandscalinginthechileancitiessystem
AT horaciosamaniego urbansprawlandscalinginthechileancitiessystem