Fractal analysis of the urbanization at the outskirts of the city: Models, measurement and explanation

Abstract

The present research concentrates on the urbanization at the edges of the city, the outskirts of metropolitan areas, which can be considered the examples of complex, fractal urban structures, revealing dynamic processes of growth and transformation. The basic methods for the estimation of fractal dimension are presented, with the focus on the interpretation of the calculated values. Fractal dimensions can be used as indicators of urban sprawl, revealing the degree of fragmentation of the urban landscape. The exploration of the above notions is based on the application in an area at the outskirts of Thessaloniki, Greece. The important changes observed between 1960 and 1990 on the urban spatial structure of the area under investigation, are discussed in the light of fractal analysis.

Keywords

• fractal dimension
• outskirts
• Thessaloniki
• urbanization/urbanisation