Search results

Most existing spatio-temporal urban expansion models consider urban land-use as a binary process, through the identification of urban versus non-urban areas. The main aim of this study is to analyze and model the expansion of multiple urban densities in Wallonia, Belgium. To this end, this study employs a multinomial logistic regression model that enables to visualize the consequence of different urban densities expansion. Cadastral datasets of years 2000 and 2010 are used to set four urban classes (non-urban, low-density, medium-density and high-density urban). Besides, several socio-economic, geographic and political driving forces dealing with urban development were operationalized to create maps of urban expansion probability for each urban density class. These probability maps are then utilized to predict future urban expansions for years 2020 and 2030. The model is validated using relative operating characteristic method for different urban classes. Our results suggest that different urban densities expansions are mainly linked to zoning status, neighboring areas that are urban and accessibility. Most importantly, this study highlights that the contribution of different driving forces to urban expansion process varies along with urban density. ; Peer reviewed

An in-depth understanding of the main factors behind built-up development is a key prerequisite for designing policies dedicated to a more efficient land use. Infill development policies are essential to curb sprawl and allow a progressive recycling of low-density areas inherited from the past. This paper examines the controlling factors of built-up expansion and densification processes in Wallonia (Belgium). Unlike the usual urban/built-up expansion studies, our approach considers various levels of built-up densities to distinguish between different types of developments, ranging from low-density extensions (or sprawl) to high-density infill development. Belgian cadastral data for 1990, 2000, and 2010 were used to generate four classes of built-up areas, namely, non-, low-, medium- and high-density areas. A number of socioeconomic, geographic, and political factors related to built-up development were operationalized following the literature. We then used a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the effects of these factors on the transitions between different densities in the two decades between 1990 and 2010. The findings indicate that all the controlling factors show distinctive variations based on density. More specifically, the centrality of zoning policies in explaining expansion processes is highlighted. This is especially the case for high-density expansions. In contrast, physical and neighborhood factors play a larger role in infill development, especially for dense infill development. ; Peer reviewed