Abstract
For many years, attempts to measure the urban structure and physical form of metropolitan areas have been focused on a limited set of attributes, mostly density and density gradients. However, the complex nature of the urban form requires the consideration of many other dimensions to provide a comprehensive measure that includes all aspects of the urban structure and growth pattern at different hierarchical levels. In this paper, a multi-dimensional method of measuring urban form and development patterns in urban areas of the United States is presented. The methodology presented here develops several variables and indices that contribute to the characterization and quantification of the overall physical form of urban areas at various hierarchical levels. 
 Cluster analysis is performed to group metropolitan areas based on their urban form and land-use pattern. This allows for a better utilization of land-use transportation planning and policy analyses used by planners and researchers. This clustering of urban areas could eventually help policymakers and decision makers in the decision-making process to evaluate land-use transportation policies, identify similar patterns, and understand how similar policies implemented in urban areas with similar urban form structure would result in more efficient and successful planning in the future.
Highlights
There is an immense body of literature on the definition, quantification, and analysis of urban sprawl
This paper seeks to contribute to a better understanding and quantification of the overall physical form of metropolitan areas by proposing a range of multi-level multi-dimensional measures to explore the urban structure at higher geographical levels
If we do not understand and empirically explore various dimensions and characteristics of metropolitan-level built environment, the policies proposed to cope with congestion and improve transit ridership through the entire metropolitan areas, such as smart growth and transit-oriented development would not be as effective
Summary
There is an immense body of literature on the definition, quantification, and analysis of urban sprawl (see Ewing, 1994, 1997; Frenkel & Ashkenazi, 2008; Galster et al, 2001; Malpezzi & Guo, 2001; Torrens & Alberti, 2000; McCann & Ewing, 2003). Bento et al (2005) examined the effect of metropolitan urban form on commute mode choice and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) using data from the 1990 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey They developed measures such as population centrality (the spatial distribution of population — how close to the city center the population is located), jobs-housing balance, city shape (how close to circular the city is), and road density. The metropolitan areas of study all share high population and employment, they are not similar in every characteristic — especially in terms of their urban form and built environment pattern They vary in size (i.e., developable land area), densities, accessibilities, housing characteristics, road network structure, and more. Several of these variables were used to conduct a cluster analysis to group the metropolitan areas with similar landuse pattern
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