Abstract

In contexts of globalization, economic restructuring and information and communication revolution, the relocation of services in peripheries and new urban expansion patterns have drastically altered periurban landscapes. However, due to its transformation speed, there is limited knowledge regarding the spatiotemporal changes of these interstitial territories. Calculating landscape metrics in high resolution satellite images, this research analyses spatiotemporal transformations in the Metropolitan District of Quito urban-rural gradient, testing a novel and accurate method to identify urbanization tendencies. The results evidence the main role that new road-infrastructures have had in the urban expansion. Also, the analyses identify significant changes in agricultural coverages (related to rural lots subdivision) and the processes of vegetation fragmentation, evidencing the environmental fragility of these territories in transformation. Finally, the Markov chains modelling technique was applied, exploring the landscape change probabilities in the following years. This methodology can be particularly useful in land-use planning policies since it provides precise knowledge about the main tendencies of urbanization.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.