Local Betweenness Centrality Analysis of 30 European Cities

Abstract

AbstractUrban planning is undergoing a great shift from car-centric plans to pedestrian-centric ones. Although such movements are occurring worldwide, few attempts have been made to evaluate the urban structure quantitatively from the point of view of the pedestrian. This paper introduces local betweenness centrality and peak analysis as a method of network analysis, and applies them to 30 cities in Europe. We found both similarities and differences in the spatial patterns of local betweenness peaks among the cities: while the large-radius peaks in most cities appear along boulevards or streets with large traffic capacity, those with small-radius peaks vary between cities. This indicates that the areas favorable for pedestrians do not necessarily coincide with the historical center of the city, which has largely been created before the introduction of automobiles. Our findings are useful for urban planners and decisionmakers wishing to understand the current situation of the city and to make informed decisions.KeywordsUrban morphologyRoad network analysisBetweenness centralityLocal betweenness centralityPedestrian-oriented design