Metodyczne aspekty pomiaru zjawiska urban sprawl

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to identify the various sorts of urban sprawl and to present methods of measuring this phenomenon. The article reviews the subject literature, giving it a theoretical-methodological character. Among the leading theoretical concepts involved in measuring the phenomena, there are three basic methods, which are based on indicators that refer to the different ways of building area. The first method is based on density, scatter, aesthetics, ecology and accessibility. The second approach uses the indicators of growth rates, density, spatial geometry, accessibility, and aesthetic measures. The third approach identifies types of sprawl through the indicators of density, continuity, concentration, clustering, centrality, nuclearity, mixed use and proximity. An important feature of the third approach is experience gained from foreign studies in the implementation of this method. In addition, this method presents the methodology and characteristics of the many sorts of sprawl, which can be applied to the conditions prevailing in Poland.