Mixed landform with high-rise buildings: A spatial analysis integrating horizon-vertical dimension in natural-human urban systems

Abstract

High-rise buildings exert a significant influence on natural and human components of the urban geographic space as the protrusion and titanic existences along urban skylines. In the new global upsurge of high-rise buildings or skyscrapers are key to understanding the complexity of urban systems. However, efforts in this study topic are limited, particularly for developing countries. By using a case study of Wuhan, China, in this article we propose a mixed landform-based analysis framework that integrates horizon and vertical dimensions to explore the spatial pattern of high-rise buildings and their relationship to natural and human features in urban systems. Using this framework, we can analyze the spatial pattern of high-rise buildings based on the multi-scale characteristics of the city's natural and human components. In addition, this framework helps reveal the relationship between the vertical dimension and site selection of high-rise buildings in the urban space as well as between natural and human elements in the city. Further, this study investigates the influence of driving factors on the spatial characteristics of high-rise buildings. Our study indicates that the spatial heterogeneity of high-rise buildings in terms of height and use exists across multiple spatial scales, which also provides some insights for urban policymakers and planners.