Structure of Plot Systems and Economic Activity in Cities: Linking Plot Types to Retail and Food Services in London, Amsterdam and Stockholm

Evgeniya Bobkova,Ioanna Stavroulaki,Lars Marcus,David Bolin,Meta Berghauser Pont

doi:10.3390/urbansci3030066

Evgeniya Bobkova, Ioanna Stavroulaki + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci3030066

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Journal: Urban Science	Publication Date: Jul 9, 2019
Citations: 23	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Chalmers University of Technology

Abstract

Plot systems (also referred to as “property”, “parcel”, or “lot”) are generally recognised as the organisational framework of urban form that contributes to the economic performance of cities. However, studies that link the spatial form of plots to economic data are limited. The paper builds on the theory of Webster and Lai, which argues that the process of urbanisation is aligned with increased subdivision of property rights (increased division of land into plots, for example) due to the process of economic specialisation that is typical of cities. The aim of the paper is to test this theory by analysing whether there is a correlation between: (a) the shape and structure of plot systems, which are classified as types based on three plot metrics (size, compactness, and frontage index) and b) economic activity, measured as the concentration of retail and food activities per plot. The paper will use statistical analysis to relate plot types to economic activity in three European cities (London, Amsterdam, and Stockholm). The results provide empirical support for our initial hypothesis and Webster and Lai’s theory, which states that plots of smaller size, more regular shape, and smaller frontage generally correspond to a higher concentration of economic activity in cities.

Highlights

The shape of distributions was evaluated for the model of each city and it showed that the shape of dependent variable distribution was not similar; we proceeded with a mean rank values comparison (Figure 5)
They propose that plots of smaller size and more regular shape emerge with the process of economic specialisation in cities and, contribute to higher concentrations of economic activity in cities
We analysed the correlation between morphological variables of the structure and shape of plots and the spatial distribution of the concentration of economic activity in three cities

Summary

Introduction

Two morphological layers of urban form are most often addressed in this respect: streets and other forms of infrastructure (distribution of accessibility in urban space) and buildings (distribution of densities). The distribution of land division is less often addressed, in the form of plots and plot systems ( referred to as “parcels”, “lots”, or “properties”). This is unfortunate, since these have a decisive role in bridging between the city as a physical entity and the city as an institutional entity; these attributes are generally recognised as the administrative framework, which spatially defines the distribution of property rights for land [1,2,3].

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