The main drivers of urban sprawl in Portuguese medium cities between 2001 and 2011

Abstract

Urban sprawl is a widely known urban phenomenon characterized by low density and low accessibility in monotonous peripheral areas. Sprawl is normally perceived as producing negative environmental and economic impacts. Although a global phenomenon, it has been mostly associated with US cities. Cities in other continents, as European Cities, although denser, have been also sprawling. This work aims to address the dynamic and multidimensionality characteristics of sprawl by using five indicators that capture the variation in density, fragmentation, dispersion and irregularity. Using these indicators, this work studies the drivers of sprawl in Portuguese Medium Cities, a subject which has been overlooked, between 2001 and 2011. The aforementioned sprawl indicators are regressed against a series of demographic, socioeconomic, policy, mobility, urban growth dynamics and geographical indicators that are referred in the literature as drivers of sprawl. The obtained results indicate that previous sprawl patterns, population characteristics, economic evolution and specialization, commuting patterns, urban containment policies and geographical features influence sprawl.