Abstract
Road networks result from a subtle balance between geographical coverage and rapid access to strategic points. An understanding of their structure is fundamental when it comes to evaluating and improving territorial accessibility. This study is designed to provide insight into the progressive structuring of territorial patterns by analyzing the evolution of road networks. Studying road network morphogenesis requires geohistorical data, provided here by historical maps from which earlier road networks can be digitized. A hypergraph is constructed from these networks by combining road segments into “ways” on the basis of a method for defining the continuity of road segments. Next, indicators are computed for these ways based on topological and geometrical features. The road patterns of three cities in the Burgundy Franche-Comte region of France (Dijon, Besançon, and Pontarlier) at three historical periods (the 18th, 19th, and twentieth centuries) are then analyzed. In this manner, their topological features and centrality characteristics can be compared from snapshots at different times and places. The innovative method proposed in this paper helps us to read features of the road patterns accurately and to make simple interpretations. It can be applied to any territory for which data is available. The results highlight the underlying structure of the three cities, reveal information about the history and the functioning of the networks, and give preliminary insights into the morphogenesis of those cities. Prospectively this work aims to identify the mechanisms that drive change in road networks. Detecting stability or variation in indicators over time can help in identifying similar behavior, despite geographic and cultural distances, as well as evolution mechanisms linked to specificities of each city. The study of road network morphogenesis can make a major contribution to understanding how road network structure affects accessibility and mobility.
Highlights
In urban theory, cities are usually studied as physical and spatial objects (Peponis et al.1983)
The work presented in this paper focuses on the analysis of morphological characteristics of road networks
Structural analyses are based on geohistorical and digitized road data for each city and can be used to describe their past organization, to better understand the mechanisms behind their morphogenesis, and to ascertain whether this information can be identified from their road networks
Summary
Cities are usually studied as physical and spatial objects (Peponis et al.1983). A city is a living structure and the territory in which it is embedded has a complex composition that cannot be considered as a simple medium for practices and activities. The need to deal simultaneously with both mechanism and shape—the city’s functioning and its physical environment. More recently cities have been characterized by their organized complexity (Batty 2013). Their structure and development can be better understood by viewing cities as systems of networks and flows (Jacobs 2016). Interactions within those networks can explain many aspects of city functions (Mitchell and Rapkin 1954)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
