Multifractal to monofractal evolution of the London street network

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2015 Dec;92(6):062130. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.92.062130. Epub 2015 Dec 17.

Abstract

We perform a multifractal analysis of the evolution of London's street network from 1786 to 2010. First, we show that a single fractal dimension, commonly associated with the morphological description of cities, does not suffice to capture the dynamics of the system. Instead, for a proper characterization of such a dynamics, the multifractal spectrum needs to be considered. Our analysis reveals that London evolves from an inhomogeneous fractal structure, which can be described in terms of a multifractal, to a homogeneous one, which converges to monofractality. We argue that London's multifractal to monofractal evolution might be a special outcome of the constraint imposed on its growth by a green belt. Through a series of simulations, we show that multifractal objects, constructed through diffusion limited aggregation, evolve toward monofractality if their growth is constrained by a nonpermeable boundary.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't