Urban Pattern Specification using Spatial Metrics and Density Values

Promoting settlement compactness and controlling fragmentation are often discussed as important goals towards sustainability. The article deals with the exploration of 111 urban municipalities in Germany. All cities are compared by characteristics of the urban form and typical statistical facts about cities such as population, employees or buildings. Spatial metrics (e.g. contagion index, core-are index, and area weighted mean shape) are presented to describe the urban form. A quantitative aggregation procedure leads to a first draft of a matrix dealing with urban form and urban density. Selected urban areas are presented in a localized way.