Spatial scales and their attributes 19many types of the spaces are repeated by the hundreds or thousands in an urban
region. Consequently, if good models or generic solutions were determined for
thesmall spaces, their cumulative effect could be measurable or even quite
significant at the regional scale.
Asecond reason to focus inward on small spaces relates tohierarchy theory
(Forman1964,O’Neillet al.1986). To understand or manage something of inter-
est, three levels of scale are especially important (Freemarket al.2002). The scale
just above or broader than the area or object of interest exerts effects on the
area. Second, other areas at the same scale as the area of interest exert com-
petitive or collaborative effects. And finally, the scale just below or finer than
thearea of interest affects the area. This finer scale is where most people look
foranswers. How does the internal structure and functioning affect the larger
object of interest? All three scales are important for urban regions.
The third reason to look at fine-scale patterns emanates from human percep-
tion and policy. Unless one goes up in a balloon or analytically looks down from
airplane windows or pores over satellite images and maps, one does not really
see an urban region. Rather, the public mainly sees and relates to small spaces.
Thus translating public preferences into public policy and planning generally
means dealing with small spaces (Nassauer1997,Johnson and Hill2002).
The urban region is a hot spot of highly diverse small spaces packed together.
So, rather than considering numerous internal urban-region patterns here, a
few key onesare illustrated in a sequence of scales from broad to fine. Areas
or patches are first presented, followed by linear features or corridors. Then a
close-up of four types of spaces is presented, pinpointing their spatial or unusual
attributes, along with some interesting types of planning options.
Patches and corridors at a sequence of scales
Areas or patches, as well as strips or corridors, are conspicuous and
important at each spatial scale in a region (Freemarket al.2002). Repeatedly
using a giant zoom lens, we first view patches and then the corridors. At the
broadest scale, the urban region is composed of a metropolitan area and an
urban-region ring (Figure1.2).
Focusing the lens in a bit, typically a city is composed of districts: a central
business district, other commercial districts, industrial areas, various multi-unit
residential areas, major city parks, and so forth (Lynch and Hack1996,Warren
1998,LeGatesand Stout2003,Wong 2004). The suburban landscape in turn is
composed of towns and municipalities, commercial/industrial land, residential
land, agricultural areas, natural areas, and more. The metropolitan area is the
city and the inner, continuously built, portion of suburbia. The urban-region