Urban Regions : Ecology and Planning Beyond the City

Table

8.2

Summary effects of urbanization models on 18 attributes measuring natural systems and their human uses. Four alternative spatial

models (Figure

8.2)w

ere superimposed on the 38 urban region maps (Color Figures), and attributes covered by urbanization were counted or

estimated at each of the three time stages in a model. Amount recorded is an index of effect or degradation due to urbanization, and the fourmodels were ranked accordingly from best to worst (

1

to

4 )for an attribute in a region (see Appendix II with rankings for all attributes and

regions). Number of urban regions measured excludes those where an attribute is absent or scarce on a region map. Attribute average rankingis for all urban regions measured. Best to worst model (Table columns) is based on comparing attribute average rankings. For asterisks, seefurther information in Appendix

II.

Concentric-zones

model

Satellite-cities

model

Transportation-

corridorsmodel

Dispersed-sites

model

Attribute measured

Numberof urbanregions

Attributeaver

age

ranking

Best toworstmodel

Attributeaver

age

ranking

Best toworstmodel

Attributeaver

age

ranking

Best toworstmodel

Attributeaver

age

ranking

Best toworstmodel

Biodiversity sites (%)

37

2.51

2

1.78

1

2.93

4

2.91

3

Recreation/tourism sites (%)

37

2.38

2

1.69

1

3.16

4

2.77

3

Fo

rest/woodland

∗

35

1.81

1

2.53

2

2.94

4

2.71

3

Grassland/pastureland

∗

10

1.95

1

3.45

4

2.6

3

2

2

Desert/desertified area

∗

42

1

2.63

3

2.88

4

2.5

2

Nearby slopes facing city

(% cover)

19

3.39

4

1.08

1

2.16

2

3.37

3

Rivers/major streams (km

length)

∗

38

2.32

2

1.89

1

2.82

3

2.97

4