Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems
An attempt is made to identify the dynamics of urban systems during the historical process of their evolution. An illustration is made with the case of European cities between 1200 and 1990, using harmonised historical data bases. First off, simple maps show a general expansion in cities number and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Unité Mixte de Recherche 8504 Géographie-cités
1998-07-01
|
| Series: | Cybergeo |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/cybergeo/373 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849337652062453760 |
|---|---|
| author | Anne Bretagnolle Denise Pumain Céline Rozenblat |
| author_facet | Anne Bretagnolle Denise Pumain Céline Rozenblat |
| author_sort | Anne Bretagnolle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An attempt is made to identify the dynamics of urban systems during the historical process of their evolution. An illustration is made with the case of European cities between 1200 and 1990, using harmonised historical data bases. First off, simple maps show a general expansion in cities number and size of cities over time, reflecting the ability of the system to continuously adapt its structure over time. A second trend is an increased hierarchisation in city size, which may be related to the continuous improvement in the speed and capacity of transportation means. Because of this space-time contraction, large cities short-circuit small towns, and inequalities in city size are widening. A third trend leading to a spatial reorganisation, emerges from maps of the urban population potentials. Among all possible mathematical equations and parameters values which could describe the intensity and the spatial range of interactions between cities, we choose those which give rather stable results and which are compatible with the analysis of urban historians, such as De Vries, Braudel, Bairoch, Hohenberg and Lees, for the centuries preceding the industrial revolution, by using evaluations of distances in terms of time and cost. Urban systems dynamics is better approached with reference to this relative space than on usual topographic maps. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ffb9a7cbd7fa43ada0473c5808d7cb1a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1278-3366 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 1998-07-01 |
| publisher | Unité Mixte de Recherche 8504 Géographie-cités |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cybergeo |
| spelling | doaj-art-ffb9a7cbd7fa43ada0473c5808d7cb1a2025-08-20T03:44:38ZdeuUnité Mixte de Recherche 8504 Géographie-citésCybergeo1278-33661998-07-0110.4000/cybergeo.373Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systemsAnne BretagnolleDenise PumainCéline RozenblatAn attempt is made to identify the dynamics of urban systems during the historical process of their evolution. An illustration is made with the case of European cities between 1200 and 1990, using harmonised historical data bases. First off, simple maps show a general expansion in cities number and size of cities over time, reflecting the ability of the system to continuously adapt its structure over time. A second trend is an increased hierarchisation in city size, which may be related to the continuous improvement in the speed and capacity of transportation means. Because of this space-time contraction, large cities short-circuit small towns, and inequalities in city size are widening. A third trend leading to a spatial reorganisation, emerges from maps of the urban population potentials. Among all possible mathematical equations and parameters values which could describe the intensity and the spatial range of interactions between cities, we choose those which give rather stable results and which are compatible with the analysis of urban historians, such as De Vries, Braudel, Bairoch, Hohenberg and Lees, for the centuries preceding the industrial revolution, by using evaluations of distances in terms of time and cost. Urban systems dynamics is better approached with reference to this relative space than on usual topographic maps.https://journals.openedition.org/cybergeo/373urban systemspace-time contractionurbanization/urbanisation |
| spellingShingle | Anne Bretagnolle Denise Pumain Céline Rozenblat Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems Cybergeo urban system space-time contraction urbanization/urbanisation |
| title | Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems |
| title_full | Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems |
| title_fullStr | Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems |
| title_short | Space-time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems |
| title_sort | space time contraction and the dynamics of urban systems |
| topic | urban system space-time contraction urbanization/urbanisation |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/cybergeo/373 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annebretagnolle spacetimecontractionandthedynamicsofurbansystems AT denisepumain spacetimecontractionandthedynamicsofurbansystems AT celinerozenblat spacetimecontractionandthedynamicsofurbansystems |