Information theory, entropy and urban spatial structure

Download

index.pdf

Date

2005

Author

Esmer, Özcan

Metadata

Show full item record

Item Usage Stats

349
views

122
downloads

Urban planning has witnessed the profound changes in the methodologies of modelling during the last 50 years. Spatial interaction models have passed from social physics, statistical mechanics to non-spatial and spatial information processing stages of progress that can be designated as paradigm shifts. This thesis traces the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) approach in urban planning as pioneered by Wilson (1967,1970) and Spatial Entropy concept by Batty (1974) based on the Information Theory and its developments by Shannon (1948), Jaynes (1957), Kullback (1959) and by Tribus (1962,1969). Information-theoric methods have provided the theoretical foundation for challenging the uncertainty and incomplete information issues concerning the complex urban structure. MaxEnt, as a new logic, gives probabilities maximally noncommittal with regard to missing information. Wilson (1967,1970) has replaced the Newtonian analogy by the entropy concept from statistical mechanics to alleviate the mathematical inconsistency in the gravity model and developed a set of spatial interaction models consistent with the known information. Population density distribution as one of the determinants of the urban structure has been regarded as an exemplar to show the paradigm changes from the analysis of density gradients to the probabilistic description of density distributions by information-theoric methods. Spatial Entropy concept has introduced the spatial dimension to the Information Theory. Thesis applies Spatial Entropy measures to Ankara 1970 and 1990 census data by 34 zones and also obtains Kullback̕s Information Gain measures for population changes during the two decades. Empirical findings for Spatial Entropy measures show that overall Ankara-1970 and 1990 density distributions are ء̕Uneven̕̕ and the uniform distribution hypothesis is not confirmed. These measures also indicate a tendency

Subject Keywords

City planning.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12606319/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/15280

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

Designing urban space with the tools of the development legislation Baş, Yener; Barlas, Mehmet Adnan; Department of City and Regional Planning (2003) Since 1960s, the scope of urban design broadened in a way that to control the formation process of urban space as a whole. In this respect urban coding became a distinct branch in urban planning as an integrating mechanism of planning and design processes. Thus, design control has become a crucial part of the development control systems especially in the western countries. Although the development legislation in Turkey as an urban coding system has various weaknesses about urban design and design control, i...
Liveability in urban spaces: the case of Orhangazi Urban Square Yorulmaz, Hülya; Kayasü, Serap; Urban Design in City and Regional Planning Department (2013) Urban space has transformed as a result of changing dynamics in 21th century. It has started to be considered as a consumer-focused by physical interventions. At this point, the concept of liveability has become significant since it approaches urban space in a holistic approach. This thesis discusses livability of urban square as it is one of the best places where liveability of urban space can be examined. In this study, Orhangazi Urban Square is chosen as a case study area. The aim of this study is to rev...
Spatial dynamics of producer services in Ankara Gökce, Buğra; Günay, Baykan; Department of City and Regional Planning (2008) In the last three decades, depending on advances in communication technologies, there is a popular discussion that urban functions can be located independent from space. In other words, each urban function can locate to any zones of a city due to communication technology-based connections, in a so called “deterritorialization”. These new sprawl-based locations can be seen in the central business districts (CBD) of cities, especially by producer service functions. This thesis will investigate the validity of...
Urban balconies as public open areas a case study: Bursa Özaslan, Aslıhan; Barlas, Mehmet Adnan; Urban Design in City and Regional Planning Department (2005) The need for the public areas within urban environments is increasing day by day. This thesis focuses on urban balconies as one of the important element of public open areas. Their historical backgrounds, contribution to the cities, categorization and exemplification form important topics for explaining the concept. The study also searches the important natural features that effect the urban development of Bursa and questions the place of urban balconies between them. While explaining the past and the prese...
Transformation of a public space in İstanbul: the Eminönü Square Çin, Tümay; Bilsel, Fatma Cânâ; Department of City and Regional Planning (2006) Urban public spaces have always been subjected to physical, economical,social, political and cultural transformations of the city. These changing dynamics could cause decay in the spatial qualities and could also lead to a loss of values and identities of urban spaces, especially in public spaces. This thesis explores the qualities of a particular urban space in Istanbul: the Eminönü Square. Providing a guideline for the future urban design projects,the structure and the identity of the historical public sp...

Citation Formats

Ö. Esmer, “Information theory, entropy and urban spatial structure,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2005.