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arXiv · 1102.3584

Urban road networks -- Spatial networks with universal geometric features? A case study on Germany's largest cities

Sonic H. Y. Chan·Reik V. Donner·Stefan Lämmer
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Abstract

Urban road networks have distinct geometric properties that are partially determined by their (quasi-) two-dimensional structure. In this work, we study these properties for 20 of the largest German cities. We find that the small-scale geometry of all examined road networks is extremely similar. The object-size distributions of road segments and the resulting cellular structures are characterised by heavy tails. As a specific feature, a large degree of rectangularity is observed in all networks, with link angle distributions approximately described by stretched exponential functions. We present a rigorous statistical analysis of the main geometric characteristics and discuss their mutual interrelationships. Our results demonstrate the fundamental importance of cost-efficiency constraints for in time evolution of urban road networks.

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Sonic H. Y. Chan, Reik V. Donner, Stefan Lämmer. 2011-02-17. Urban road networks -- Spatial networks with universal geometric features? A case study on Germany's largest cities. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2011-10889-3

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