Calculation and analysis of urban compactness using an integrated ARCGIS tool

Abstract

The form of compact city as an "urban form of sustainable development" is paid more and more attention. This paper proposes several systems of indicators based on the understanding of the connotation of compact city, including population density, land use, characteristics of road network, accessibility, residential density. It also analyzes the corresponding calculation methods. The authors develop an integrated ARCGIS tool, Compactness, built as an extension to the desktop ARCGIS software package, ARCMAP. Undertaking the study of a simulated city- NanLing City with use of the tool of Compactness analyzes the degree of urban compactness in the years of 2000 and 2005. In the end the paper concludes and prospects the measuring methods and the tool of Compactness with a discussion of the future development of urban compactness. © Springer-Verlag 2012.