Dynamics of Urban Change

Urban dynamics try to evaluate the main components initiating or being affected by changes in an urban area. Among the numerous factors in urban dynamics, transportation is of high significance as it is often expected that investments in transportation will have positive economic consequences that may even feedback into future transport investments (as indicated on the above figure). Transport investments are expected to improve the accessibility of passengers and freight, which in turn will improve the overall performance of a regional economy. Even if strong associations can be identified between transport improvements and economic (and spatial) changes, stating a causality is conceptually inaccurate. For this reason alone, understanding urban dynamics remains a complex and uncertain task.