A city usually starts as a small town and grows in area as new buildings are built and boundaries are expanded. However, in recent times, tall buildings are considered one of the elements of any modern city. Now, a new study has revealed that cities are growing upwards at a greater rate than they are spreading out. This new discovery could reshape the way we use our resources and the environment.
Satellite study published in the journal Nature City, The study was conducted by a team of earth scientists, environmental engineers and geologists. The team studied two types of satellite data by measuring the footprint and height of buildings in more than 1,500 cities around the world from the 1990s to the 2010s. One type displayed the city’s footprint, making it possible to calculate its size in two dimensions. The second type, which used microwaves, made it possible to estimate the city’s expansion in three dimensions and took into account the construction of skyscrapers for upward growth.
According to the study, cities are expanding upwards rather than outwards, with Asian cities leading the way. Earlier, cities used to expand by occupying more area.
David Wilson, a geography professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said the study is “extremely interesting” and that there are both pros and cons to the shift from horizontal to vertical development in urban areas.
“This trend is very positive for promoting sustainability and resource management. Fewer blocks, neighborhoods and communities will need the hand of government to access and spend limited resources for the provision of policing, fire protection and housing services,” he said. Newsweek,
He added, “At the same time, the prognosis for promoting equality in the city is also bleak. Dramatic increases in vertical development, especially in large cities, often reflect the realities of gentrification in urban areas, a notorious process of displacing and further isolating the poor and stigmatized.”
According to the study, large cities with a population of more than 10 million are at the forefront of vertical transformation.
In recent decades, China’s urban development has undergone a remarkable transformation. Extensive outward development was the initial hallmark, but more recently, tall buildings have been replacing shorter buildings due to vertical development. Nevertheless, Europe’s urban development pattern has not changed much, with outward development still dominant and vertical development growing at a much slower pace.
Rapid upward growth was rare in the 1990s, but became quite common by the 2010s. On the other hand, rapid outward growth declined during this time.
