title: Multifractal to monofractal evolution of the London street network.
abstract: We perform a multifractal analysis of the evolution of London's street network from 1786 to 2010. First, we show that a single fractal dimension, commonly associated with the morphological description of cities, does not suffice to capture the dynamics of the system. Instead, for a proper characterization of such a dynamics, the multifractal spectrum needs to be considered. Our analysis reveals that London evolves from an inhomogeneous fractal structure, which can be described in terms of a multifractal, to a homogeneous one, which converges to monofractality. We argue that London's multifractal to monofractal evolution might be a special outcome of the constraint imposed on its growth by a green belt. Through a series of simulations, we show that multifractal objects, constructed through diffusion limited aggregation, evolve toward monofractality if their growth is constrained by a nonpermeable boundary.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis. University College London, First floor, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murcio
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis. University College London, First floor, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A Paolo
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Masucci
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis. University College London, First floor, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arcaute
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis. University College London, First floor, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Batty