Ashraf Sami Mahmoud Abozeid

Bio: Ashraf Sami Mahmoud Abozeid is an academic researcher from Cairo University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Urban agglomeration & Urban structure. The author has co-authored 1 publications.

Polycentric vs monocentric urban structure contribution to national development

Abstract: The debate about polycentricity and subordinacy has always been a critical topic that planners, economists, and socialists argued about for centuries. The idea of concentricity vs decentralization has affected all life metabolic activities. Urban structure has always been declared to be the key factor that affects life metabolism significantly. However, after the pandemic COVID-19, the planning strategies have changed dramatically. The main purpose is to investigate the most appropriate urbanization approach that achieves the best development results. The research methodology is to define and measure the fabric independency as an approach to estimate its self-sufficiency that enables it to stand in front of the pandemic challenges at different circumstances. The paper uses the fabric diversity index as a sensitive indicator of independency and polycentricity of the urban structure. The main conclusion for this paper is that independent polycentric urban agglomerations that are strongly linked achieve much better development results than subordinate cities depending on the main core city. The data used for the analysis are extracted from the Urban Atlas developed by the European Environmental Agency in addition to the UN-Habitat annual report. All calculations, analyses, and deductions are exclusively carried by the author. © 2021, The Author(s).

Identification and Evaluation of the Polycentric Urban Structure: An Empirical Analysis Based on Multi-Source Big Data Fusion

Abstract: Identifying and evaluating polycentric urban spatial structure is essential for understanding and optimizing current urban development. In order to accurately identify the urban centers of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), this study firstly fused nighttime light data, POI data, and population migration data based on wavelet transform, then identified the polycentric spatial structure of the GBA by carrying out cluster and outlier analysis, and evaluated the level of different urban centers byconducting geographical weighted regression analysis. Using data fusion, we identified 4579.81 km² of the urban poly-center area in the GBA, with an identification accuracy of 93.22%. Although the number and spatial extent of the identified urban poly-centers are consistent with the GBA development plan outline, the poly-center level evaluation results are inconsistent with the development plan, which shows there are great differences in actual development levels among different cities in the GBA. By identifying and grading the polycentric spatial structure of the GBA, this study accurately analyzed the current spatial distribution and could provide policy implications for the GBA’s future development and planning.

Urbanization in Algeria: Toward a More Balanced and Sustainable Urban Network?

Abstract: Before colonization, Algeria was primarily a rural country with a nomadic and semi-nomadic population. However, significant changes occurred during and after the colonial era as modernization efforts were implemented. This paper provides a regional overview of Algeria’s pre-and post-millennium urban development based on census population data expressing the quantitative side of urbanization. Our analysis focuses on three aspects: regional structural tendencies of urbanization, sources of urban growth, and the current state of Algeria’s urban network. We contextualize our findings by comparing them with the existing literature and the priorities outlined in the country’s National Spatial Development Plan 2025. Our research suggests that: (1) First-stage (concentration) and second-stage (suburbanization) urbanization features, as well as internally and externally determined development, characterize Algeria’s urban network. (2) A decreasing and regionally differentiated urban growth rate indicating a moderate shift towards non-coastal regions and the above-average dynamics of large cities and smaller towns can be observed. (3) The significance of natural growth as a source of urbanization is higher than the contributions of rural-urban migration and new “de jure” towns. However, these factors are differentiated among the regions, highlighting the secondary role of rural-urban migration in the internal peripheries and the importance of new “de jure” towns in the densely populated and urbanized northern regions. (4) Algeria’s urban network is divided into three sharply differentiated zones that have experienced only moderate changes. We regard this shift toward a spatially more balanced urban network as a factor supporting but not guaranteeing sustainable development.

Polycentric Urbanism and the Growth of New Economic Hubs in Mumbai, India

Abstract: PolycentricPolycentric urban growthUrban growth has become a commonCommons feature of most urban spacesUrban space in post-FordistPost-Fordist times. CitiesCities that were originally monocentricMonocentric have adopted polycentric patterns of urban growth, which have been largely fuelled by economic decentralisationEconomic decentralization and globalisationGlobalization of centres of production and consumption, with far looser connections to the central business districtsCentral Business District (CBDs). Especially since the 1990s, as the developing economies have gradually integrated into the globalised free market, several developing-world cities have also transitioned into polycentricPolycentric functionalities. MumbaiMumbai, the financial capital of India,India was fast to transition due to its economic functionality along with the central business districts becoming enormously unaffordable for the middle class. Nariman Point, Mumbai’sMumbai once-hyped CBDCentral Business District, has now been eclipsed by the newly emerging economic hubs in the suburbia—transitioning the metropolis into a world-class polycentricPolycentric entity. This has changed the concentration of economic and commercial activities across MumbaiMumbai, thereby influencing its housingHousing patterns and commute behaviour. This study explores Mumbai’sMumbai history of transition from a monocentricMonocentric to a polycentricPolycentric existence and compares the declining functionality of its original CBD with the newly emerging economic growthGrowth centres. Our data comprises secondary sources, along with personal reconnaissance and lived-in histories and observations during field surveys that were employed to acquire better insights into the nature of economic and business operations in MumbaiMumbai. Through the employment of descriptive qualitative and textual analysis, we find the increasing role of newly developing polycentricPolycentric-urbanUrban centres and their influence on the changing residential and urban communities of MumbaiMumbai.

Assessment of urban growth dynamics in eight Indian metropolitan cities using spatial metrics

Abstract: Assessment of urban growth dynamics is crucial for studying urban areas. Urban regions are defined by their growth dynamics and trends. Spatial metrics can greatly benefit the analysis of these dynamics. The study focuses on eight Indian metropolitan cities and uses urban built-up layers extracted from Global Human Settlement Layer. Spatial metrics were applied to assess pattern, compactness, speed, and entropy of growth. The study employed a cutting-edge methodology to derive a detailed comparison of the growth dynamics, automated with Python and Google Earth Engine. Spatial metrics provide a comprehensive understanding of urban growth dynamics, as demonstrated in this study.