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Abstract
A new method is illustrated for describing the characteristics of urban pattern changes over different time periods. This method employs vector geometry, paired centroids, shared boundary lines, and overlain polygons. Three new statistics are proposed for characterizing local polygon feature changes in quantity, shape, and size. These statistics are standardized, based on conventional theories from urban geography such as directional concentric zones and user‐designated corridors to document both regional and global patterns of land‐use change. This method is used to analyse land‐use changes in metropolitan Detroit between 1990 and 2000. The Detroit case study indicates that the CTSPA statistics are effective in describing urban spatial pattern changes and in characterizing the evolution of discrete urban landscapes over selected periods.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank The Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences for the financial support to this research through The One Hundred Scholars—Distinguished Overseas Scholar Funds; Mr Thomas Wagner at Eastern Michigan University for his generous assistance in proof reading for writing clarity; and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful suggestions.