A methodology to study the relationship between urban activities and morphology in the case of a twentieth century suburb in Madrid (Spain)

Abstract

Previous works on the study of relationship between urban form and human activities were based on data collection by the own researchers. However, on this paper is exposed a methodology which is using existing statistical data that allow to expand the study. A new possibility is opened to analyze and compare the evolution of the urban activities, their intensity and diversity, not only for singular study cases where the researcher collect their own data, but for a whole range of cities. Two key points make able the developing of this methodology: The parameterization of urban morphology with density and compactness values and the statistical data of Population and Housing Census available to the scale of census tracts. Some results for the chosen study case, the district of Puente de Vallecas of Madrid, mainly built along the twentieth century, are exposed. For this case, the urban activities were evaluate through population and commercial indicators which show the appeal for the citizen and the diversity as a factor that helps the stability of the area for the future