Analysis of the evolution of urban three-dimensional morphology: the case of Nanjing city, China

Abstract

An analysis of the evolution of urban three-dimensional morphology (EUTM) can comprehensively explore the processes and mechanisms of urban evolution and provide a basis for urban design and land use administration. Based on the three-dimensional model of urban built-up areas in two periods, this paper establishes a quantitative index system for the EUTM and discusses the methods of generating isoline maps for each index. The idea of making integrated partition map of urban three-dimensional morphology is developed according to a multidimensional feature space classification method. A quantitative analysis of the EUTM in Nanjing is carried out by using two types of maps.