Assessing urban character: the use of fractal analysis of street edges

Abstract

Fractal analysis can provide a synthetic measurement of place complexity and thereby allow a numerical characterization of places. A fractal analysis of street edges is provided, linking the calculation of fractal dimension to the presence of the physical features making up a street edge. A technique for calculating street edge fractal dimensions is presented and speculation on the use of fractal analysis in comparing the character of differing places is made.