Urban Geography uses four primary development patterns: infill, edge, ribbon, and leapfrog, to categorize and measure how urban sprawl and its growth occurs. These terms allow planners to quantify this growth through the use of geospatial modeling tools, which are useful to make infrastructure, planning and the environmental impact of said developments. Urbanisation is Social as well as a morphological Process.
Infill Development
Infill development is the construction of new buildings on vacant land, which is either abandoned or under-utilized sites within the existing urban boundary. This type of growth encourages more dense and compact growth and revitalizes older urban locations. However, the increase in impervious surfaces will also increase flood potential risk for certain communities.
Edge Development
Edge development is the creation of new built-up areas that are direct extensions of current urban patches, as well as contiguous outward growth. Edge development has been determined to be the predominant typology of urban sprawl in many of the growing cities of India, such as Lucknow.
Ribbon Development
Ribbon development is linear expansion of urban areas along the routes of major roadways, highways, and transportation corridors radiating from the urban center, and result in the creation of elongated urban forms. Ribbon developments are gas-efficient for owners of automobiles, but they lead to traffic congestion and are inefficient in providing services because of their low density.
Leapfrog Development
Leapfrog development is the scattered and discontinuous spread of urban development that “jumps” from existing developed urban areas to undeveloped land. Leapfrog development has caused land to be used inefficiently and creates higher costs associated with infrastructure development than do other forms of growth.
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