Urban models definition through image processing and morphological features: the case study of Catalonia, Spain

Abstract

In the last few decades, urban sprawl refers to the outgrowth of urban areas caused by uncontrolled, uncoordinated and unplanned growth. The rapidity of urban dynamics has a significant impact on the spatial patterns associated with the growth and expansion of Spanish metropolitan areas. The increase of large peri-urban areas, in the last decades, sprawled on the territory, inevitably has brought the cancellation of a clearly identifiable boundary between city and rural area. In Mediterranean countries, the cultural landscapes created and maintained by traditional primary activities are rapidly becoming degraded due to abandoned land and villages, intensification of agricultural activities, and urban sprawl .