Urban Dynamics: Data and Images

Temporal Urban Mapping - Spatial Analysis

Statistical Summaries

Spatial Patterns and Trends

Visual analysis of the database reveals the development over time of spatial patterns. Distinct urban areas merge into a continuous urban corridor as development continues to expand the boundaries of towns and cities. The principal transportation data layer clearly demonstrates the influence that the transportation infrastructure (roads, railroads, and seaports) has exerted on population development. The hydrography layer contributes to historical understanding by revealing the loss of navigable rivers due to siltation, the development of reservoirs for water supplies, and the changing shoreline resulting from harbor development and salt pond formation.

Historical Observations

Demographic Studies

Census data was plotted over time to develop this graph of population change in the San Francisco/Sacramento region and the Baltimore/Washington region. The sharp upward swing of the graph reflects the rapid increase in population in both of these regions after World War II on into the 1990s.