Multicriteria analysis with landscape metrics in urban environments

Studies of urban growth dynamics are useful for planning the development of cities from a sustainability perspective. In this study, the urban growth patterns of Cuauhtémoc Chihuahua were identified. The growth patterns in the urban area were identified, defining four types: aggregate pattern, linear pattern, frog jump, and nodal pattern. Satellite images were used in the digitalization and classification by photo-interpretation of urban land use 2003-2010. Landscape metrics were obtained, and these suggest that the city has several growth patterns depending on the scale of analysis, and the observed growth pattern exhibits different behaviors depending on the scale. In a general way it is: aggregate, in a particular way: aggregate, linear and nodal. This process exhibits the conversion of residential areas into commercial areas in urban spaces that lack adequate road and service infrastructure for the new uses. Landscape metrics in this type of studies help in the temporal monitoring of urban growth.