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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The impact of urban transformations on the morphology of streets networks

subject

description

This research takes place in the field of quantitative analysis of historical streets networks.During the last decades, many studies have used network analysis or space syntax approachin a diachronic perspective, either to observe the interdependence between networkconfigurations and land-use, or to explore the link between network configurations and knownurban phenomena, such as densification, dispersal or expansion. These researches often focuson one single transformation rather than on the long time evolution of networks. In this work,we will explore the evolution of the street network of Paris, between 1300 and 1871, and linkthis evolution to all the transformations that occurred in the city during this period. The generalquestion we are trying to address is what is the impact of urban transformations on the form(the morphology) of streets networks?Our methodology is the following; we first describe the history of the city, by focusing onmoments that have had an impact of the form of its street network. We then analyse this form,using graph theory, and compare it through time, so as to identify change and permanence. Wefinally face the evolution this form with the transformations in the city.Our results revealed that the street network of Paris was subject to two kinds of interventions:spontaneous ones, which usually led to its expansion and densification, and planned ones,which led to its restructuration. We showed that the form of the network was thus differentlyimpacted by these two kinds of processes.