The Cases of the Salvadoran Cities of San Salvador and Santa Tecla
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Multiple Scenario Interface for Visualizing Urban Structures: The Cases of the Salvadoran Cities of San Salvador and Santa Tecla A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Ana I. Mojica Bonilla March 2009 © 2009 Ana I. Mojica. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Multiple Scenario Interface for Visualizing Urban Structures: The Cases of the Salvadoran Cities of San Salvador and Santa Tecla by ANA I. MOJICA BONILLA has been approved for the Department of Geography and the College of Arts and Sciences by Margaret W. Pearce Assistant Professor of Geography Benjamin M. Ogles Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT MOJICA BONILLA, ANA I., M.A., March 2009, Geography Multiple Scenario Interface for Visualizing Urban Structures: The Cases of the Salvadoran Cities of San Salvador and Santa Tecla (164 pp.) Director of Thesis: Margaret W. Pearce This thesis analyzes the urban structure development of two Latin American cities through an interactive longitudinal visualization of the Salvadoran cities of San Salvador (the capital of El Salvador) and Santa Tecla. To what extent is a hypothetical model relevant to either of these two cities? How can a longitudinal, interactive visualization assist with an comparative analysis of the relevance of urban expansion models to the development of San Salvador and Santa Tecla? Can such a visualization contribute to the delineation of urban expansion policies for these cities? Archival files and maps were digitized and vectorized to create animated urban evolutions for each city. These geovisualizations were compared to the hypothetical models presented by Borsdorf, Bähr, and Janoschka (2002) in order to assess their relevance. The analysis indicated that the urban structural development of each city was more complex and differentiated than the theoretical model, findings richly supported by the geovisualizations. If combined with more specific annual land use data, these visualizations can also be useful for guiding urban management. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Margaret W. Pearce Assistant Professor of Geography 4 DEDICATION Esta tesis esta dedicada a Dios, mis padres, mi hermano Miguel, Diego, Andres y Bryan por su sacrificio, amor y apoyo. This thesis is dedicated to God, my parents, my brother Miguel, Diego, Andres, and Bryan for their sacrifice, love, and support. 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My Special thanks to Dr Margaret Pearce, Dr. Yeong-Hyun Kim, and Dr Harold Perkins for their invaluable guidance, support, and encouragement. I also thanks my friends, Marisol Vides and Loredana Siciu, and the librarians of the Biblioteca Nacional de El Salvador for their assistance, support and help. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 5 List of Tables .................................................................................................................... 10 List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 1: Conceptualization ............................................................................................ 14 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 14 Research questions ........................................................................................................ 18 Urban structure models ............................................................................................ 19 Animated cartography and pattern visualization ..................................................... 19 Chapter outline .............................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 2: Literature review ............................................................................................. 22 Geovisualization and dynamic representation .............................................................. 22 Geovisualization for knowledge construction: visual exploration versus quantitative analysis .............................................................................................. 26 Limitations of the visual approach ........................................................................ 28 Dynamic cartographic methods and techniques, their impact in geovisualization .. 29 Visualizing change ................................................................................................ 30 Dynamic maps for visual identification of clusters .............................................. 31 Design choices and the effectiveness of the interface .......................................... 33 7 Temporal focusing and temporal brushing ........................................................... 35 Panning and zooming ............................................................................................ 36 Representing uncertainty ...................................................................................... 40 Sound and geographic visualization ..................................................................... 42 Time-series animations in urban studies ....................................................................... 49 Urban structure models ................................................................................................. 52 A new model for Latin-American cities .................................................................... 54 The colonial phase: the compact town 1500-1820 ............................................... 57 The first urbanization phase: the sector town 1820-1920 ..................................... 58 The second urbanization phase: the fragmented town 1920-1970 ........................ 59 The contemporary urban development: the gated community town 1970 to the present ................................................................................................................... 61 Criticisms to the Latin-American urban structure models........................................ 63 Chapter 3: Characterizing San Salvador and Santa Tecla ................................................ 67 Study area ..................................................................................................................... 67 Physical environment ................................................................................................ 72 Socio economic environment .................................................................................... 77 San Salvador ................................................................................................................. 82 Urban evolution ........................................................................................................ 82 Colonial era: 1524-1820 ....................................................................................... 82 Independence era: 1820-1935 ............................................................................... 88 The contemporary era: 1935-2000 ........................................................................ 92 8 Santa Tecla .................................................................................................................... 94 Urban evolution ........................................................................................................ 94 First urbanization period 1854-1941 ..................................................................... 95 Second urbanization era: 1942-1952 .................................................................... 97 Contemporary era: 1942-1995 .............................................................................. 97 Chapter 4: Analyzing urban structure through a visual interface ................................... 100 Methodology ............................................................................................................... 100 Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 110 The structural development of San Salvador .......................................................... 111 The colonial phase .............................................................................................. 111 The first urbanization phase ................................................................................ 121 The second urbanization phase ........................................................................... 128 The contemporary city ........................................................................................ 135 Santa Tecla .............................................................................................................. 141 The initial phase .................................................................................................. 141 The first urbanization phase ................................................................................ 144 The contemporary city .......................................................................................