ARCHITECTURE CIVIL ENGINEERING E NVIRONMENT The Silesian University of Technology No. 4/2019 doi : 10.21307/ACEE-2019-049 INDICATORS OF THE COMPACT CITY CONCEPT – NECESSARY DATA AND THE POSSIBILITY OF APPLICATION Karolina OGRODNIK * *PhD Eng.; Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland E-mail address: [email protected] Received: 8.10.2019; Revised: 21.10.2019; Accepted: 15.11.2019 Abstract The main objective of the study is to analyze the availability of statistical and spatial data necessary to define a set of indi - cators of a modern compact city model, as well as, to propose a multi-criteria method to determine the importance of indi - vidual indicators. An accessible and relatively easy to use set of compact city indicators is a necessary tool, both at the stage of evaluating a unit for a selected concept, as well as, during the implementation of its main postulates. The modern com - pact city model is now the key direction of the Polish urban policy and has been implemented in many cities around the world for years in connection with the principle of sustainable development. The paper presents the previous interpreta - tions of the selected urban concept, its main assumptions, as well as, the author’s set of measurable indicators with sample weights, which were analyzed in the framework of the case study. To determine the weights, multi-criteria decision-making method (AHP – Analytic Hierarchy Process) was used, while GIS technologies were used at the stage of presentation of the values of selected indicators. Keywords: AHP method; Compact city; GIS technology; Indicator; Land use policy; Multi-criteria analysis. 1. INTRODUCTION comparative analysis of many cities in the form of multi-criteria rankings. So far, indicators enabling The key role of cities in modern space is undeniable, evaluation of cities have been proposed, among others they are places of concentration of population, econo - in the context of the smart city concept [3, 4, 5] and my, and infrastructure. At the same time, cities are green city [6]. It is also worth mentioning the principle most affected by contemporary social problems (e.g. of sustainable development and proposals for a set of depopulation, and population aging), ecological prob - measurable indicators relating to sustainable urban lems (e.g. increasing environmental pollution), as well development [7]. as spatial problems (an e.g. growing problem of spon - This paper focuses on the concept of a compact city taneous suburbanization) [1, 2]. The response to the and indicators to assess cities against the basic princi - growing problems of urbanization is the dissemination ples of this concept. The compact city model plays an and implementation of various concepts and models increasing role in contemporary urban planning and is of sustainable urban development. inseparably connected with the principle of sustain - Due to the implementation of selected concepts into able development [8]. What is important, the idea of a urban policies, an important element of contemporary compact city has also been taken into account in the research is the work related to the creation of measur - Polish urban policy. In 2015, it was officially declared able indicators, enabling both the assessment of indi - that one of the objectives of the urban policy in Poland vidual cities in the light of a given concept and the is to shape compact and sustainable cities [9]. 4/2019 ARCHITECTURE CIVIL ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT 23 K. Ogrodnik The priority objective of this work is to develop a set 2. DEFINITION AND THE MAIN of compact city indicators based on the analysis of ASSUMPTIONS OF THE COMPACT available statistical and spatial data. The first part of the paper is devoted to the literature studies in the CITY CONCEPT field of the compact city. The next part concerns the The compact city concept is very often combined with compact city indicators, and attention is paid primar - the work of Dantizng and Saaty [11], who sought a ily to the practical feasibility of their implementation rational model of city development in the context of and the availability of necessary data. Then, using the growing urbanization problems in the United States. AHP method, an exemplary set of weights is estimat - The proposed model assumed the development of ed. The last part of the paper presents the main con - the city in the form of concentric zones: core, core clusions of the conducted analyses, as well as future edge, inner residential area, mid-plaza, outer resi - potential directions of research. This paper comple - dential area. Apart from the master plan, attention ments (in the context of the main assumptions of was also drawn to the plan of the transport system or compact city) and develops selected topics (in the technical infrastructure [11]. It should be emphasized scope of indicator weighting) presented in the PhD that the model presented above has not been imple - thesis, in which first of all the full assessment of 4 mented, and the contemporary model of a compact Polish cities from the point of view of the compact city is not precisely defined and has been subject to city concept was made [10]. many interpretations [12]. Table 1 gives an overview of the definitions of com - pact city concepts developed over the last 20 years. Importantly, the table updates and complements (among others, the subject of the research and the main assumptions of the concept) the author’s reviews carried out in 2015 [13] and 2017 [10]. Table 1. Overview of definitions and main assumptions of the compact city concept (based on selected studies from 1996–2018) Author Title/the main subject of The definition of the compact city concept The main attributes of the compact (year) research city (based on the definition) P. Nijkamp, Sustainable transport in a “This concept is embodied in the «compact city», – relatively high density, S.A. Rienstra compact city. where housing is provided in a relatively high-density – the concentration of jobs in the city (1996) form, and where jobs are concentrated in the central center, city and in a limited number of sub-centers” [14]. – a limited number of sub-centers. R. Burgess The global perspective of “It is possible to offer a tentative and composite defin - – increase built area and residential (2000) the compact city concept. ition of contemporary compact city approaches as: «to population densities, increase built area and residential population densi - – intensify urban economic, social ties, to intensify urban economic, social and cultural and cultural activities, activities and to manipulate urban size, form, structure – the concentration of urban func - and settlement systems to pursuit of the environmen - tions. tal, social and global sustainability benefits, derived from the concentration of urban functions »” [15]. E. Burton Measuring urban “(…) the compact city is usually described as one or – high density, (2002) compactness (on the other or all of three types of city, two that are related – mixed land use, example of UK cities). to «product»: – intensification. (1) the high-density city, (2) the mixed-use city, and one that is related to «process»: (3) the intensified city” [16]. J. Arbury Analysis of urban growth “This model differs greatly from conventional urban – urban intensification, (2005) management on the development (or sprawl) by focusing on urban inten - – limits to urban growth, example of the selected city. sification, creating limits to urban growth, encourag - – mixed land use, ing mixed-use development and placing a greater – an important role of the public focus on the role of public transportation and quality transport system, urban design” [17]. – high-quality urban design. 24 ARCHITECTURE CIVIL ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT 4/2019 INDICATORS OF THE COMPACT CITY CONCEPT – NECESSARY DATA AND THE POSSIBILITY OF APPLICATION a A. Polit Advantages and “For many years, the remedy for all diseases of con - – relatively high density, E R (2010) disadvantages temporary urban planning caused by the phenome - – mix land use, U of the compact non of sprawl was seen in the concept of a compact – the effective public transport sys - T C city concept. city. The idea was to design buildings with relatively tem, E T high intensity, to mix the functions of urban areas and – clear cities boundaries, I to base their functioning on efficient public transport. – revitalization of city centers, H Clear urban boundaries, revitalizing city centers, – pedestrian and bicycle communi - C R encouraging cycling or walking, and improving the cation, A quality of public spaces are important guidelines of – high quality of public space. the Compact City concept” [18]. K. Solarek The review of contemporary “The concept (...) is connected (...) with the structur - – urban development within exist - (2011) concepts of city develop - ing of space and with the main assumptions heading ing boundaries, ment. towards the shaping of Compact Cities, developing – mixed land use, inwards, intensively - but according to their scale and – well-development communication character – built-up, with a mixed function of the system. area, pedestrian-friendly, and accessible by commu - nication” [19]. OECD A comparative assessment “Spatial urban form characterized by «compactness». – dense and proximate develop - (2012) of the compact city policies By understanding various definitions of a compact ment patterns, in OECD countries. city, this report defines its key characteristics as – urban areas linked by public trans - i) dense and proximate development patterns; port systems, ii) urban areas linked by public transport systems; – accessibility to local services and and iii) accessibility to local services and jobs” [12]. jobs. E. The review of the selected “The compact city of short distance is an urban con - – relatively high density, Węcławowicz urban development cept that promotes a relatively high density of built- – mixed land use, -Bilska concepts up areas with a diverse, mixed-use of land.