Functional distance in utility networks as indicators of the spatial structure of the urban system

摘要

This paper proposes a methodology to investigate the spatial structure that makes spatial interaction feasible. Spatial structure is presented as a function of infrastructure services, composed of the transportation and utilities networks. The spatial position of the urban system is described as a function of the relative position of the urban areas in each of the utilities networks. For each network, the measures of spatial separation and the best parameter to describe the locality are evaluated. The methodology was applied, analysing the spatial position of 22 urban sites in the region of Ribeirao Preto (Sao Paulo, Brazil), which made it possible to establish the dimensions of the relative spatial position as a function of the network considered. The results confirmed a change in the position of the urban areas and the need to describe the relative position as a function of the utilities networks.