The Geometric Structure of an Optimal Transport Network in a Limited City—Hinterland Case

Abstract

The Geometric Structure of an Optimal Transport Network in a Limited City-Hinterland CaseProblems relating to the optimal design of transportation networks provide a challenge at a time when the transportation media are playing an increasingly important role in the day-to-day functioning of the space-economy.Transportation and communication networks are prominent features of both urban and rural landscapes.They transport persons, organic and inorganic matter in both solid and fluid states, gas, electricity, and information.Decisions to extend, locate or relocate these networks are frequently made at local, regional and national levels.The impacts of such decisions are widespread and frequently imply significant spatial reorganizations, which are especially critical in developing nations where budget constraints and high opportunity costs are prime factors in spatial planning decisions.The need to establish guidelines for such decisions is self-evident.With this in mind, an attempt is made in this paper to demonstrate within an exploratory context a theoretical framework for determining the "optimal network" design for a given, limited area.In geographic terms, network designs are defined by their topology and/or geometric structures.For a network with a fixed topologic framework, the geometric structure can vary significantly, while the reverse is not true, as is illustrated by Figure 1.Clearly the geometry is crucial to a planned transportation network since it gives the network design its final fixed form.Therefore this study is designed to evaluate the optimal geometry of a network.In general, optimality is defined arbitrarily, depending on the goals of the study and the variables employed.The term "optimal network" as used here refers to the minimum total flow cost network for the given area, where traffic flows may originate from any point within the area.Within this general class of problems, a limited city-hinterland case has been selected for analysis.Essential components of this regional level analysis comprise a well-defined rectangular area, a focal point located centrally at one Lalita Sen i s assistant professor of geography, Syracuse University.

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