Measuring Canadian urban expansion and impacts on work-related travel distance: 1966–2001

Abstract

This article presents measurement of the dynamics and impacts of Canadian urban growth during 1966–2001 derived from information assimilation of Landsat satellite image interpretations and historical land use maps. We have examined key variables characterizing the urban expansion process, such as urban land area, dwelling density, population density and natural land loss. For major Canadian urban areas, dwelling densities in newly developed areas are found to have decreased over time. The trends suggest that low-density residential suburbanization is the dominant urban expansion process in Canada. While population densities in major metropolitan areas have remained constant or increased over the past 15 years, densities in smaller communities have decreased. A by-product of Canadian urban expansion has been modified intra-urban travel behaviour. The impacts of road network connectivity and changing urban form on attributes of urban transportation are discussed through a series of case studies.

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