Empirical Analysis of Urban Sprawl in Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas using Satellite Imagery, 1986-2016
Abstract
Major Canadian cities have experienced rapid sprawl in the last 30 years. This dissertation presents two studies that empirically examine the causes of urban sprawl, merging census socioeconomics data and satellite imageries of 11 major Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The monocentric city model and the Tiebout model are the main traditional theories explaining urban boundary changes and mobility residential. The first study focuses on the cross-sectional comparison among the 11 CMAs in 2016. In the second study, we zoom into the Toronto CMA and examine the longitudinal changes in its urban coverage at the fringe. We detect land cover/use changes of the Toronto CMA in 1986-2016. In both studies, we insert the role of price risk in understanding the timing of urban development. In doing so, both studies aim to contribute to the literature by broadening the traditional theories to include the role of risk in influencing urban development.