Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
The Boston metropolitan area is characterized by very widespread urban sprawl,
making it the second most spread out metropolis in the US today, after Los Angeles.
The city of Boston is relatively small (143 km²) and quite dense (40 inhabitants/ha),
but its suburbs are very spread out. The average density of the greater MSA of
Boston does not exceed 8 inhabitants/ha.
0
25
50 km
Change in density
inh./ km
2
Standard deviation Ellipse
of the population 1970
-870
-
-500
Standard deviation Ellipse
of the population 2000
-500
-
-50
-50 -
0
0
-
50
County
50
-
100
Methodology : Map created by Kernel density smoothing
of the Block Group's Population.
Quartic Function in a bandwidth of the 30 nearest
neighbours.
Calculated difference in density 1970 - 2000
100 -
300
300 - 1,000
1,000
-
5,460
Source: US Census
Designed and made by JM Zaninetti, University of Orleans, CEDETE Institute
Figure 7.4.
Urban sprawl around Los Angeles, 1970-2000
