Urban structures, population density and municipal expenditures: An empirical study in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the type of urban spatial structure, population density and the selected types of capital and current municipal expenditures. Seven types of urban spatial structures at the level of city blocks are defined. Different types of municipal expenditure (urban green, pavement, roadway and public lighting) are estimated by the data from 22 Czech cities and six city districts. The capital and current municipal expenditures are calculated for each urban structure per hectare and per capita. The most expensive urban structure per hectare is the urban structure of estates and high rises, which is caused by the large proportion of public space. On the other hand, single detached houses are the least costly. If the population density is taken into account and municipal expenditures are calculated per capita, the least costly urban structure is the urban block structure followed by the organic urban structure (historical centre), which is given by high population density and lower size of public space. The urban structure of single detached houses is the most costly urban structure per capita.

Spatial Patterns of Knowledge-Intensive Business Services in Cities of Various Sizes, Morphologies and Economies

“…The physical spatial structure is, in practically all cases, characterized by an older dense street network and compact buildings (apartment houses). Organic urban structure (walkable historic city centers with irregular streets) and urban block structure: (For description see References [104,105]) prevail. The houses in these locations usually do not exceed several floors.…”

Urban Shrinkage and Sustainability: Assessing the Nexus between Population Density, Urban Structures and Urban Sustainability

“…In other words, with the growing density, the cost savings is increasing; however, after the exceeding a certain threshold, cost savings is declining due to the congestion or high rents. This argument is analogical to an already a well-established discussion on (dis)economies of agglomeration [46].The key contribution, at least for this text, is the work by Hudeček et al [47]. The authors investigated public spending on operation and maintenance in relation to urban spatial structures in Czechia, based on the study of 22 cities and 6 urban districts.…”

“…In agreement with the aforementioned, we are loosely inspired by the methods of evolutionary economic geography: "Follow the path" and "deep contextualization" [87]. The creation of the research framework was mainly based on the studies of Wolff et al [43] and Hudeček et al [47]. The former author's note that due to the spatial proximity of ongoing decline and small-scale (re)growth, there is a need to focus on district and neighborhood levels.…”

“…The individual BSUs were then cleaned (units with a population of less than 50 inhabitants in 2011 were left-out) and divided into seven categories of types of urban structures according to Hudeček et al [47], which makes it possible to assess their financial sustainability in terms of public maintenance costs. Individual categories are distinguished by the type of housing development, by the ratio of public space and greenery, and by the extent of public infrastructure.…”

“…The key contribution, at least for this text, is the work by Hudeček et al [47]. The authors investigated public spending on operation and maintenance in relation to urban spatial structures in Czechia, based on the study of 22 cities and 6 urban districts.…”