Morphometrics in Urban Landscapes: Deciphering Complexity for Military Operations

Abstract

Cities are intractably difficult places for military operations and the dense urban operational environment is arguably the most complex in which the U.S. military will be called to operate. As a result of ongoing trends in population growth, urbanization, littoralization, and connectedness, the places where people live are becoming increasingly crowded, urbanized, coastal, and networked. Despite its complexity and significant challenges, the U.S. Army and Joint Services must be prepared to operate in dense urban terrain in the future.

Urban morphology is the study of urban form – of the physical/built “fabric” of cities and the people and processes that shape it. The quantitative analysis of these complexities and patterns is known as urban morphometrics, and understanding this can be crucial for various aspects of operational planning.

I use open data and open-source tools to quantify the physical form of representative urban core areas across the world. I then present comparisons of the metro areas to observe correlations between physical geography and morphological urban tissue – and in what manner physical geography might be used to make inferences about more complex urban characteristics.

This research serves as a foundational step in utilizing urban morphometric analysis to better understand political, military, economic, social, infrastructural, and/or informational aspects of complex urban operational environments. By offering a more insightful method to grasp the complexities of urban landscapes, this work seeks to enhance military operations in dense urban terrains and to contribute to the broader discussion on the evolving nature of warfare.