Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Micro Economic Activities in Rome Reveals Patterns of Mixed-Use Urban Evolution

Area of Science:

• Urban studies
• Economic geography
• Sociology

Background:

• Understanding urban growth is key to understanding societal evolution and adaptation within shared spaces.
• Historical analysis of urban development requires examining the dynamics of its constituent elements, such as commercial activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively analyze the historical development of a large urban area, specifically Rome.
• To investigate the spatial distribution and age of commercial activities to reveal socio-economic dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative analysis of the historical development of commercial activities in Rome.
• Investigating spatial distribution and age of various commercial activities.
• Utilizing entropy measures to study commercial category diversification.

Main Results:

• Commercial activity age exhibits a double exponential trend, potentially linked to the 1970s oil crisis.
• Commercial category diversification saturates with activity density.
• Specific commercial categories show spatial attraction over time.

Conclusions:

• Spatio-temporal distribution of commercial activities offers insights into urbanisation processes.
• Reveals non-trivial socio-economic dynamics, including crisis periods and expansion trends.
• Contributes to characterizing the maturity of urban areas.