Urban Road Network and its Topology: Case Study of Calicut, India

Abstract

Urban road transport network plays crucial role in the regional development and portray a significant force in shaping the spatial structure of the city itself. Developed and efficient transport network in the urban areas is just like blood flowing through veins in the human body. The present study intends to examine whether the variation in road network centrality is reflected on the connectivity and intensity of the road network of the corporation area of the city of Calicut. By this, our attempt is to assess and evaluate the city level road transport network in the context of a developing country like India. The study reveals that the city is having densely connected network of roads in the central locations, while connectivity and coverage of the network is inversely varying with its distance from the central core. The model result provides a decision-making mechanism to help the local planners to track and interpret the urban form development process of Calicut city.