Tuesday 08 April 2025
The quest for a comprehensive understanding of urban centers has long been an elusive goal for researchers and policymakers alike. Cities are complex ecosystems, comprising diverse populations, economies, and infrastructure, making it challenging to define and identify their socioeconomic hubs. A recent study aimed to tackle this issue by developing a global map of urban centers using advanced geospatial modeling techniques.
The research team employed a novel approach, integrating nighttime light data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite with population density information from various sources. This fusion allowed them to pinpoint the central areas of cities worldwide, providing valuable insights into their spatial structures and socioeconomic dynamics.
The resulting map reveals that monocentric cities – those dominated by a single, central hub – still predominate globally, accounting for over 80% of urban centers. However, these monocentric cities only occupy around 20% of the total urbanized area, population, and nighttime light intensity. This disparity highlights significant differences in urban development across regions.
A closer examination of the data shows that high-income countries tend to exhibit greater polycentricity – the presence of multiple, smaller centers – compared to low-income nations. This correlation suggests a link between economic growth and the emergence of more complex urban structures. The study’s findings have important implications for urban planning and policy-making, as they underscore the need to consider the diverse characteristics of cities worldwide.
The researchers also analyzed population density decay curves around identified urban centers, revealing a clear agglomeration of residents near the main center and a gradual decline towards the periphery. This pattern is consistent across large urban areas in various countries, including Los Angeles, Beijing, Berlin, and London.
In addition to identifying urban centers, the study’s methodology can be applied to other research questions. For instance, it could be used to investigate the relationship between city size, economic activity, and population density or to analyze the impact of urbanization on environmental sustainability.
The global map of urban centers provides a valuable tool for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers seeking to understand and address the complex challenges facing cities worldwide. By integrating data from multiple sources and applying advanced geospatial modeling techniques, this study has taken an important step towards creating a more comprehensive understanding of urban ecosystems.
Cite this article: “Unveiling the Urban Landscape: A Global Map of City Centers and Polycentric Structures”, The Science Archive, 2025.
Urban Centers, Global Map, Geospatial Modeling, Nighttime Light Data, Population Density, Monocentric Cities, Polycentricity, Urban Planning, Policy-Making, Urban Ecosystems
Reference: Shuai Pang, Junlong Zhang, Lei Dong, “Socioeconomic centers in cities worldwide” (2025).
