Rethinking Suburbs: Morphological and Network Analysis Review

Rethinking suburbs provides answers to how can we design and plan neighborhoods in which non-motorized mobility is a viable and efficient alternative; and how the street systems and alleys of neighborhoods can be designed and retrofitted to make their urban fabrics more efficient and integrated.

Streets play significant roles in meeting multiple sustainability objectives. This research addresses Abu Dhabi's and Dubai's street connectivity at the neighborhood (local) and city (global) scales. It focuses on two parameters of street network analysis: efficiency and centrality. Efficiency is evaluated in terms of directness, noting that network designs that provide short and direct access between origins and destinations are more efficient. Centrality is evaluated using graph theory metrics that enable the identification of high- and low-accessibility locations within networks.

The conventional suburban model of low-density, automobile-centric development with fragmented streets cannot foster high levels of accessibility within neighborhoods. This study offers an alternative, evidence-based suburban design model for future cities.