Batty M., Longley P. Fractal Cities: A Geometry of Form and Function

Academic Press, 1994. - 432 Pages.Fractal Cities is the pioneering study of the development and use of fractal geometry for understanding and planning the physical form of cities, showing how this geometry enables cities to be simulated throughcomputer graphics. The book explains how the structure of cities evolve in ways which at first sight may appear irregular, but when understood in terms of fractals reveal a complex and diverse underlying order. The book includes numerous illustrations and 16 pages full-color plates of stunning computer graphics, along with explanations of how to construct them. The authors provide an accessible and thought-provoking introduction to fractal geometry, as well as an exciting visual understanding of the form of cities. This approach, bolstered by new insights into the complexity of social systems, provides one of the best introductions to fractal geometry available for non-mathematicians and social scientists.Fractal Cities is useful as a textbook for courses on geographic information systems, urban geography, regional science, and fractal geometry. Planners and architects will find that many aspects of fractal geometry covered in this book are relevant to their own interests. Those involved in fractals and chaos, computer graphics, and systems theory will also find important methods and examples germane to their work.