Shortest paths along urban road network peripheries

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications

Volume

597

Publication Date

7-1-2022

Abstract

Studies on road networks, especially on highly-urban areas, have to account not only for the topological (i.e. network structure) but, more so, for the actual physical and geographical constraints that affect the efficiency of transport within the system. Here, we investigate the set of shortest paths across low-betweenness centrality nodes, which are found at the periphery of the network. Travel from one peripheral node to another is characterized by highly sinuous paths, which is expected due to the fact that these nodes represent the most highly inaccessible points in the network. Interestingly, short is not simple, i.e. the shorter paths are more likely to have a broad range of sinuosity values, while longer paths are generally more straight. We propose a categorization of the inaccessibility of peripheral nodes based on topological (network centrality) and spatial (physical dimensions) properties, to determine the most highly-inaccessible locations of the network. Unlike other networked architectures where the nodes and edges can be easily replaced or removed, it is impractical, if not impossible, to flatten down cities to give way for new roads. Studies such as this one can give useful insights for management and improvement of city transportation networks given the current conditions.

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Disciplines

Engineering Physics

Keywords

Urban transportation; Highway research; Highway engineering

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