How green neighbourhoods make cities more compact? A 2D microeconomic perspective

We analyse urban growth forms by means of a 2D microeconomic model with no symmetry assumption where households value green space at neighbourhood scale. We analytically demonstrate that cities can grow more densely when households have the possibility to enlarge the neighbourhood in which they value green space, thus emphasizing the importance of neighbourhood planning in particular for facilitating short trips and view to amenities. We also show by simulation that the size and form of the city, relative to the size and form of neighbourhoods, impact on the decision of households to leapfrog agricultural land or not, hence impact on the emergence of sprawl patterns. We conclude that carefully addressing the spatial arrangement of green space and activities within neighbourhoods may constitute an effective policy lever in some urban contexts and a positive incentive to a more compact development.