City road networks grow like biological systems
A new analysis explains why different cities’ road networks look similar [Â] uncovering the relationship may help predict urban sprawl.
Next time you are lost in an unfamiliar city, console yourself with the knowledge that the layout of its roads are probably much the same as in any other.
French and US physicists have shown that the road networks in cities evolve driven by a simple universal mechanism despite significant cultural and historical differences. The resulting patterns are much like the veins of a leaf.