Landscape and sprawl. Diachronic and quantitative assessment

Relevant Landscape phenomenon is the focus of the present research i. e. the urban sprawl dating from 1870 to the present date, its quantitative estimation, and its correlation (or not) to demographic growth. Until the mid-1900s European consolidated historic settlements had been traditionally characterized by urban compactness. Subsequently, the European (as well as worldwide) urban system has been affected by the phenomenon of urban sprawl, some negative impacts of which are: the dissemination of low-density new constructions in natural Landscape; the huge land consumption; the urbanization and sealing of land previously devoted to agriculture; the use of private cars for commuting; the huge increase in energy consumption for mobility.