Landscape ecology, urban morphology, and CBDs: An analysis of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area

Landscape structure variables, derived from landscape ecology theory, are widely used in ecological studies. Fifteen landscape indices, organized into four groups - size, complexity, diversity, neighborhood - are computed for each of the 1,763 Traffic Analysis Zones in the seven-county Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area (CMA), using Fragstats and GIS. Urban morphology study is first presented, and regression models are estimated for each landscape index as a function of distances to the major metropolitan area central business districts (CBDs). Multiple functional forms have been tested for the models. Overall, the results provide evidence of the importance of role of CBDs on the landscape structure. CBDs significantly impact landscape indices in most cases.