Impact of ring roads on urban growth: An agent-based modeling approach

Urban growth often follows existing road infrastructures, leading to linear expansion that challenges urban planning. This research examines ring roads' potential to promote compact urban growth. An agent-based model simulates expansion in a grid city, using three rules: preference for the city center, proximity to roads, and proximity to developments. The model allows customizable directional and ring roads. Scenarios with and without ring roads are compared to evaluate their role in mitigating linear growth. The study finds that ring roads can have an impact on containing urban sprawl and development and can also encourage a more compact urban form to be developed.