Energy hierarchy and urban landscape system

The study of ecosystems suggests principles by which the flow of energy generates hierarchies in all systems. From viewpoint of ecological energetics, urban system lies on the highest level of ecosystem hierarchy. The main objective of this paper is to study the effect of energy flows on the hierarchies and spatial organization of urban zonation. This research uses Taipei metropolitan region as the area for the case study. “Emergy” is used as the principal conceptual tool for energy analysis; “transformity” is used to measure the hierarchies of land uses and urban landscape systems. Based on the calculation of the spatial distribution of energy flows, using GIS, the empower density and transformity increase from rural to urban center. In order to delineate zones of different energetics, the 1178 administrative districts of the Taipei metropolitan region are used as units for multivariate classification, in which 19 variables of energy flows are condensed into four factors. The factor scores of each districts are then used as input for cluster analysis and discriminate analysis. As a result, different energy structures, and subsequently, different types and amount of energy flows tend to associate with different intensities of urbanization. The Taipei metropolitan region is classified into six energetic zones: mixed-use urban core; high density urban residential district; service and manufacturing urban district; agricultural district, newly developed suburban district; and natural area. The calculation of transformity and emergy indices further establish the hierarchical order of these zones. The distribution of the six energetic zones, reveals the spatial energetic hierarchies of Taipei metropolitan region. The implication of energetic characteristics to planning practice is also discussed to conclude this research.