Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Form Change in Developing Africa: The Case of Addis Ababa City

Urban form is an element of city complexity that influences urban daily activities and sustainability. Particularly, fast urban land expansion in developing countries has transformed urban form and directly or indirectly impacts the biodiversity, physical environment, and socioeconomic conditions. As a result, spatiotemporal analysis of urban form change and its implication on sustainable development were demanded to evaluate trends of spatial growth and urban planning. This study assesses the urban form change of Addis Ababa based on integrated approaches and explores implications for sustainable urban development. Results indicated that spatial morphological patterns, landscape complexity, and spatial concentration had changed rapidly in recent years, implying the need for compactness, high density, and urban regeneration for urban development strategies.