Analysis of Road Networks Features of Urban Municipal District Based on Fractal Dimension

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The research work is interesting and well constructed. This paper applies fractal theory to the analysis of urban road network characteristics. The feasibility of using the relevant indicators in the fractal process to evaluate the urban road network layout and guide its optimization and adjustment is discussed. The paper is well organized and its presentation is fluent. However, some minor issues still need to be improved:

 

(1)The size of Figure 5 is too small, please expand it appropriately.

(2)The "5. Conclusions" section lacks the prospect of future work.

(3)The authors have omitted some important references，e.g. [GIS-based compactness measurement of urban form at neighborhood scale: The case of Dhaka, Bangladesh], [Urban morphological feature extraction and multi-dimensional similarity analysis based on deep learning approaches], which should be added in the manuscript.

Author Response

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Reviewer 2 Report

Please see attached file for comments and suggestions.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

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Reviewer 3 Report

Overall, this study provides a useful contribution to the analysis of the structural characteristics of the urban road network using fractal theory. However, there are several shortcomings in the conclusions that should be addressed:

Abstract lack of information on the specific data sources that is important to understand the representativeness of the sample in relation to the larger population and the potential biases that may have influenced the results.While the study's focus on fractal dimensions is interesting and innovative, the abstract does not provide a clear explanation of the theoretical significance of these dimensions and how they relate to urban land use and transportation network construction. A brief description of the theoretical underpinnings of the fractal method and its potential implications for urban planning would have been beneficial.

The introduction provides a clear and concise overview of the research topic and the objectives of the study, however, the introduction could benefit from more contextual information on the importance and relevance of studying the fractal dimension of urban road networks.

I have 3 concerns over methods used:

The study relies on data obtained from different sources, including Open Street Map and Heilongjiang Surveying and Mapping Geographic Information Bureau, which may be inconsistent or inaccurate. 

BMP file format is used for image processing, which may not be the most suitable format for the analysis. 

Configurations employed in the study for calculating the fractal dimensions, such as the number of box sizes and the increment value of grid rotation, may not be optimal and could potentially affect the accuracy of the results.

Discussion section provides a clear overview of the relationship between fractal dimensions and district patterns in the analysis of road networks, also, statistical data and analysis supports their arguments.

Still, there are several shortcomings that need to be addressed: 

The author does not provide a clear definition of what is meant by "district patterns." This term is used throughout the discussion but is not defined, which could lead to confusion for readers.

Also, the discussion could benefit from a more detailed explanation of the methodology used to calculate fractal dimensions. While the author briefly mentions that different factors can influence the calculation of FD, they do not provide a thorough explanation of how these factors are taken into account or controlled for in the analysis.

Moreover, while the author notes that districts with relatively similar patterns may not have the same FD, they do not provide a clear explanation of why this is the case. This lack of explanation leaves readers with unanswered questions about the underlying factors that contribute to differences in FD among districts with similar patterns.

Furthermore, the discussion does not provide a clear explanation of how the findings can be applied in practice. While the author notes that the analysis enriches the application of fractal methods in the planning field, they do not provide specific examples or suggestions for how this can be done.

Again, the discussion could benefit from a more critical analysis of the limitations of the study. For example, the author could discuss the potential for bias in the sample or the limitations of using statistical analysis to draw conclusions about complex systems like road networks.

A more concise and informative summary of the study's main findings should be provided in conclusions section.

Some other points of improvement are as: 

The study only analyzes the road network structure of nine districts in Harbin, which may not be representative of the entire city. Therefore, the generalization of the conclusions to other cities or regions should be done with caution.

The study does not provide a clear explanation of the limitations and assumptions of the fractal theory applied. More details on the accuracy and reliability of the results obtained through the fractal analysis are needed.

The study only focuses on the correlation between FDs and district patterns, and does not explore the causal relationship between them. More research is needed to investigate the factors that influence the fractal properties of road networks, such as geographical features, urban planning, and transportation policies.

The study does not provide any practical recommendations or implications for urban planners or policymakers. More discussion on the practical significance of the findings and how they can be applied to improve the design and management of urban road networks is needed.

Author Response

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Reviewer 4 Report

The manuscript is focused on determining the numeric value of different types of fractal dimensions of a specific Chinese municipality and comparing them. While the work may be useful for students learning about fractal dimensions and their application in geography, it appears that the work may lack a robust result for researchers. Additionally,  the study only focuses on a single case (Harbin City), which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
What about the systematic application of these methods for a group of cities? It seems to me that the work is still in progress and has not yet reached the publication stage.


Some minor comments:


1) The variables presented are not in an equation form. For instance, if the authors use latex, they need to write $d$ (variable between "$") and not only d. It happens for many variables described throughout the text;


2) The figure's captions are very laconic and short. Suggestion: use the caption as an opportunity to summarize the ideas and guide the readers.   

3) In Figure 1, I suggest drawing a map of China highlighting Harbin city, only to give a geographic situation for readers unfamiliar with the Chinese map.

Author Response

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Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors have included all my comments and suggestions. We recommend this paper for possible publication in IJGI.

Reviewer 3 Report

Improvements are commendable. 

Reviewer 4 Report

The manuscript continues to lack solid results. It is suitable as a review of the methods to compute the fractal dimension of natural structures but is poor in terms of scientific novelty.