High resolution map
Focusing the map on European capital cities reveals a diversity of structures and morphologies, from the least populated (e.g. Tallinn, Bratislava or Riga) to the most populated (e.g. Madrid, London or Paris). While Madrid and Paris show large and compact city cores with generally very high population densities, London’s central area still shows an overall high residential density, with moderate residential density at the centre, which gradually declines towards the periphery in a radial pattern. Berlin, on the contrary, shows a more homogeneous pattern, with very large areas around the centre with medium to high population densities. Other cities such as Rome or Lisbon show less compact residential cores and rather disperse peripheries with overall low population densities. This diversity is a result of demographic processes in interaction with the local geographies, cultural idiosyncrasies, and urban planning policies and practices.