Using urban morphology for flood risk in residential areas in Ho Chi Minh city

Abstract

Urban morphology in urban studies is used to classify and manage the distribution of urban densities. In urban planning, it helps to identify the emerging problems and solve the disorder of urban functions as in the megacity of Ho Chi Minh City. Rapid urbanization has increased the development footprint with disordered densities of building footprint, incomplete infrastructure and urban - peripheral instability. And it, then, caused more flood problems to the city.

This study was based on applying fractal geometry, GIS on large-scale maps for identifying residential density based on urban morphology. The land-use map and the building footprints map of 2010 were integrated in fractal geometry to analyze the distribution of urban areas by the large scale of GIS data.

This study showed HCMC had problems on irrational development in residential densities areas; and uneven development of population and residential density between the urban areas. At block scale of land-use block, in urban center had highest densities of building footprints and population, then, the medium densities in developing districts and rural-sub-districts. With these densities, there was more flood in high density areas, as in urban center, and less flood in lower density areas, as in sub-urban areas. These problems may cause some limitations to development of social, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure in HCMC. City needs to have flood control and management for development of the city.