The urban scaling theory gives a framework to analyse cities in the context of their size. New data for analysing urban scaling theory allow an understanding of how urban metrics change with their population size, whether they apply across most regions or if patterns correspond only to some country or region. Yet, reducing a city and all its complexity into a single indicator might simplify urban areas to an extent where their disparities and variations are overlooked. Often, the differences between the living conditions in different parts of the same city are bigger than the degree of variation observed between cities. For example, in terms of rent or crime, within-city variations might be more significant than between cities. Here, we review some urban scaling principles and explore ways to analyse variations within the same city.

https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/9789819800827_0005