Considering that each city has different socio-economic and geographical
characteristics, the spatial imprint of transportation varies accordingly (Figure 7.1).
For instance, while North American cities tend to have an urban form that has been
shaped by the automobile, cities in other parts of the world, because of different modal
preferences and infrastructure developments, have different urban forms. Even if the
geographical setting of each city varies considerably, the urban form and its spatial
structure are articulated by two structural elements: