Scaling Laws in Urban Geography. Linkages with Urban Theories, Challenges and Limitations

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Scaling laws are simple, easily usable and proven relevant models used in geography for validating various urban theories. These non-linear relationships may reveal physical constraints on the structure and evolution of complex systems, and underline the relationship between urban functions, size of cities and innovation cycles. In this contribution, we examine to what extent scaling laws are transferable towards urban theories and in which specific fields of urban geography these models may be relevant. We thus focus on the accuracy of scaling laws when exploring structures and processes of systems of cities, the diffusion of innovation, metropolization and intra-urban dynamics. We therefore use several examples taken in different regions of the world, embedded in various historical, political and economic contexts. However, in some cases, care must be taken not to over-interpret the results obtained from scaling laws and not to give scaling laws more explanatory power than they can describe. We illustrate this point by providing recommendations relying for instance on the sensitivity of measurements to the delineation of each object of the system under study and to the definition of the system itself. These recommendations can help to get robust results in order to understand the generic evolutionary mechanisms in urban systems.