Patterns of urban land use in a developing country: the role of transport infrastructure and natural amenities in Brazil

The paper investigates the determinants of urban land use for the city of Recife, Brazil. Using microdata on 98,198 individual parcels and a conditionally parametric spatial multinomial logit model, it is shown that there are considerable spatial heterogeneities in the studied intra-urban context. Additionally, some general patterns of land use are identified: transport infrastructure tends to attract commercial activities, while natural amenities tend to encourage residential development. Finally, on average, the probability of unimproved lots is greater in the immediate vicinity of the historic city centre, and verticalization is greater in areas near the city centre and natural amenities.