Uncovering patterns of urban growth and infrastructure progress in Grand Casablanca: A descriptive multi-indicator approach

Urbanization in Morocco has intensified, with 65% of the population living in cities by 2022 despite slowing growth rates. Road infrastructure plays a pivotal role in shaping urban form, land-use change, and socio-economic development. This study examines the spatial interplay between road network topology and urban expansion in the Grand Casablanca region, focusing on Casablanca, Nouaceur, Mediouna, and Mohammedia. Using a multi-indicator visual analytics framework—combining radar plots, correlation matrices, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), and dimensionality reduction—the analysis explores links among urban density, land-use change, population distribution, and infrastructure access. KDE maps road network density against urbanization indices to reveal spatial disparities and typologies rather than merely statistical regularities. Findings highlight how road infrastructure drives uneven development trajectories and provide context-sensitive insights to guide equitable and strategic planning in rapidly urbanizing metropolitan regions.