The built environment is a significant factor in many urban processes, yet direct measures of built form are
seldom used in geographical studies. Representation and analysis of urban form and function could provide
new insights and improve the evidence base for research. So far progress has been slow due to limited data
availability, computational demands, and a lack of methods to integrate built environment data with
aggregate geographical analysis. Spatial data and computational improvements are overcoming some of
these problems, but there remains a need for techniques to process and aggregate urban form data. Here we
develop a Built Environment Model of urban function and dwelling type classifications for Greater
London, based on detailed topographic and address-based data (sourced from Ordnance Survey
MasterMap). The multi-scale approach allows the Built Environment Model to be viewed at fine-scales for
local planning contexts, and at city-wide scales for aggregate geographical analysis, allowing an improved
understanding of urban processes. This flexibility is illustrated in the two examples, that of urban function
and residential type analysis, where both local-scale urban clustering and city-wide trends in density and
agglomeration are shown. While we demonstrate the multi-scale Built Environment Model to be a viable
approach, a number of accuracy issues are identified, including the limitations of 2D data, inaccuracies in
commercial function data and problems with temporal attribution. These limitations currently restrict the
more advanced applications of the Built Environment Model