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Cities as Movement Economies
Abstract
This paper is taken from the forthcoming book, "Space is the Machine" (CUP 1996) which brings together some of the recent developments in applying configurational analysis to issues of architectural and urban theory. The paper reports a fundamental research finding: that movement in the urban grid is, all other things being equal, generated by the configuration of the grid itself. This finding allows completely new insights into the structure of urban grids, and the way these stuctures relate to urban function. The relation between grid and movement in fact underlies many other aspects of urban form: the distribution of land uses such as retail and residence, spatial patterning of crime, the evolution of different densities and even the part-whole structure of cities. The influence of the fundamental grid-movement relation is so pervasive that cities are conceptualized here as 'movement economies', in which the structuring of movement by the grid leads, through multiplier effects, to dense patterns of mixed use encounter that characterize the spatially successful city.
... As Lynch (1984) points out, quality and clarity can be achieved through clear planning and simplicity of formation, which gives the possibility of visualizing the built environment through well-known elements represented by a sign with a number, name, or a landmark, It is the degree of visual clarity of the spaces that make up the system or the built environment (Lynch, 1984). Within the same concept, Hillier (1996) explains the term Intelligibility. Salingaros (2000) points out the importance of easy identification of nodal spaces, noting the importance of the node being central, such as emanating from the road network system (Salingaros, 2000a). ...
... Alexander (1987) adds the idea of " wholeness: the concept of wholeness is necessary for the urban environment, not formally, but through communications and overlap in events and activities. Salingaros (2016) also highlights the importance of nodes through their integration and multiple connections with the urban environment (Alexander, 1987;Hillier, 1996;Salingaros and Pagliardini, 2016). Alexander (2002) says that traditional cities have the importance of cohesion. ...
... The importance lies in accessibility in achieving justice and equal opportunities (Whyte, 1980;Lynch and Hack, 1984;Mulley and Nelson, 2020). In addition to the previously mentioned spatial characteristics, both Hillier (1996) & Salingaros (2015 explain the importance of accessibility, which lie in the balance between total and partial movement and pedestrian and vehicle permeability. ...
Urban nodes act as connecting cores of the urban environments, actively contributing to spatial connectivity and the developments of vital locations within the cities. This paper presents the concept of 'spatial associativity' as a dimension of sustainable healthy places in cities. The problem lies in trying to encourage the use of public urban nodes because they possess urban indicators with features that enhance the social and cultural interaction aspects and ultimately contribute to improving health. The study uses a descriptive analytical approach to identify associativity indicators that support the growth of healthy nodes. The "DepthMap8" application was utilized to facilitate the two primary analytical techniques for spatial syntax: axial graph analysis (AGA) and visual graph analysis (VGA). Additionally, the reliability utilizing the Alpha coefficient were ascertained by using SPSS to analyze the research sample and questionnaire. This gives a better understanding of the spatial configuration of space and its impact on human behavior in the study area and to verify the possibility of the health node's sustainability. The findings show that the spatial formation of the entire area had a substantial impact on the achievement of associativity indicators in the selected urban node through (Connectivity, Legibility, and Integration indicators). Similarly, the research demonstrates some secondary indicators that assist in linking the area to its urban surroundings, which adds vitality to the process of urban spatial formation and aids in the creation of a healthy urban environment.
... It quantifies the properties of spatial structure through mathematical modeling, reveals the complex relationship between spatial form and function, and is widely used to study the impact of street form on commercial vibrancy [21]. Space syntax shows the differences in accessibility, visibility, and commercial adaptability between street patterns (such as grid and organic forms) [22,23]. For example, the grid pattern is characterized by a regular linear street layout, which improves traffic accessibility and walkability, thereby promoting commercial distribution; the organic pattern has an irregular configuration that can promote more significant social interaction and cultural continuity [22,[24][25][26]. ...
... Space syntax shows the differences in accessibility, visibility, and commercial adaptability between street patterns (such as grid and organic forms) [22,23]. For example, the grid pattern is characterized by a regular linear street layout, which improves traffic accessibility and walkability, thereby promoting commercial distribution; the organic pattern has an irregular configuration that can promote more significant social interaction and cultural continuity [22,[24][25][26]. However, traditional space syntax research mainly focuses on spatial analysis at the macro scale, lacking fine-grained research on micro-scale commercial distribution, especially for specific industries such as the catering industry. ...
... By focusing on the catering industry, this study provides a foundation for understanding the relationship between street patterns and commercial vibrancy. Although studies by Rashid [21], B. Hillier [22], and Mohamed and van der Laag Yamu [23] have demonstrated differences in accessibility, visibility, and commercial adaptability among various street patterns, these studies have predominantly focused on macro-scale or general functional classifications. They lack fine-grained analysis of commercial distribution, especially the spatial distribution of segmented business types in different urban forms. ...
This study integrates space syntax and big data from the catering industry to explore the impact of grid and organic street patterns on the spatial distribution of restaurants from the perspective of urban morphology. Space syntax is a set of theories and techniques for the analysis of spatial configurations. Focusing on five areas of the Macau Peninsula, this study models urban forms using space syntax. Syntactic parameters and Dianping data are analyzed through geographic visualization, correlation analysis, and descriptive statistics. The results reveal that grid-patterned streets provide a relatively equitable commercial environment through a structured hierarchy, whereas organic-patterned streets foster commercial diversity via more complex accessibility patterns. Additionally, at the local network level, a “cultural layer network” mechanism is revealed in organically shaped streets, supporting the stable distribution of different types of restaurants within specific accessibility ranges. For the first time, this study employs high precision (street-level accuracy), multidimensional analysis (number of restaurants and number of reviews), and a systematic methodology (“form-function” research framework) within the same space syntax model to uncover the effects of different urban morphologies on restaurant distribution. Collectively, these findings highlight street morphology’s key role in shaping vibrant commercial street networks in rapidly urbanizing contexts, reveal the morphological–socioeconomic synergy underpinning local catering ecosystems, and offer robust empirical guidance for integrated urban renewal, planning, and design strategies.
... This becomes increasingly significant when considering other intervening factors, such as active land uses. This oversight is significant since space syntax measures have been shown to be strong predictors of movement (both pedestrian and vehicular) in urban grids (Lerman et al., 2014;Sharmin & Kamruzzaman, 2018;, and in the incremental development of active land use and microeconomics (Hillier, 1996a;Nag et al., 2022). Therefore, addressing this gap and gaining a better understanding of potential relationships could significantly enhance planning and policy-making. ...
... It must be noted that the space syntax analysis does not advocate the predictability of individual human movement, but rather the probability of patterns that emerge out of an aggregation of spatial behaviours. Although space syntax provides a mathematical model, the body of literature that has evolved around it shows that the spatial configuration of the built environment can have significant impacts on the micro-economy (Hillier, 1996a;van Nes & Yamu, 2021), pedestrian movement rate (Lerman et al., 2014), walkability , bicycle circulation , vehicular circulation rates (Amézquita-López et al., 2021), crime rates (Matijosaitiene, 2016), land values (Morales et al., 2020), and land uses (Alalouch et al., 2019), to name a few. ...
... By exploring traffic accidents through space syntax, it is possible to identify patterns and correlations between the spatial configuration of urban environments and accident occurrence. This is possible because the body of theories developed around evidence-based space syntax analysis reveals its potential to identify areas that are more likely to experience traffic accidents, such as areas with high traffic flow (Jiang & Liu, 2009;Patterson, 2016;Steadman, 2004), high pedestrian activity (Hillier, 1996a;Hillier & Hanson, 1984;Hillier et al., 1993), or poor visibility (Raford & Ragland, 2004). This information can be used to develop targeted interventions, such as redesigning road layouts or improving pedestrian crossings to reduce the incidence of accidents in high-risk areas. ...
Understanding the nature of traffic accidents in relation to urban access networks is crucial for building safer and more resilient cities. This paper examines the issue of traffic accidents through the lenses of urban configurational theory and urban land use. Three data layers were used in the study, including space syntax analysis conducted in Depthmap X, geotagged traffic accidents collected by the police department, and geotagged land-use data. The method involved superimposing these data layers and exploring potential correlations using a geographic information system (GIS). The findings indicate significant correlations between the spatial frequency of traffic accidents and the choice measure (at 2500 m), local integration, and active land use. The findings of this study can help inform planners and policymakers about the best location to implement safety measures to reduce the risk of traffic accidents in urban access networks.
... In detail, connectivity measures the number of immediate neighbors directly connected to a node, providing a local perspective on network interconnections [48,73,87]. Analyzing the relationship between connectivity and overall integration within a spatial system leads to the concept of intelligibility [88]. Its value equals the R 2 coefficient of determination from the regression between connectivity values and global integration. ...
... The control value is a dynamic local measure that quantifies the extent to which space influences access to its neighboring areas. It assesses the number of alternative connections available to each neighboring space, thus evaluating the relative influence of a particular space on accessibility and movement patterns within its immediate vicinity [88]. ...
... As defined by Hillier [88], intelligence is the capacity of a structure to provide a clear local indicator to understand spaces at a global level, allowing the study of different parts of urban areas and their relationship [83]. This intelligence is calculated by analyzing the correlation between Connectivity (a local measure) and Integration (a global measure). ...
Located in the vast Algerian Sahara, Bechar has experienced over the years uncontrolled urban growth. It has evolved from a simple oasis and ksar (traditional settlement) to a city with a contrasting center and segregated outskirts. This growth has led to significant urban fragmentation that affected residents’ quality of life. This research uses space syntax theory to analyze Bechar’s urban configurations and their impact on functionality and sustainability. The study examines integration, connectivity, control, and intelligibility through axial maps and syntactic measures. Findings reveal that areas with high integration show better accessibility and reduced vehicle reliance, while segregated areas face accessibility challenges and limited services. Global integration values range from −1 to 1.192, averaging at 0.767, which indicates different accessibility among neighborhoods. These insights are crucial to identify areas where sustainable urban planning can mitigate adverse effects and enhance city efficiency. We created an axial map using DepthmapX v0.8.0 software and a modified digital QGIS map to collect data and measure Bechar’s urban properties. The methodology we used translates social behaviors into spatial representations, generating interpretative models for social and spatial phenomena. This article provides valuable information on the infrastructure and service needs, guiding strategic resource allocation. The proposed urban design strategies include urban canopies and optimized building ratios to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability. To conclude, we recommend practical solutions to enhance the sustainability and functioning of urban areas similar to Bechar.
... Space syntax considers the level of connectedness and analyzes how the spatial layout, ergo spatial configuration, of the network as a whole predicts the intensity of space usage patterns such as movement flows and face-to-face encounters (Hillier and Vaughan 2007). Supported by research evidence, Hillier stressed that spatial configuration is the generator of movement flows (Hillier et al. 1993) that determines land use patterns (Hillier 1996a(Hillier , 1996b. This understanding of the configuration-function relationship helps to explain how design and planning affect human occupancy and makes it possible to forecast the likely consequences of design changes. ...
... This cluster mainly includes studies on the relationship between space and activity and the role of street configuration in the distribution of pedestrian movement and possibilities for services. Earlier space syntax studies have found that when other spatial conditions (e.g., land use and density) remain equal, street configuration first naturally generates urban movement flows (Hillier 1996b;Hillier and Iida 2005;Hillier et al. 1993;Penn et al. 1998), which then attract economic activities and other movement seeking functions, and these, in turn, are likely to generate "multiplier effects" on pedestrian volumes with further influence on land use choices (Hillier 1996a). This interrelation between spatial configuration, pedestrian movement, and attraction (i.e., functional dimension) is what Hillier (1996a) has conceptualized as the theory of the "movement economy" that has been recently extended by adding physical structure (i.e., conditions) and urban area type to the model (Lerman and Omer 2016). ...
... Earlier space syntax studies have found that when other spatial conditions (e.g., land use and density) remain equal, street configuration first naturally generates urban movement flows (Hillier 1996b;Hillier and Iida 2005;Hillier et al. 1993;Penn et al. 1998), which then attract economic activities and other movement seeking functions, and these, in turn, are likely to generate "multiplier effects" on pedestrian volumes with further influence on land use choices (Hillier 1996a). This interrelation between spatial configuration, pedestrian movement, and attraction (i.e., functional dimension) is what Hillier (1996a) has conceptualized as the theory of the "movement economy" that has been recently extended by adding physical structure (i.e., conditions) and urban area type to the model (Lerman and Omer 2016). The movement economy process helps us understand how urban centers and sub-centers-or the concentration of functional uses and activities in certain locations-are generated and sustained (Hillier 1999). ...
Despite numerous reviews of space syntax research, there has been little emphasis on the field's main characteristics and tendencies, including publication trends, geographical distribution, leading authors and institutions, collaboration networks, influential publications, research fronts, and research gaps. Bibliometric analysis techniques were employed to review nearly five decades of publications (1976–2023) drawn from multiple data sources to assess the field's annual trend of publications; its social, intellectual, and conceptual structures; and future research directions. The findings provide an overview of the landscape of space syntax studies and a valuable reference for a wide range of academics and professionals.
... Live centers are influenced by the urban grid (Hillier et al., 1993;Hillier, 1996b). The characteristics of urban centers can be summarized into two aspects: Jacobs (1961) states that streets and sidewalks are indicators of urban quality and social space, where 'pedestrians' act as agents, creating 'eyes on the street' through natural surveillance. ...
... The analysis begins by creating a configurational model of urban street networks, including the publicly accessible areas (Hillier, 1996b;Dawson, 2003). The urban street networks are then divided into visible subspaces called "convex spaces" that encompass the entire network. ...
... The urban street networks are then divided into visible subspaces called "convex spaces" that encompass the entire network. These convex spaces are represented by the fewest and longest straight lines on the street network and the city public spaces, called the 'axial lines (Hillier, 1996b). As it forms a continuous network, it can be represented as an "axial map." ...
There are many historic city centers that were once the centers of cities that face challenges in maintaining their centrality. This results in the loss of their ability to attract economic activities and people, leading to the abandonment of historically valuable architecture and decreased pedestrian traffic. This research examines the process of transformation of urban centrality in cities through the theory of urban centrality. It identifies the factors influential in preserving centrality of cities, which affects the preservation of valuable vernacular architecture. It employs a case study approach as a research method, and focuses on the old town district of Sakon Nakhon city. Space syntax methods are deployed to ascertain the spatial relations. The findings reveal that there are two significant factors contributing to the preservation of centrality in the old town. The first is the urban grid configuration, which influences the creation of natural movement patterns at both the city and local levels. The second is the local street network integrated into the global street network. Both factors have an impact on the liveliness of the city and the preservation of valuable vernacular architecture, benefiting from increased pedestrian movements resulting from the maintenance of city centrality.
... Thus, the current research proves the efficiency of space syntax methodology in disclosing the latent features of historic urban patterns and their relationship to functional patterns. This emphasizes the role of spatial configuration in shaping human behavior and movement patterns and aligns with cities as movement economy theory [47]. ...
One of the challenges confronting urban conservation is the inclusion of heritage areas in the development process. While often seen as constraints, heritage areas represent promising opportunities to enhance city character and quality. Nevertheless, the inclusion of heritage areas in the development process is intricate, requiring an extensive analysis of the urban form of heritage areas to facilitate the inclusion process. From this stance, this paper proposes a comprehensive analytical framework for identifying the features and characteristics of heritage areas, using Assiut City in Egypt as a case study. The proposed framework addresses four interrelated dimensions of urban design: the morphological, the functional, the perceptual, and the social. Space syntax methodology, mainly axial mapping, is employed to analyze the urban pattern of Assiut’s Historic Core to disclose its spatial configuration and morphological features. The author will use Survey and field observation to address the heritage area’s functional, perceptual, and social features (33 respondents and five interviewees). Thus, this paper utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to provide a holistic understanding of the urban heritage area. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of the importance of including heritage areas in the development process and how the proposed analytical framework can contribute to revealing the features of urban areas in general and heritage areas in particular. Thus, policymakers and urban planners can map out the areas of improvement and development fostering inclusive, well-integrated urban regeneration and urban development of our cities.
... Urban design and planning methods tend to have a spatial bias and struggle to incorporate temporal dynamics. Some multi-disciplinary scholars have tried to integrate mobility flows and spatial planning in novel ways, such as the theory of 'movement economies' [29], operationalized through Space Syntax tools, and the 'new mobilities paradigm' [30] in geography. Although quantitative planning support systems have become more popular [31], space and time are rarely addressed together in urban design [5,8,13,32]. ...
Recently the transportation sector has witnessed several new technologically driven disruptions that have amplified the complexity of city planning and policymaking. Traditional well-established processes of decision-making in urban planning and transportation are proving insufficient to deal with this degree of complexity and uncertainty. This paper proposes an alternative approach, combining qualitative and normative urban design, with quantitative and predictive transport modelling. This requires urban designers and transport modellers to co-create goal-driven and agile transport models that act as a heuristic tool to guide planning decisions in early design stages. Heuristic modelling is informed by design optioning and vice versa in an iterative loop. A case study is presented to demonstrate how this approach is operationalized to study the impacts of automated vehicles on urban planning. Design workshops are used as a method to elicit responses from stakeholders, which are used to co-create the simulation models. This collaborative process grounds the research in real-world practice and enhances the communication of design proposals and research findings across disciplines. By integrating design thinking methods with agent-based transport simulations, this approach provides a better understanding of emergent effects in complex urban systems and improves stakeholder engagement in the planning process.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘Co-creating the future: participatory cities and digital governance’.
... Urban planning, land use and transportation systems are intrinsically linked, influencing urban movement, development and organization [2]. These connections affect location exposure, business expansion and the demand for transportation [3]. Urban transportation not only responds to but also shapes land use, impacting office and residential locations, land prices and urban density. ...
Historically, urban congestion and street life quality depended on city network hierarchies, shaped by land use and street layout. Yet navigation apps have shifted focus to travel time as the key route selection factor, challenging traditional urban structures. We review the development of an innovative approach to urban traffic management that leverages real-time data for the identification and analysis of traffic bottlenecks. This approach, combined with urban planning, aims to improve traffic flow and tackle modern urban challenges. It includes real-time bottleneck detection and cost, congestion analysis and designing a decentralized traffic management system that can serve planners. Based on complex system principles, it promises dynamic traffic optimization, merging urban planning with digital advancements. The research demonstrates the potential of different applications of the proposed methodologies to predict significant congestion from early bottleneck formation, offering urban planners a powerful toolset for reasserting their role in shaping the urban experience. This article posits that a nuanced understanding of traffic dynamics, coupled with advanced traffic management technologies, can restore the influence of urban planning in the digital era, fostering more liveable, equitable and efficient urban environments.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘Co-creating the future: participatory cities and digital governance’.
... The development of analytical design tools supports the generation and testing of design scenarios for their impact on walkability. Of note has been the implementation of Hillier and Hanson's space syntax theory (1984), which draws on network theory, social studies, and environmental research (Hanson, 1990;HILLIER et al., 1993;Hillier, 1996Hillier, , 1999Penn and Turner, 2004), proposing that space is intrinsic to human activity and that its configuration can be quantified and analysed to predict movement and behaviour (Karimi, 2012). ...
The growing availability of urban data and urban analytic methods presents an opportunity for urbanists and urban planners to more effectively use evidence during the design and planning process. This offers a means to better inform decision-making processes in response to topical issues such as adaptation to climate change, the impact of urban form on public health, and the liveability of cities in the context of rapid urbanisation.We present a vantage point of emerging evidence-based urban design and planning (EBDP), considering both historical and contemporary perspectives in theory and practice. We emphasise the need for evidence and analysis to be rooted in pedestrian-scale urbanism to avoid perpetuating spatial patterns of development at cross purposes to walkable, vibrant, and liveable cities. Examples of implemented projects from practitioners of EBDP are then shared to illustrate typical approaches to evidence-based workflows in practise. Finally, we propose a methodological framework to incorporate evidence as part of the design and planning process, framing EBDP as a dynamic and iterative pipeline which balances design goals with real-world constraints.
... Natural movement -and so the spatial configuration itself-influences land use pattern since spaces with high movement rates will attract commercial uses, while non-movement seeking activities (e.g. residence and the like) will migrate to locations with low co-presence (Hillier, 1996a;Greene, 2002;Topçu et al, 2007). The attracted uses produce 'multiplier effect' on movement since they increase the importance of the locations themselves and, in turn, encourage further uses. ...
This chapter sets out to provide a detailed description of the relationship between space and society. It begins by discussing how people co-live in spaces and how such spaces co-live as communities. Understanding the relationship between space and society requires shedding light on how (1) communities emerge and work and (2) people build their social network. The chapter's main premise is that spatial configuration is the container of activities and the way we construct our cities influences our social life. Therefore, the urban environment should be analyzed mathematically using urban models in order to evaluate and predict future urban policies. The chapter reviews a space-people paradigm, Space Syntax. It defines, elaborates, and interprets its main concepts and tools, showing how urban space is modelled and described in terms of various spatial measures including connectivity, integration, depth, choice, and isovist properties.
... This perspective challenges the conventional dichotomy between place and the act of moving between places. In tandem, the theory of 'movement economy' explains that urban activities adeptly adjust to capitalise on this movement's potential [25]. An additional strand of thought, known as the 'pervasive centrality' theory, proposes that central functions permeate the network, producing a pattern that surpasses the expectations delineated by theories of poly-centrality [26]. ...
This article presents an argument for the enhanced utilisation of urban morphology in urban design, drawing inspiration from space syntax theory and methodologies, advocating for the integration of social, economic, and cultural considerations alongside physical structures. This perspective shift entails transitioning from descriptive analysis to quantitative inquiries for the prediction and assessment of urban dynamics. By incorporating spatial analysis and socio-economic factors, urban morphology offers a competent understanding of the complexities inherent to urban environments. This comprehension supports the development of evidence-based designs and predictive models that enable such an approach in urban design. To operationalise this approach, the article introduces a methodology that interlinks urban morphology and design through a cyclic process encompassing analysis, design, evaluation, and further design development. This framework is illustrated through the case study of Jilin City, where an assessment of the public transport system led to a comprehensive urban design strategy. The study demonstrates how urban morphology insights, supported by analytical investigations enabled by space syntax methodology, can actively influence urban design and planning practices. By effectively embedding this morphological approach, urban designers and planners acquire the tools needed to navigate the evolving urban systems while respecting the interplay between physical structures and human existence. The article concludes by highlighting the need for an ongoing evolution of this approach to maintain relevance in shaping future urban settings.
... On the other hand, the analysis of Regent's Canalside indicates that local-scale potential movement has an impact on the number and density of retailers. However, this study does not support the hypothesis that potential movement dominates retail activities in canal-side areas, as suggested by Hillier (1996). One possible reason for this is that the canal network and canal-side regeneration projects have influenced retail distribution. ...
Cities incorporating navigable canals have played a crucial role in global trade and provided a platform for a range of activities for people from various locations. This research aims to comprehend the role of inner-city canals, formed as branches of shipping canals, in the spatial accessibility and functional structure of two contemporary urban systems: London and Amsterdam. Both cities are major post-industrial hubs in Europe and their spatial development and socioeconomic conditions have been greatly influenced by waterways. While the canal network in Amsterdam was planned alongside street layout planning in the early 17th century, serving commercial purposes, canals were integrated into London’s pre-existing urban form mainly for transportation in the 19th century. The current situation in these cities is impacted by this disparity in three ways: (a) the potential use of canals in the urban transportation system; (b) the spatial accessibility of street networks; and (c) the correlations between street accessibility and land use patterns in canal neighbourhoods. The research employs analytical methods of space syntax, geographic information systems, and statistical techniques to create and apply integrated urban models, incorporating spatial network measures, retail density, and functional diversity for street segments, to compare various urban conditions. The research reveals the crucial finding that the incorporation of canals into the street system leads to a substantial increase in the mean values of street network accessibility in Amsterdam. Additionally, the study highlights the vital contribution of diagonal streets linked with canal networks towards retail density in this city. In contrast, the accessibility measures and spatial patterns of urban functions in London are predominantly influenced by proximity to canals.
... Changes in the location, type and density of land uses invariably changes transportation patterns. Hillier (1996), one of the proponents of the transportation and land use linkage, noted that socio-economic forces shape the city primarily through the relations between movement and the structure of the urban grid. In recent times, frontier expansion and population growth have primarily accelerated land use change (Adger and Brown, 1994;Richards, 1990). ...
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between changing land uses and traffic congestion in Calabar Municipality. The study employed the survey design. Field survey was undertaken using the road network map and the land use map of the study area. Traffic survey was also undertaken to obtain data on the volume of traffic. The land use maps of 2010 and 2014 were used in order to examine the changing patterns in the land use of the study area. The annual rate of land use change was obtained by dividing the difference in area covered by each land use between 2010 and 2014 by five years. In order to examine the relationship between changing land uses and traffic congestion, the multiple linear regression statistically technique was adopted. The result of the analysis indicated a coefficient of determination of 0.537 which implies that that 53.7% of the variation in traffic volume can be explained by the changes in the predictor variables-residential, commercial and public land uses. The result showed that changing land uses had significant relationship with traffic congestion in the study area. Findings also revealed that there has been significant effect in changes in the use of land along roads and these changes have created problems along transportation routes such as traffic congestion, parking problems, accidents, haphazard/indiscriminate display of signpost/billboards, over stretching of the road infrastructures and noise pollution. Based on these findings, it has been recommended from the study amongst others; equitable redistribution of land uses particularly those uses that trigger and generate high volumes of traffic, regular studies should be carried out to progressively examine the rate and pattern of changing land use, strict enforcement and implementation of development control measures, monitoring of the changes in the land use of the area from time-to-time by the Calabar Municipality Planning Authority and restriction of unnecessary change in use of land.
... Since then, several authors have emphasized the value of community participation in the production of public spaces and services, prioritizing the needs, desires, and expectations of local community groups [8]. The aim was to transfer part of the decision-making on the designs of public spaces to community groups [9,10] and bridge the gap between the relevant actors, including people, politicians, and planning and design professionals [11,12]. Described as "bottom-up planning", Moughtin et al. define participation in design as a new form of urban governance [13]. ...
This paper explores urban recovery as a participatory bottom-up process that highlights the importance and social significance of spaces of shared memories in reconstituting the built as well as the sociocultural fabrics of a place. It examines the multiple modes of engaging local communities in the process of recovering and rehabilitating shared public spaces, including organizing workshops to identify a space of common social significance, co-designing and co-producing a spatial intervention, and maintaining the intervention over the long term. The paper focuses on Karantina, a neighborhood in Beirut that became the site of post-disaster recovery in the aftermath of the Beirut Port blast in August 2020, and the spatial intervention that the urban recovery team at the Beirut Urban Lab implemented in the sub-neighborhood of Al-Khodor. In doing so, the paper contributes experiences from recent work on participatory modes of engaging the local community groups in Al-Khodor. It highlights the importance of community participation in researching, designing, implementing, and maintaining spatial interventions in the near absence of an active government in a country such as Lebanon.
... Integration (also known as "to-movement") is a measure of closeness, representing the potential accessibility of each space from all other parts of the grid (origin-destinations). Integration is interlinked with fundamental Space Syntax ideas such as the notions of "natural movement" (Hillier et al., 1993) and cities as "movement economies" (Hillier, 1996a). Integration is reported to be closely associated with potential co-presence in urban spaces, thereby generating spaces that are pedestrian destinations (Baran et al., 2008;Law et al., 2012;Read, 1999). ...
The morphologies of informal settlements constantly change as they undergo processes of incremental adaptations and transformations in relation to emerging circumstances. One of the ways to explore the underlying morphogenic processes governing such adaptations and transformations is to study the morphogenesis of informal settlement. Informal settlements can tell the story of how access networks evolve through incremental processes of change as they generally emerge and where possible become consolidated through forms of adaptations and transformations. Adopting a comparative case study research design approach, this paper explores the incremental transformations of access networks across three emerging settlements located in proximity to Abuja in Nigeria. These settlements are comparatively mapped using historic satellite images illustrating eight temporal stages between 2007 and 2021. Space Syntax is used as an analytical method to study the configurational morphogenesis of the access network with a focus on the measures of connectivity, betweenness, closeness, and intelligibility. The study shows how the flexibility of the early stages of development provides opportunities for the formation of what might be considered irregular elements in the access network. The research findings also suggest that the access network becomes less intelligible as it evolves. The locations of the main local cores of the access networks are found to remain relatively unchanged and somewhat fixed as emerging local cores come about in the newly developed areas. The spatial circumstances of the studied settlements are also found to have impacts on how the incremental adaptations and transformations generate new elements as part of the access networks. The findings of this study can inform the ways the built environment professions can engage with processes of incremental transformation by providing a better understanding of configurational morphogenesis in the context of informal urbanism.
... Urban greenways are often designed to include multi-use trails that provide opportunities for . . . Many scholars argue that the 'by-product' of movement (the series of spaces that an individual traverses to access a location), regardless of whether initially or frequently, is more important than both the origin or destination of a travel journey to encourage pedestrian movement and support land uses [24]. Therefore, as more people commute via greenways (changing the pattern of movement over time), the more likely it will influence the pattern of land uses, increasing greenways' accessibility in the process. ...
Since the inception of the greenways concept, transportation has been one of its inherent qualities. Nevertheless, journal articles from the past three decades reported negligible active transportation (AT) impact of many greenway investments worldwide. Simultaneously, an international empirical evidence base of greenways usage for AT has not yet been established. Therefore, this research aimed to identify and analyze the influences on greenways usage for AT via a systematic review of published peer-reviewed journal articles from 1991 until 2021. The review used protocols of the PRISMA Statement in reporting and meta-analysis. Via two levels of screening criteria, results identified 162 articles that focused on greenway users and 27 (out of 162) articles that had AT as a main part of their study. The review specified patterns in the characteristics, perceptions, and travel behaviors of active commuters via greenways, which differed from other user types. Differences in use were also affected by weather and temporal factors, greenways’ location and characteristics, and contextual factors. A discussion of the findings identified four study types of greenway usage, highlighted methodological concerns of systematic reviews in this field, characterized transportation-led greenways, proposed a conceptual framework that illustrates where and when greenways would be considered routes for daily commutes, and suggested future work directions. These results improve the understanding of greenways usage, thereby informing their planning, design, and management to maximize their potential.
Urban morphology studies the physical forms of human settlements and how these change over time by the action of different processes and agents. The field of knowledge has developed several theories, concepts, and methods to describe and explain the phenomena at hands. As in many fields, urban morphology contains a few misconceptions. One of these is the idea that quantitative analysis is a feature of the present and the future, and qualitative analysis of the past. The paper addresses this fallacy. Our discussion of the main schools of thought in urban morphology and their influential researchers suggests that quantitative approaches are well rooted in it since at least the mid-twentieth century and that the dominance of quantitative or qualitative tools is subject to cycles, as it happens in other sciences. Demonstration of both statements leads to a focus on a line of approaches, historico-geographical, configurational, and lately morphometrics, which share a common interest in cross-cases regularities, hence practices of pattern recognition.
The climate crisis and the post-pandemic scenario underline the interaction of urban structure and land use organization. The study focuses on the “15-minute city” concept as a significant model for urban adaptation to improve equity, sustainability, and economic vitality. The objectives are to evaluate levels of compliance to 15-minute city criteria of the metropolitan city of Cagliari, in Italy, and to understand relations among access to amenities and mesoscale factors of urban form. The findings underline disparities across the metropolitan area, the emergence of a multi-level structure of metropolitan and local centers, and the significant relation among urban form factors and access to amenities. In particular, R2 values for linear regressions of access to amenities on population density, road intersection density, and local integration range respectively from 0.742 to 0.975, 0.634 to 0.952, and 0.545 to 0.952. The study identifies density, permeability, and centrality as central targets of urban regeneration policies.
The incremental development of organic urban tissues is influenced by a multitude of interconnected factors. This study delves into the intrinsic complexities of these forms, highlighting human-scale qualities often overlooked in contemporary urban design and planning. Specifically, it examines historic urban tissues in the hot and dry regions of Iran, exemplified by the city of Kerman. These urban areas were historically characterised by walkability, accessibility, and passive thermal comfort—attributes that contribute to sustainable urban forms. This paper explores the patterns of access networks in Kerman, focusing on how primary public spaces like bazaars and marketplaces interconnect with secondary residential areas. It aims to analyse the urban typo-morphological patterns that link various city parts to the main public realms, along with the micro-climatic adjustments facilitating these connections. The research highlights how recent alterations such as top-down urban development, infrastructural changes, and the introduction of vehicular roads, have significantly transformed the configurational characteristics of Kerman’s once-walkable urban tissue. These transformations have obscured many micro-climatic solutions born from centuries of incremental urbanism, especially in the historic core. Utilising temporal mapping of the city’s access network from the first aerial image in 1957 to the present, the study employs Space Syntax and statistical classification to analyse each temporal stage. The analysis classifies access network elements based on the to-movement and through-movement measures and provides comparisons between different temporal stages of core transformations. The temporal stages are selected based on the introduction of significant new elements into the grid. The findings reveal the impact of new roads on traditional mobility patterns, showing a shift favouring vehicular over pedestrian movement. This disruption is particularly evident in transitional spaces, which are crucial for pedestrian flow. While significant historic buildings are preserved, the pedestrian access network has deteriorated. The outcome shows that the decline in walkability is a result of the formalisation of the grid, which prioritises the creation of longer, more connected vehicular pathways through the city, often at the expense of pedestrian-friendly routes. The patterns identified in this study offer valuable insights for future urban planning, especially in preserving and revitalising the remaining parts of Kerman’s historic core.
In order to convert urban morphological understandings towards pursuing urban vitality in urban design practices, the concept of urban vitality and its measurements need to be discussed. This chapter begins from various meanings and definitions of urban vitality.
As discussed in Chap. 1, the main research question is how to integrate qualitative urban morphological tradition with newly-emerging quantitative tools to pursue urban vitality in urban design.
Informal settlement serves as a critical means in the production of urban space in the Global South. Understanding the productive processes of self-organization and emergent morphological patterns is crucial not only in upgrading and integrating informal settlements but also in informing the practices of urban planning and design for shaping better urban places and public spaces. Contributing to the emerging literature on forms of informal settlement, this article presents a syntactic study of the configurational characteristics of 371 informal settlements in the city of Nagpur, India. The study identifies 18 different types based on four analytical variables generated using Space Syntax analysis—specifically, choice and integration at both local and global levels. The versatility and spread of these types indicate the flexibility of emergent informal settlements under a multitude of scenarios and conditions. The findings highlight the relations between formal and informal parts of the access network by showcasing the higher integration and choice values of the case studies when compared to the larger urban grid. The article contributes to the development of a typological framework for the classification of informal settlements based on their configurational characteristics.
This study empirically examines the adequacy of sidewalk widths in Auckland’s Central Business District in light of increasing active mobility and sustainable urban planning trends. Recognising the need to retrofit street spaces to prioritise pedestrians, we aim to determine whether current sidewalk dimensions meet the diverse requirements of users. We analysed average sidewalk widths and developed four mobility metrics – inflow and outflow travel distance, and density of visitors and locals – using a large-scale mobile location dataset comprising 113 million data points from 1.4 million users. These metrics, reflecting urban vibrancy and sidewalk use, were correlated with sidewalk widths to assess their adequacy. Furthermore, we applied cluster analysis to these mobility metrics, along with the diversity of Points of Interest, to categorise sidewalk segments, uncovering intricate usage patterns. Our findings indicate that sidewalks typically range from 2 to 5 m, catering to varied urban needs. Notably, we observed no direct correlation between sidewalk width and mobility patterns, but significant differences in inflow and outflow travel distances were evident, especially between key urban hubs and quiet residential neighbourhoods. Moreover, we identified seven distinct sidewalk categories, each reflecting unique qualities, suggesting that uniform widths do not define sidewalk utility or character. This highlights the need to rethink current capacity-focused sidewalk design, advocating for a nuanced approach that addresses the intricate demands of urban spaces. Our methodology offers flexibility and can be tailored to suit different urban contexts, providing a versatile tool for urban analysis and planning.
Despite its importance as a research issue, a widely accepted methodology of estimating land take resulting from urbanization has not yet been reached. Accurate geospatial datasets are currently available at a European and global level; however, different methods of quantifying urban land take could lead to diverse outputs, potentially resulting in underestimation. This can be alarming as encroaching urban sprawl is emerging as a major environmental challenge by destroying natural habitats, consuming productive agricultural land, and contributing to climate change by increasing energy demands. To address this knowledge gap, we propose an estimation of urban land take that combines cadastral parcels and building footprints. Land parcels can be considered as a suitable minimum mapping unit as they are directly related to the spatial level where economic decisions on land use conversion are made. The proposed geospatial method is compared to methods that depend on datasets of High Resolution Layer Imperviousness, Global Building Footprints (alone), Corine Land Cover, Urban Atlas, and Global Human Settlement Layer. The method is exemplified in case studies in Greece, specifically: (a) two islands of the South Aegean Region (Mykonos and Thera), that are heavily impacted by tourism development and sprawl and (b) a peri-urban zone (Thermaikos-Michaniona) within the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki, impacted by intense suburbanization. Results show that urban land consumes important shares of available land since the mid-20th century, this fact highlighting the dynamic encroachment of urban development. Calculation shows that other methods could underestimate urbanized areas by up to 80%–90%. In the discussion section, the advantages of shifting the focus from the pixel to the parcel are further justified, while explicit links to spatial planning policies for sprawl containment are drawn. Such policies could be informed by more realistic estimations of urban land take, in order to proceed with strategic and regulatory measures to support the ‘no net land take’ policy of Europe.
Research on urban fabric has long been a focus of interest for researchers and planners. In response to the automobile-centric design of cities, approaches such as Complete Streets have emerged to create accessible, people-centric environments by integrating various transportation modes. The study is to understand how complete street design strategies influence the connectivity and integration of the urban fabric, focusing on Haft-e-Tir Square in Tehran as a case study. Employing space syntax methodology, the current layout and a design proposal based on Complete Street strategies for the square had analysed to reveal the impact of this planning and design principle on the city’s urban fabric. The result uncovers how Complete Street hold promise in improving urban functionality and elevating the life quality. The design proposal’s interventions proved that by prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and transit riders, the level of safety, walkability, liveability, and environmental sustainability of the area can improve. Moreover, the findings showed a considerable reduction in the pedestrian and traffic congestion, resulting in supports for local businesses and improved urban functionalities. By contributing to the ongoing discourse on Complete Streets and its impact on shaping urban environments, this research is paving the way for future studies in this area.
Cities may wish to create more lively urban areas by zoning for mixed uses. The purpose here is to identify factors explaining the gaps between plans and outcomes for non-residential uses of ground floors in a Swedish housing programme with 30 development plans for apartment building infill in low-density suburbs already dominated by apartment buildings. We assume that outcomes depend on zoning, urban design factors, mobility factors and socio-economic factors. Documents and field observations reveal that vertical zoning has had limited effects. Correlation analysis indicates that active non-residential ground floor frontages reflect access to public transport, while vacancies are associated inversely with area incomes. Typical ground floor uses are the retail sale of food and services to the human body. A political goal of active ground floors in low-density suburbs might need subsidies if vacancies are to be avoided.
The street space of China’s inner cities performs the function of organizing neighbourhood services. This study aims to understand the typological characteristics of street network structures from a spatial configuration perspective and their impact on neighbourhood facilities’ layout. The study selected four Chinese inner cities and adopted a route structure approach comprising continuity, connectivity, and depth to distinguish seven street types. A correlation analysis between street configuration and Baidu maps’ points of interest revealed different street types’ ability to support service facilities and how street-type combinations affect the block group unit’s overall cohesion. Finally, it proposed an ideal street network model to provide reference for neighbourhood design practice and presented adaptive suggestions for a value cognition and management system. This study established a direct connection between cognition in the field of urban morphology and practice in the field of urban design, thus providing new perspectives on neighbourhood community design.
Neighbourhood parks and boulevards are important parts of the urban environment, but mere quantitative allocation of open space is not, in itself, sufficient to ensure their social success. The manner and extent of Green Public Open Space (GPOS) use depends upon a variety of parameters. This study focuses on one such parameter: how integrated their location is in the street network. Our research seeks to systematically examine-using the space syntax approach-the impact of different combinations of global and local integration on (a) the movement and (b) the activities performed by their various users. We therefore ask: What is the relationship between a GPOS' neighbourhood/city integration and (a) their co-presence potential? (b) their variety of users and activities? We divided the GPOS in the Tel-Aviv metropolitan area into four integration categories based on neighbourhood and city-scale levels of angular integration. Next, we conducted observations in a representative sample, collecting data on number of users, diversity of ages, gender, activities, and grouping. We found significant connections between the GPOS' integration categories and their social function. GPOS with high city-scale integration had higher co-presence potential, but it was the neighbourhood scale that influenced the variety of activities and ages of those present in the GPOS. While high neighbourhood-scale integration positively affects the daily movement of the large adult age group, low neighbourhood-scale integration was associated with leisure activities undertaken by other, smaller age groups.
The notion of “spatial vulnerability” is present in most disaster studies with a strong geographical connotation and accordingly is adopted at all scales, including the urban. While enabling mapping and visualizing risk patterns at macroscales, this
geocentric foundation fails to capture disaster risk dynamics associated with the urban spatial network—an element that
plays a significant role in the everyday and emergency functioning of cities, enabling users’ movement and interaction. Yet,
urban vulnerability assessment overlooks this aspect and thus leaves urban disaster risk mechanisms partially unexplored.
This study investigated the role of the network of urban public open spaces (UPOS) in the creation and progression of urban
disaster risk in earthquake-prone settlements. Through a multimethod approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative
methods and explores spatial configuration, planning policies, and practices of use of UPOS in everyday and emergency scenarios, our study demonstrated that UPOS configuration plays an active role in urban disaster risk. Urban public open spaces
impact risk by influencing the exposure of pedestrians and their capacity for self-protection. The study further reconceptualized spatial vulnerability at the urban scale, as the fraction of vulnerability associated with the spatial network, highlighting
the interplay of planning policies and spatial practices in its production and progression. Our findings make the notion of
spatial vulnerability less ambiguous at the urban scale, by viewing the variable as an imbalance in capacities and exposure
that generates spatially unsafe conditions. This refined conceptualization of spatial vulnerability becomes a lens for a more
granular approach to urban disaster risk reduction and city planning by identifying and integrating sociospatial considerations.
Studies on urban deprivation date back to the 19 th Century but remain important today due to rising levels of inequality and social segregation. However, while social causes of deprivation have been investigated, the role of the built environment remains neglected. Existing studies either provide broad coverage at the expense of detailed morphological descriptions or offer meticulous accounts of small-scale areas without capturing the broader context. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the relationship between urban form, measured at the building level, and deprivation across the entire city of Isfahan, Iran. By doing so, we position this study in the tradition of urban morphology. Operationally, we, first, identify urban types (UTs), that is, distinctive patterns of urban form, by clustering 200+ morphological characters; second, we explore the relationship between proportion of buildings belonging to each UT, in each neighbourhood, and deprivation; third, we offer detailed descriptions of the UTs most strongly associated with deprivation, discuss possible drivers for the observed correlations, and link findings to relevant literature in the field. Twelve UTs are identified, with four showing the strongest impacts on predicting deprivation. This study brings novel insights on the morphology of deprivation of Isfahan, while contextualising them with respect to domain-specific studies, which have predominantly focused on Western cities. The proposed methodology can be replicated to explore morphologies of deprivation in different contexts, further our understanding of the topic, and potentially inform planning and policy making.
Urbanization is increasing rapidly because of the economic, cultural, natural, political, etc. factors on a local or global scale. Therefore, this rapid growth in urbanization creates many challenges for local governments and policymakers. It is particularly important for local authorities to know how to manage, develop and design cities well in order to have more active and better cities. This study argues that a good survey for a city's existing urban areas will influence the development of planned urban areas. In this direction, primarily, the existing spatial characteristics of the study area were revealed through the current map showing the current situation. In the next section, the settlement plan is used as a base and its future spatial characteristics are determined. The current situation and the spatial characteristics which are obtained in settlement plan were compared in the last part of the study, in order to determine the spatial characteristics of the study field, integration, choice and connectivity analyses, which are the basic analyses of the Space syntax method, were performed and accessibility, readability levels were discussed in different radii by using these analyses. It is concluded that the current map shows the highest values with R3000 half-diameter 0.19 and settlement plan with 0.46 in R1000 radius. When examined in terms of readability values, it was found out that the highest values were obtained in the settlement plan with a radius of 0.73 in the R1000 radius and with a value of 0.87 on the current map. Consequently, the readability and accessibility values of the study area in the future have decreased in general.
This paper explores the structure of organised crime movement across local communities and the drivers underpinning such movement. Firstly, it builds on network analysis to offer a novel methodological approach to empirically and quantitatively study the movement of organised crime offenders across geographical areas. The paper then applies this approach to evidence from Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. It reconstructs the movement of organised crime members across local areas based on a large-scale police dataset that includes 41 months of recorded crime events. It identifies organised crime “turf” and “target” areas and then explores the drivers of movement from the former to the latter using Exponential Random Graph Models. Findings confirm that geographical distance matters; however, socio-demographic, urban, economic and crime-related characteristics of communities play a key role. Organised crime group members target urban communities with higher than average illegal market opportunities (proxied by drug-related activity). The work also finds the effect of socio-demographic homophily between turf and target communities, suggesting that organised crime group members might target territories that are similar to their own. While a high level of deprivation makes a community more likely to send organised crime members, its impact on a community’s probability of being a receiver is less clear. Finally, the paper offers a way to identify communities (local areas) at risk of being targeted by criminal organisations, thus providing practitioners with a tool for early interventions.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the spatial injustice resulting from unequal access to basic services in urban areas. This underscores the importance of urban models focusing on criteria of active transport incentivization, building density optimization, proximity and diversity of primary and secondary uses, and the design of multi-functional urban spaces.
This study investigates the criteria of density, diversity, and proximity as the foundational concept of urban models alternative to the modernist paradigm. The study develops a set of quantitative indicators to evaluate the potential implementation of the 15-minute city model in distinct parts of an urbanized area. The city of Perugia in Italy is selected as the case study. The proposed set of indicators is based on open, validated, and continuously integrated data. It combines urban form metrics, Place Syntax indicators, statistical and configurational metrics to measure the conditions of building density, diversity, proximity of services, and imageability of the urban spatial structure. The study addresses the need for tools that increase the transparency and impact of public policies. The proposed indicators can assist public agencies and local governments in identifying deprived areas, defining objectives of regeneration strategies, and measuring the outcomes of urban regeneration interventions.
Proximity and diversity of basic services are crucial aspects for the sustainability and resilience of urban areas, particularly in the context of climate alterations and the post-pandemic scenario. Yet, the models proposed for the transformation of urbanised areas do not adequately consider the relation between the spatial configuration of urban structures and access to services. To address this gap, this study combines place syntax and space syntax metrics to measure the proximity of services and the configurational properties of the cities of Matera and Terni in Italy. The objective of the study is to investigate the importance of improving the spatial configuration of cities to promote the location of functions and services in marginal and deprived areas.
The findings suggest that the spatial configuration properties of permeability and centrality are related to the proximity of services. Moreover, the study reveals that the spatial configuration of urban areas can significantly impact the distribution of and access to services. The study can increase the impact of public policies in promoting sustainable and inclusive urban development by assisting public agencies in identifying critical and in developing targeted strategies for urban regeneration.
This paper examines the urban character of Chinatown districts around the world, as a key example of an urban ethnic enclave, focusing on four large Chinatowns in San Francisco, Yokohama, Melbourne and Sydney. It advances knowledge about the spatial elements that define urban districts, a concept pioneered by Kevin Lynch. Existing literature on Chinatowns primarily explores the historically changing relationships between their Chinese migrant communities and their host cities, or the visual and physical character of individual cases. This paper develops new insights into how the built forms of these urban districts are similar to or different from their surroundings and from each other. It employs a methodology that combines space syntax analysis of street networks, morphological analysis of built form, land-use analysis, and mapping of visual character from street level. It examines the Chinatown districts' spatial extents in terms of contrasts between their spatial attributes and their wider urban surroundings. The findings develop a new taxonomy of Chinatowns based on their urban spatial characteristics.
The pandemic and the environmental crisis raise the question of a radical transformation of cities to foster inclusion , sustainability, participation, and quality of life. The 15-minute city concept prefigures a reorganization of urban spaces, structures, and functions aimed at increasing residents' access to essential services, favoring sustainable modes of transportation, and transforming public urban spaces into multifunctional places. The proposed study develops a set of indicators derived from the spatial and configurational analysis to evaluate the compliance of urban systems with the 15-minute city concept. The selected areas of study are the cities of Cagliari, Perugia, Pisa, and Trieste, in Italy. The study investigates four issues: i) defining a set of relevant, reproducible, and comparable indicators for measuring density, proximity, and diversity; ii) investigating the influence of distinct urban planning concepts, manifested by distinct spatial configurations, on density, proximity , and diversity; iii) defining urban scale metrics to measure levels of spatial injustice in terms of unequal conditions of access to essential services and iv) measuring the correlation between configurational factors and access to services. The analysis underlines the gap in access to essential services among central compact districts and dispersed outer areas, thus enabling the identification of inequalities in the distribution of spatial capital. Moreover, the study underlines the relationship between the urban environment structure and the location of functions. As a result, the study emphasizes that the proposed set of indicators is instrumental to understanding the urban environment's potential to meet urban populations' needs and facilitating informed decisions in urban planning.
Contexto e Objetivo: A pesquisa busca fortalecer um modelo urbano polinucleado para criar cidades mais dinâmicas, seguras e eficientes em termos de infraestrutura e mobilidade. O foco está em Florianópolis/SC, onde se investigam características urbanas para identificar centralidades. Metodologia: Utilizando um modelo espacial em Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIG), a pesquisa integra dados de uso do solo provenientes do cadastro municipal com a Teoria da Sintaxe Espacial, analisando os eixos viários municipais. Resultados: A execução do modelo revela a presença de uma centralidade principal no distrito Sede de Florianópolis. Além disso, identifica pequenas e médias centralidades secundárias já consolidadas ou em processo de formação em diversas regiões, como os distritos dos Ingleses do Rio Vermelho, Canasvieiras, Campeche, Lagoa da Conceição, e as localidades de Jurerê, Trindade/Santa Mônica e Carianos.
Ülkemiz tarihsel süreç içerisinde birçok afet ile karşı karşıya kalmıştır. İnsanlar afet sonrası yaşadığı korku ve şoku atlatabilecekleri, temel ihtiyaçlarını karşılayabileceği, iletişim imkânı sunan, herkes için ulaşılabilir olan ve yeterli kapasiteye sahip, iyi tasarlanmış afet sonrası toplanma alanlarına ihtiyaç olduğu bir gerçektir. Dolayısıyla çalışmanın amacı, Malatya kentsel çekirdek sınırlar içerisinde bulunan afet sonrası toplanma alanlarını, literatür taraması sonucunda elde edilen kriterler eşliğinde değerlendirilerek, yeterliliklerin ortaya konulmasıdır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda çalışmada öncelikle ulusal ve uluslararası literatür taraması yapılarak afet sonrası toplanma alanları değerlendirebilmek için kriterler belirlenmiştir. Bu kriterler arasından, uzaklık ve erişilebilirlik ile ana yol bağlantılı lığını belirleye bilmek için mekân dizim yönteminden yararlanılmıştır. Kapasite hesabı ise toplanma alanının yüzölçümünün kişi başına düşmesi gereken 2,5 m² ye bölünmesi ile elde edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda, kentsel çekirdek sınırları içerisinde bulunan 10 afet sonrası toplanma alanı içerisinde sadece Abdullah Gül Parkının kriterleri karşıladığı, geri kalan toplanma alanlarının ise kriterleri karşılamadığı belirlenmiştir.
The rationality of block scale and structure is the guarantee of vitality and humanization quality, facing complex and diverse problems, and the structure reconstruction of urban built-up areas is one of the most difficult challenges in the process of promoting the block system. The traditional planning-construction strategy, as practice in recent years has demonstrated, faces challenges in terms of construction costs, demolition costs, property rights, and jurisprudence. Based on the interaction of the block structure and external space, the study presents a “implant-reconstruction” model. It investigates possibilities of implanting elements and graphically depicts the potential impact of implant-reconstruction using Space Syntax. The findings indicate that the external space implantation mode may actively encourage the construction of small-scale blocks and has benefits in terms of texture respect, low impact, and ease of operation. The simulation and pre-judgment dynamically illustrate the viable path and gives a scientific reference for block alteration.
Urban coherence is recognized in the literature as an essential property of a sustainable and virtuous urban form. Although remaining rather vague and dispersed, urban coherence seems to be often apprehended through the interweaving and interrelation of scales in a complex system. This exploratory work aims to deepen the notion of urban coherence by studying the street network hierarchy and connectivity in relation to an essential and identifiable property of networks, known as arteriality. It indicates the tendency of the most important streets in the network to form a continuous whole. Arteriality guarantees optimal circulation and legibility within a street network. In the first step, a literature review was conducted to identify indicators of urban coherence related to the street network. Subsequently, an evaluation of urban coherence was proposed based on three aspects: the fractality of the street network and its correspondence with a power law, the connectivity of the primary street network, and the arteriality of the street network. This conceptual framework was then tested on five cities’ street networks belonging to five medium-sized Algerian cities. The results showed that all the cities studied have a certain urban coherence due to a similar internal structuring. However, from a relative point of view, there were notable differences that can be seen when comparing the cities. It also emerged that the indicators chosen to evaluate urban coherence show a certain regularity within the same city, which may confirm their relevance.
Purpose
This paper analyses changes in the activity pattern of Damascus city from late modern era (late Ottoman rule) to the contemporary era. The research objective is to explore the impact of the socio-historical process on the evolving morphological structure of the urban core and to draw implications for post-war reconstruction.
Design/methodology/approach
Space Syntax methodology was employed to trace the historical and morphological changes in the urban core of Damascus. The timeframe was divided into five periods covering the city's socio-political transformation and five maps depicting these periods. Local and global integration measures were used to analyse the changes in the urban core across each period. Normalised angular choice (NACH) measure was used to identify the changes in the city planning system.
Findings
The results revealed that the urban core corresponded to the main streets, which had socio-economic importance across history. However, introducing a new planning system influenced by Western planning ideals led to the creation of multi-morphological patterns. At the city level, the study found that the urban core was more accessible in the preplanned areas, while the organic expansion of the informal settlements was exclusive of the core area. At the local level, some informal settlements showed an intense core. Intelligibility analysis revealed that earlier periods showed considerably higher values, implying declines in the ease of navigation of the city over time.
Research limitations
This study did not account for the political, economic and cultural factors that could shape morphological changes in Damascus. In addition, the study adopted historical reference points to understand the morphological changes, as high-quality geospatial data was not available to monitor the recent post-war situation.
Practical implications
The research findings give a foundation for a more contextualised historical understanding of spatial structure and changes, which can contribute to the post-war reconstruction and redevelopment of Damascus city.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to trace historical spatial changes in Damascus from a space syntax approach, weaving together socio-historical and configurational studies. In doing so, it shows how historically informed and spatially aware urban planning and design policies can support policymakers and built environment professionals in planning and redevelopment.
Future resilient cities need to integrate increasing density with the development of urban infrastructure and systems, especially natural and green systems. In Singapore’s post-Independence history, urban green spaces have evolved from leftover manicured grassy areas to biodiverse spaces with recreational areas and facilities. Singapore has recognized the need to provide varying access to the public to protect the more natural areas from too much public access. In urban green spaces, different areas have varying access depending on the scale and significance of the natural habitat. This paper uses Spatial Network Analysis — or the study of topological spatial relationships — to inform the planning and design of varying levels of access in urban green spaces in Singapore. It investigates the influence of spatial configuration of urban green spaces on pedestrian movement, by studying two types of urban green spaces in Singapore: one-north Park and Jurong Lakeside Garden. In both cases, the research utilizes weighted Spatial Network Analysis using sDNA, an analytical tool, to gain insights into the correlations between spatial connectivity and pedestrian movement distribution patterns. Empirical quantitative data are collected using infrared-sensor devices and manual pedestrian count and activity mapping. The methodology can provide the basis for the future planning and design of pedestrian infrastructure in urban green spaces in Singapore, and other high-density cities.
The health and climate crisis are calling for an urgent re-evaluation of concepts such as resilience and sustainability and how we measure and implement them, sifting the debate towards the role urban design and planning play in driving urban transitions. Recent studies have been introduced to investigate the dynamics of the pandemic in urban areas and the ample literature on tools and methods for measuring vulnerabilities. The paper calls for a need to re-scale urban planning down to a human level by bridging space syntax attributes with measures of resilience. It introduces a data and evidence-based approach framework for driving urban transitions utilizing risk assessment (National Risk Index) and a vulnerability measuring index (City Resilience Index) to quantify spatial attributes which foster sustainable practices. A scenario testing method is proposed to make urban design more consistent with the strategic mission of urban planning driving resilience and transition.
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