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Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications
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Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2021) | Viewed by 83660

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Claudia Yamu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Spatial Planning and Environment, University of Groningen, Landleven 1, 9700AV Groningen, the Netherlands
Interests: urban analytics and modeling; computation; space syntax; decision support; sustainable cities and regions; fractal cities; urban morphogenesis.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Akkelies Van Nes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Civil Engineering, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 5020 Bergen, Norway
2. Department of Urbanism, Delft University of Technology, 2628BL Delft, The Netherlands
Interests: socio-economic and spatial performances of metropolitan regions; road building and urban change; mobility flows and shopping areas; new town versus old towns; space and crime in urban areas; the compact city and urban sustainability; developing spatial analyses tools and planning theory.
Dr. Chiara Garau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
DICAAR, Department of Environmental, Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: smart cities; participatory processes; cultural heritage; urban governance and urban policies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The popularity of the theory and method space syntax has grown rapidly in recent years. It connects the fields of spatial analysis and urban design in the arena of transport, land use and people’s behavior. Coined in the 1970s by Bill Hillier and his colleagues at Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, it allows for analyzing spatial relationships with regard to urban performance and change. In its wider context, space syntax is a set of techniques that can be applied individually and in different combinations with one another. 

In the context of climate change, space syntax allows for an understanding how spatial parameters can encourage or limit sustainable urban transformation and sustainable mobility means. This is extended by the investigation on the connection between the sustainable city debate and existing space syntax theories to build knowledge on the relationship between space and society. The challenge is that sustainable development concerns both normative and descriptive issues, and here, we are dealing with present as well as future needs. In order to predict future needs, a descriptive approach is needed from a present context. The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together state-of-the art knowledge and innovation connecting space syntax with the sustainable city debate.

Relevant topics include but are not limited to the following areas:

  • Spatial and social justice;
  • Space and energy use;
  • Data-informed design and planning;
  • Transport planning and land use studies;
  • Online and informal economies;
  • Urban morphogenesis;
  • Theoretical and methodological development;
  • Urban policy making.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Yamu
Prof. Dr. Akkelies Van Nes
Prof. Dr. Chiara Garau
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • space syntax
  • sustainable cities and regions
  • spatial and social justice
  • data-informed design and planning
  • transport planning and land use studies
  • online and informal economies
  • urban theory

Published Papers (16 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 79119 KiB  
Article
Historical Analysis of the Example of Nowy Sącz in Space Syntax Perspective. Guidelines for Future Development of Urban Matrix in Medium-Sized Cities
by Filip Suchoń and Justyna Olesiak
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11071; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911071 - 7 Oct 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2784
Abstract
This paper presents the development of the public space of Nowy Sącz, taking into account the space syntax analysis of the historical maps of the city and the structure of its development. Nowy Sącz is a city located in southern Poland, with over [...] Read more.
This paper presents the development of the public space of Nowy Sącz, taking into account the space syntax analysis of the historical maps of the city and the structure of its development. Nowy Sącz is a city located in southern Poland, with over 80,000 residents. A space syntax analysis of historical maps helps to explain the urban space’s growth and development structure. The scientific goal of this paper was to build model solutions and urban typologies of Nowy Sącz; to present the logic of the model; and to compare simulation results with reality and historical knowledge. The application goal was to explain the processes and popularize the insight using clear space syntax visualizations. Axial maps of street networks were developed using current and historical city plans (publicly available plans from the late 18th century to the present day). The space syntax methodology was employed to measure Integration and Choice variables for each stage of the city’s spatial development. The results indicating areas of the highest Integration value were verified against historical studies. A strong correlation was demonstrated between the foci of urban life of super-local reach and their places in a growing city’s structural network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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24 pages, 15306 KiB  
Article
Noise and Spatial Configuration in Biskra, Algeria—A Space Syntax Approach to Understand the Built Environment for Visually Impaired People
by Walid-Mahfoud Djenaihi, Noureddine Zemmouri, Moussadek Djenane and Akkelies van Nes
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11009; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911009 - 4 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3045
Abstract
This contribution investigates the correlation between street noise levels and the spatial configuration of the street network in four different types of neighbourhoods in the Algerian city of Biskra. Space syntax methods are used to analyse spatial relationships, where accessibility, intelligibility, and legibility [...] Read more.
This contribution investigates the correlation between street noise levels and the spatial configuration of the street network in four different types of neighbourhoods in the Algerian city of Biskra. Space syntax methods are used to analyse spatial relationships, where accessibility, intelligibility, and legibility of urban spaces can be evaluated. The degree of spatial integration is used as an accessibility indicator and is correlated with recorded noise level data at 154 points from the selected neighbourhoods. As the results show, there are strong correlations between spatial integration and recorded sound pressures on streets and roads in colonial and unplanned neighbourhoods. The reason is that these types of neighbourhoods have a street network with high correlations between street connectivity and global spatial integration. There are weak correlations between connectivity and global spatial integration throughout the modern planned neighbourhood, which again affects the correlation between noise and space. The experiment shows that space syntax methods have the potential to predict degrees of accessibility and orientability for people with visual impairments in urban planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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17 pages, 5495 KiB  
Article
Towards Sustainability: New Tools for Planning Urban Pedestrian Mobility
by Daniela Santilli, Mauro D’Apuzzo, Azzurra Evangelisti and Vittorio Nicolosi
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9371; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169371 - 20 Aug 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2804
Abstract
Background: Since the beginning of the new millennium, sensitivity towards the environment has been spreading globally. In fact, countries are adopting measures to develop new decision support tools that can evaluate the impact of interventions to promote and encourage sustainable mobility. To reduce [...] Read more.
Background: Since the beginning of the new millennium, sensitivity towards the environment has been spreading globally. In fact, countries are adopting measures to develop new decision support tools that can evaluate the impact of interventions to promote and encourage sustainable mobility. To reduce the levels of pollution related to road traffic, policies that favor multimodal transport alternatives have been strengthened. This involves the combined use of public transport, cycling and walking paths, as well as sharing services where available. Regardless of the type of transport, the pedestrian component remains relevant in cities, even if the infrastructures are often not adequate to accommodate it and conflicts arise that must be managed. It is, therefore, necessary to assess the exposure to risk in terms of road safety. Methods: To this end, the work proposes a forecasting model to estimate the pedestrian flows that load the network. The methodology employs a hybrid approach that appears to better capture the movements of pedestrians. Results: By comparing the results of the model with the real data collected on the study area, satisfactory estimates were obtained. Conclusions: Therefore, this can be an effective tool to help road managers to evaluate the actions to protect vulnerable users. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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29 pages, 9611 KiB  
Article
Increasing Urban Walkability through Citizens’ Participation Processes
by Francesco Scorza, Giovanni Fortunato, Raffaella Carbone, Beniamino Murgante and Piergiuseppe Pontrandolfi
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5835; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115835 - 22 May 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3644
Abstract
The work is focused on the integration of space syntax analysis (SSA) in a process of participatory planning focused on a neighbourhood scale where the challenge of promoting pedestrian-friendly regeneration process is a bottom-up priority. The promotion of active mobility is one of [...] Read more.
The work is focused on the integration of space syntax analysis (SSA) in a process of participatory planning focused on a neighbourhood scale where the challenge of promoting pedestrian-friendly regeneration process is a bottom-up priority. The promotion of active mobility is one of the main themes of the urban regeneration project CAST operating on the western part of the city of Potenza (capital of the Basilicata region, Italy). Both the state of the art of the case study area and the potential effects of the intervention proposed on the basis of the participatory process have been assessed by SSA as a walkability assessment method. By measuring a street network’s syntactic parameters, it was possible to further enrich the cognitive framework relating to the current situation and to simultaneously evaluate the effects (in terms of potential movement and social usage) deriving from design interventions. The paper presents a methodology to evaluate the urban pedestrian environment and to provide an insight for walking-related intervention and improvements in neighbourhood-scale planning, according to a participatory approach. The research, based on specific local characteristics, represents a transferable approach to supporting and informing policy-makers and designers engaged in inclusive and participative urban regeneration projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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22 pages, 77075 KiB  
Article
Spatial Configurations and Walkability Potentials. Measuring Urban Compactness with Space Syntax
by Akkelies van Nes
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5785; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115785 - 21 May 2021
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6127
Abstract
This contribution demonstrates how space syntax methods on various scale levels can be used to identify and describe the spatial features of a compact city. Firstly, the term urban compactness is discussed. A short discussion of some writings on the compact city are [...] Read more.
This contribution demonstrates how space syntax methods on various scale levels can be used to identify and describe the spatial features of a compact city. Firstly, the term urban compactness is discussed. A short discussion of some writings on the compact city are elaborated. As it transpired, urban compactness can best be approached from a spatial topological point of view, since compactness is a topological property. Secondly, urban compactness will be reconsidered in spatial configurative terms through the use of space syntax and urban micro scale tools. Examples from car-, pedestrian-, and public transport-based centres in Oslo and Bergen will be used throughout this contribution. Discussions of the examples in this contribution are discussed with references to other space syntax research results. As the case studies show, enhancing compact neighbourhoods with good walkability potential from a spatial perspective relies on spatial interaccessibility on all scale levels. Accessibility depends on spatial configurative compactness. Seemingly, it depends on the following complex set of sufficient conditions: a spatially integrated street network on all scale levels, short urban blocks and streets with building entrances with windows and doors on the ground floor level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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21 pages, 12674 KiB  
Article
The Impact of the Ring Roads on the Location Pattern of Shops in Town and City Centres. A Space Syntax Approach
by Akkelies van Nes
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3927; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073927 - 1 Apr 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4818
Abstract
This contribution demonstrates how inner ring roads change the location pattern of shops in urban areas with the application of the space syntax method. A market rational behaviour persists, in that shop owners always search for an optimal location to reach as many [...] Read more.
This contribution demonstrates how inner ring roads change the location pattern of shops in urban areas with the application of the space syntax method. A market rational behaviour persists, in that shop owners always search for an optimal location to reach as many customers as possible. If the accessibility to this optimal location is affected by changes in a city’s road and street structure, it will affect the location pattern of shops. Initially, case studies of inner ring road projects in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Tampere, and Mannheim show how their realisation affect the spatial structure of the street network of these cities and the location pattern of shops. The results of the spatial integration analyses of the street and road network are discussed with reference to changes in land-use before and after the implementation of ring roads, and current space syntax theories. As the results show, how an inner ring road is connected to and the type of the street network it is imposed upon dictates the resulting location pattern of shops. Shops locate and relocate themselves along the most spatially-integrated streets. Evidence on how new road projects influence the location pattern of shops in urban centres are useful for planning sustainable city centres. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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25 pages, 8655 KiB  
Article
Bill Hillier’s Legacy: Space Syntax—A Synopsis of Basic Concepts, Measures, and Empirical Application
by Claudia Yamu, Akkelies van Nes and Chiara Garau
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3394; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063394 - 19 Mar 2021
Cited by 136 | Viewed by 18708
Abstract
Bill Hillier’s space syntax method and theory enables us to describe the spatial properties of a sustainable city. Empirical testing of the space syntax method over time has confirmed the capacity and innovativeness of analyzing spatial relationships with the purpose of understanding and [...] Read more.
Bill Hillier’s space syntax method and theory enables us to describe the spatial properties of a sustainable city. Empirical testing of the space syntax method over time has confirmed the capacity and innovativeness of analyzing spatial relationships with the purpose of understanding and explaining the socio-spatial organization of built environments. However, the conceptual framework of space syntax elements is scattered around in various academic writings. This article, therefore, gives a holistic and compact overview of the various concepts that are used in space syntax, from its basic elements to various analytical techniques and theories. To achieve this compact overview, we reviewed all space syntax literature accessible since the 1970s for finding core references to various concepts used in space syntax. Following a short description of its foundation and evolution through the work of Bill Hillier, we explain its basic concepts and measures in the form of an extended glossary. Explanations are enriched with various space syntax analyses and scenario testing on various scales that were applied to the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. We conclude with a discussion about the advantages and limitations of space syntax and about how this method adds value to the creation of sustainable cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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21 pages, 6111 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between the Spatial Configuration and the Fourth Sustainable Dimension Creativity in University Campuses: The Case Study of Zernike Campus, Groningen, The Netherlands
by Isabelle Soares, Claudia Yamu and Gerd Weitkamp
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9263; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219263 - 7 Nov 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4171
Abstract
To date, little is known about the spatial aspects of the creativity of university campuses and their public spaces. This study recognises that creativity is the fourth sustainability, because the spatial configuration of campuses and city-university accessibilities are ‘creative solutions’ conceived for human [...] Read more.
To date, little is known about the spatial aspects of the creativity of university campuses and their public spaces. This study recognises that creativity is the fourth sustainability, because the spatial configuration of campuses and city-university accessibilities are ‘creative solutions’ conceived for human needs. At the same time, creative ideas depend on interactions between individuals and the built environment. Therefore, based on the theoretical framework of the scholars who have explored the spatial aspects of creativity, this study empirically investigates Zernike Campus, Groningen, and its public spaces using a mixed-methods approach that involves (1) a space syntax analysis of the campus’s spatial configuration, (2) volunteered geographic information (VGI) of the users’ perceptions, and (3) non-participatory observations of the interactions between people and the built environment in public spaces with high and low ‘potential for creativity’. The results show that creativity cannot be explained simply by analysing spatial configurations, but that it also depends on the combination of the land-use mix, physical features, positive experiences, and perceptions of a sense of place which enable trust and interactions, and which facilitate creative encounters. Therefore, the mixed-methods approach applied here can help urban planners and designers to address public spaces more effectively, integrating conditions that support creativity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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21 pages, 11451 KiB  
Article
A Scientific Approach to the Densification Debate in Bergen Centre in Norway
by Remco Elric de Koning, Hans Jacob Roald and Akkelies van Nes
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9178; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219178 - 4 Nov 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3497
Abstract
The municipality of Bergen in Norway aims to densify fifty per cent of new housing within the city’s central parts. The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation ordered and financed an investigation to be carried out by the Western Norway University of Applied [...] Read more.
The municipality of Bergen in Norway aims to densify fifty per cent of new housing within the city’s central parts. The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation ordered and financed an investigation to be carried out by the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and the consulting firm Asplan Viak to give research-based input to the densification strategy debate in Bergen. This article demonstrates how the Space Syntax method can be applied to urban densification strategies in urban planning and policy making. The Geographical Information System (GIS) is used to obtain, select, and aggregate operational information. First, the spatial attributes that constitute an area’s attractiveness were registered. Then, this analysis was modelled after the Spacescape® method. Next, the Space Syntax methodology was applied to predict to-movement and through-movement flow potentials. Finally, through weighting the relevant parameters, including impediments such as land ownership, twelve areas were identified as having major potential for transformation based on their overall score. As it turns out, the spatial structure of the street and road network is the underlying driver for how and where to densify. Now, the challenge is how to apply this knowledge into current planning practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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23 pages, 8990 KiB  
Article
Assessing Spatial Configurations and Transport Energy Usage for Planning Sustainable Communities
by Remco de Koning, Wendy Guan Zhen Tan and Akkelies van Nes
Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8146; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198146 - 2 Oct 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3451
Abstract
Energy usage in cities is intertwined with its spatial configuration—the denser and more compact the city, the more concentrated and efficient the energy usage is to be expected. To achieve sustainable communities, cities (and their inhabitants) must reconsider its spatial configurations in the [...] Read more.
Energy usage in cities is intertwined with its spatial configuration—the denser and more compact the city, the more concentrated and efficient the energy usage is to be expected. To achieve sustainable communities, cities (and their inhabitants) must reconsider its spatial configurations in the context of rapid urbanisation and growth in light of limited resources and conflicting spatial claims. This article seeks to understand how spatial configurations affect transport energy usage in cities and propose an integrated assessment approach factoring spatial configurational analysis in relation to transport energy usage at the micro- and macroscale. Comparing Bergen, Norway, and Zürich, Switzerland, findings showed that spatial configurations were positively correlated to transport energy usage. Street structures suitable for walking and less suitable for car traffic tended to exhibit lower amounts of energy usage. Following this, nine typologies of transport and land use patterns are described to support planning for more sustainable means of transport. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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20 pages, 8088 KiB  
Article
Homothetic Behavior of Betweenness Centralities: A Multiscale Alternative Approach to Relate Cities and Large Regional Structures
by Diego Altafini and Valerio Cutini
Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 7925; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197925 - 24 Sep 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2033
Abstract
Regional configuration can reveal important aspects about city sustainability, as local-regional interactions shape the evolution and inner geography of urban settlements. However, modelling these large-scale structures remains a challenge, due to their sheer size as physical objects. Despite recent improvements in processing power [...] Read more.
Regional configuration can reveal important aspects about city sustainability, as local-regional interactions shape the evolution and inner geography of urban settlements. However, modelling these large-scale structures remains a challenge, due to their sheer size as physical objects. Despite recent improvements in processing power and computing methods, extensive time periods are still required for ordinary microprocessors to model network centralities in road-graphs with high element counts, connectivity and topological depth. Generalization is often the chosen option to mitigate time-constraints of regional network complexity. Nevertheless, this can impact visual representation and model precision, especially when multiscale comparisons are desired. Tests using Normalized Angular Choice (NACH), a Space Syntax mathematical derivative of Betweenness Centrality, found recursive visual similitudes in centrality spatial distribution when modelling distinct scaled map sections of the same large regional network structure. Therefore, a sort of homothetic behavior is identified, since statistical analyses demonstrate that centrality values and distributions remain rather consistent throughout scales, even when considering edge effects. This paper summarizes these results and considers homotheties as an alternative to extensive network generalization. Hence, data maps can be constructed sooner and more accurately as “pieces of a puzzle”, since each individual lesser scale graph possesses a faster processing time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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29 pages, 12011 KiB  
Article
Sexual Violence in the City: Space, Gender, and the Occurrence of Sexual Violence in Rotterdam
by Julia Vansetti Miranda and Akkelies van Nes
Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7609; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187609 - 15 Sep 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5784
Abstract
There is a need for knowledge of how the spatial features of the urban environment can shape the potential for safe streets and a gender inclusive society. This research reveals the relationship between a built environment’s spatial features, the presence of various types [...] Read more.
There is a need for knowledge of how the spatial features of the urban environment can shape the potential for safe streets and a gender inclusive society. This research reveals the relationship between a built environment’s spatial features, the presence of various types of people, and gender-based sexual violence in the public space of four neighborhoods in Rotterdam. Detailed sexual violence data are obtained from the police on a street resolution level for correlation with the spatial data on a micro and macro scale level (the space syntax method) and registrations regarding human behavior on streets at different time periods. Pooled Poisson regression models were created to explain the number of sexual violence reports per street and per block. The result is that there are correlations between the occurrence of sexual crimes, the number of people and women on the streets, local spatial integration, the land use of streets, and temporal aspects. Non-residential streets are safe during the day but become dangerous at night, and mixed land use is safer than mono-functional areas. A high degree of inter-visibility for entrances generates high degree of natural surveillance, resulting in greater safety on streets. A residential street with higher flow of people has fewer incidents than mono-functional commercial blocks. Commercial blocks have higher numbers of incidents at night due to the lack of natural surveillance from windows on the ground floor after shops close. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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26 pages, 8315 KiB  
Article
A Cultural Heritage Framework for Preserving Qatari Vernacular Domestic Architecture
by Asmaa AL-Mohannadi, Raffaello Furlan and Mark David Major
Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7295; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187295 - 6 Sep 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 6847
Abstract
Architecture and urbanism in the Arabian Gulf region, and specifically in the State of Qatar, offer many scenes to observe the loss of urban identity and cultural heritage in the various components of the built environment, including residential architecture. Many people attribute this [...] Read more.
Architecture and urbanism in the Arabian Gulf region, and specifically in the State of Qatar, offer many scenes to observe the loss of urban identity and cultural heritage in the various components of the built environment, including residential architecture. Many people attribute this to rapid development in globalization and the adoption of Western standardization in planning and design practice. Conversely, in the field of architectural sociology, scholars argue that socio-cultural factors such as privacy, gender segregation, and hospitality are the important variables for determining the spatial form of Islamic residential architecture. This research study aims to investigate the degree to which the shaping of the spatial form in a sample of Qatari vernacular courtyard houses embeds socio-cultural factors based on morphological analysis of human behavior and activities in domestic space. The study utilizes space syntax analysis to explore the spatial connectivity of four Qatari vernacular courtyard houses related to domestic functions as a realization of inhabitants’ system of activities and a manifestation of culture as a way of life. The study’s findings shed light on the spatial formation of Qatari vernacular courtyard houses as a realization of socio-cultural imperatives, thus reflecting the essence of societal formation in the domestic architecture of old Qatari settlements. The insights from this research study can help to contribute to a cultural heritage-framework for the preservation of distinctive Qatari Vernacular Residential Architecture based on the analytical criteria of housing spatial form, socio-cultural factors, and the interrelation between both. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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21 pages, 7697 KiB  
Article
Form and Function in Two Traditional Markets of the Middle East: Souq Mutrah and Souq Waqif
by Mark David Major and Heba O. Tannous
Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 7154; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177154 - 2 Sep 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4228
Abstract
This paper presents some of the findings of a study comparing the form and function of two traditional markets on the Arabian Peninsula: Souq Mutrah in Muscat, Oman, and Souq Waqif in Doha, Qatar. Globalization and rapid urbanization characterize both Doha and Muscat, [...] Read more.
This paper presents some of the findings of a study comparing the form and function of two traditional markets on the Arabian Peninsula: Souq Mutrah in Muscat, Oman, and Souq Waqif in Doha, Qatar. Globalization and rapid urbanization characterize both Doha and Muscat, which share similar historical origins as coastal settlements despite stark differences in topography; Oman is mountainous, whereas Qatar is flat. We investigate the urban morphology, land use and function of the two souqs using several representational techniques typical of morphological research, including space syntax analysis. The purpose is to develop a deeper understanding of (1) the evolution of space and form in these marketplaces over time, and (2) the possible implications for their functioning as urban places. The analysis demonstrates the critical importance of the contextual relations at the macro- and micro-scale of the urban environment for understanding the complex nature of these souqs as places today, helping to deepen our knowledge about traditional markets in the Middle East. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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21 pages, 3475 KiB  
Article
Exploring Challenges in Space Syntax Theory Building: The Use of Positivist and Hermeneutic Explanatory Models
by Akkelies van Nes and Claudia Yamu
Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 7133; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177133 - 1 Sep 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4548
Abstract
The planning and building of sustainable cities and communities yields operational theories on urban space. The novelty of this paper is that it discusses and explores the challenges for space syntax theory building within two key research traditions: positivism and hermeneutics. Applying a [...] Read more.
The planning and building of sustainable cities and communities yields operational theories on urban space. The novelty of this paper is that it discusses and explores the challenges for space syntax theory building within two key research traditions: positivism and hermeneutics. Applying a theory of science perspective, we first discuss the explanatory power of space syntax and its applications. Next, we distinguish between theories that attempt to explain a phenomenon and theories that seek to understand it, based on Von Wright’s modal logics and Bhaskar’s critical realism models. We demonstrate that space syntax research that focuses on spatial configurative changes in built environments, movement and economic activities can explain changes in a built environment in terms of cause and effect (positivism), whereas historical research or research focusing on social rationality, space and crime or cognition seeks to develop an understanding of the inherent cultural meaning of the space under investigation (hermeneutics). Evidently, the effect of human intentions and behaviour on spatial structures depends on the type of rationality underlying these intentions, which is the focus of this study. Positivist explanatory models are appropriate for examining market rationality in cases that entail unambiguous intentionality and that are associated with a high degree of predictability. By contrast, other kinds of reasoning require a hermeneutic understanding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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19 pages, 4410 KiB  
Article
The Multi-Method Tool ‘PAST’ for Evaluating Cultural Routes in Historical Cities: Evidence from Cagliari, Italy
by Chiara Garau, Alfonso Annunziata and Claudia Yamu
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5513; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145513 - 8 Jul 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3245
Abstract
Thematic paths are a central aspect of urban policies for cultural heritage valorization. In fact, thematic paths are central spatial features for structuring the image of a historical landscape. Hence, this study proposes the cultural paths assessment tool (PAST) as a methodological framework [...] Read more.
Thematic paths are a central aspect of urban policies for cultural heritage valorization. In fact, thematic paths are central spatial features for structuring the image of a historical landscape. Hence, this study proposes the cultural paths assessment tool (PAST) as a methodological framework for individuating a network of routes connecting cultural heritage components and for assessing their usefulness. Usefulness is herein defined as the potential of a street network to support the meaningful experience of a historical urban landscape. PAST combines space syntax techniques, a geographic information system, and a qualitative analysis within a multi-criteria analysis framework for addressing four aspects of connecting cultural heritage components, including: (i) the individuation of relevant assets; (ii) the identification of the sub-network of most central street segments; (iii) the definition of the street network of thematic routes; (iv) the assessment of the usefulness of thematic paths, according to the criteria of usability, imageability, and accessibility. The proposed methodology, applied to the historical district of Marina in the city of Cagliari in Italy, supports planning and design processes in two ways: (1) by identifying street segments and squares comprising a network of thematic routes; (2) by individuating high-leverage interventions for improving the usefulness of thematic routes. Consequently, the proposed study addresses the need to establish methodologies and analytic tools that support decision making processes for conserving, managing, and valorizing historic urban landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Syntax and the Sustainable City: Theory, Methods and Applications)
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