Creating life: or, does architecture determine anything?

Abstract

As far as spatial layout is concerned the question of 'architectural determinism' has two components: does spatial layout influence the pattern of space use and movement? and does this patterning of 'spatial life' have social implications? An attempt is made to answer the first question by, first, using space syntax to analyse generic properties of a large sample of towns and urban areas; and second, using the hypotheses derived from this analysis to explore the relation between spatial layout and movement patterns in a sample of real case studies of urban areas and housing estates.-from Author