To tame a TIGER one has to know its nature:extending weighted angular integration analysis to the descriptionof GIS road-centerline data for large scale urban analysis

GIS databases representing urban layouts according to road centerlines spanningbetween intersection nodes (at road junctions) can be analyzed syntactically basedon the concept of angular fractional depth

Exploring, Engaging, Understanding in Museums

Patterns of accessibility through the space of the exhibition, connections or separations among spaces or exhibition elements, sequencing and grouping of elements, form our perceptions and shape our understanding. Through a review of several previous studies and the presentation of new work, this paper suggests that these patterns of movement form the basis of visitor understanding and that these effects can be deliberately controlled and elaborated through a closer examination of the influence of the visual and perceptual properties of an exhibition. Furthermore, it is argued that there is also a spatial discourse based on patterns of access and visibility that flows in its own right, although not entirely separate from the curatorial narrative

Path, theme and narrative in open plan exhibition settings

Three arguments are made based on the analysis of science exhibitions. First,sufficiently refined techniques of spatial analysis allow us to model the impact oflayout upon visitors' paths, even in moderately sized open plans which allow almostrandom patterns of movement and relatively unobstructed visibility. Second, newlydeveloped or adapted techniques of analysis allow us to make a transition frommodeling the mechanics of spatial movement (the way in which movement is affectedby the distribution of obstacles and boundaries), to modeling the manner in whichmovement might register additional aspects of visual information. Third, theadvantages of such purely spatial modes of analysis extend into providing us with asharper understanding of some of the pragmatic constrains within which exhibitioncontent is conceived and designed

What do we mean by building function?

Scientific approaches to architecture usually avoid the issue of building form, preferring to focus on function. But how can there be a theory of function without a systematic analysis of the key architectural variable of form? A theory of description is required. In this paper it is argued that such a theory can be built through the analysis of spatial form in buildings. Then once spatial form is describable in terms of a descriptive theory, a more powerfully scientific - and architectural - understanding of function is possible. The argument draws on several pieces of research carried out by the authors and their students, but focusses eventually on various types of medical building in order to illustrate certain general principles

Path, theme and narrative in open plan exhibition settings

Three arguments are made based on the analysis of science exhibitions. First,sufficiently refined techniques of spatial analysis allow us to model the impact oflayout upon visitors' paths, even in moderately sized open plans which allow almostrandom patterns of movement and relatively unobstructed visibility. Second, newlydeveloped or adapted techniques of analysis allow us to make a transition frommodeling the mechanics of spatial movement (the way in which movement is affectedby the distribution of obstacles and boundaries), to modeling the manner in whichmovement might register additional aspects of visual information. Third, theadvantages of such purely spatial modes of analysis extend into providing us with asharper understanding of some of the pragmatic constrains within which exhibitioncontent is conceived and designed

Syntactic Analysis of Settlements

This paper introduces a model for the representation, analysis and interpretation of settlement space: syntactic analysis. The model of analysis sees a settlement as a bi-polar system, arranged between the entrances to buildings and the world outside the settlement. The structure of space between these two domains is seen as a means of interfacing two kinds of relations: those among the inhabitants of the settlement and those between inhabitants and strangers. The essence of the method of analysis is that it establishes a way of dealing with the global physical structure of a settlement without losing sight of its social structure; and second - a function of the first - it establishes a method of describing space in such a way as to make its social origins and consequences a part of that description. It is proposed that it is precisely in the relations between local and global structure that traditional and vernacular settlements can be characterized and classified spatially

The Effects of Urban Form on Walking to Transit

This study analyzes an on-board transit survey conducted by the Atlanta Regional Commission in order to determine how far urban density, mixed land-uses, and street network connectivity are related to transit walk-mode shares to/from stations. The data are drawn from all the stations of Atlanta’s rapid transit network (MARTA). Overall, the analyses presented in this study confirm the hypothesis that local conditions around MARTA rail stations are significantly related to riders’ choice to walk to/from transit. The results emphasize the importance of including measures of street connectivity in transit-oriented studies. It is shown that street connectivity is strongly associated with walk-mode shares when controlling for transit service characteristics as well as population density, land-use mix and personal attributes. The research findings have several implications. They confirm that transit oriented policies are better supported by urban development policies and zoning and subdivision regulations that encourage transit-friendly urban forms. Findings also augment the knowledge base that supports transit oriented development by emphasizing the contribution of the spatial structure of the street network, over and above the impact of side-walk provision and design and pedestrian safety

Cognitive mechanisms underlying instructed choice exploration of small city maps

We investigated the cognitive mechanisms underlying the exploration and decision-making in realistic and novel environments. Twelve human subjects were shown small circular U.S. city maps with two locations highlighted on the circumference, as possible choices for a post office (“targets”). At the beginning of a trial, subjects fixated a spot at the center of the map and ultimately chose one of the two locations. A space syntax analysis of the map paths (from the center to each target) revealed that the chosen location was associated with the less convoluted path, as if subjects navigated mentally the paths in an “ant's way,” i.e., by staying within street boundaries, and ultimately choosing the target that could be reached from the center in the shortest way, and the fewest turns and intersections. The subjects' strategy for map exploration and decision making was investigated by monitoring eye position during the task. This revealed a restricted exploration of the map delimited by the location of the two alternative options and the center of the map. Specifically, subjects explored the areas around the two target options by repeatedly looking at them before deciding which one to choose, presumably implementing an evaluation and decision-making process. The ultimate selection of a specific target was significantly associated with the time spent exploring the area around that target. Finally, an analysis of the sequence of eye fixations revealed that subjects tended to look systematically toward the target ultimately chosen even from the beginning of the trial. This finding indicates an early cognitive selection bias for the ensuing decision process