BRNO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY VYSOKÉ UČENÍ TECHNICKE V BRNE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT OF THEORY FAKULTY ARCHITEKTURY- ÚSTAV TEORIE INTEGRATION OF SOCIAL LIFE WITH URBAN SPACE SYNTAX Integrování společenského života a urbánní prostorové syntaxe A dissertation submitted for the degree of Ph.D. Architecture At Brno University of Technology Faculty of Architecture Author: Ing. Arch. Najeh Mohammed Mohammed Supervisor: Doc. Ing. Arch. Maximilian Wittman, Ph.D Brno September, 2011 Mohammed, N. M. Integration of Social Life with Urban Space Syntax, Brno, 2011. 189 pages. A dissertation submitted at the Faculty of Architecture, Brno university of Technology, Department of Theory. Supervisor: Doc. Ing. Arch. Maximilian Wittman, Ph.D ii Declaration by Author I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work and effort and that it has not been already submitted anywhere or for any other degree. All sources of information used in the thesis have been acknowledged. Brno, 2011 Signature iii I dedicate this work to the spirit of my father… He is the reason of much of how I am and what I am doing now. iv Abstract Studies in space syntax and cognition have shown consistent statistical relationship between configurational properties of space layouts and people’s spatial cognition (the ability to recall and form a map of space). However, these studies stress the aspect of spatial cognition that is based on the layout and quality of environment and say nothing about the view that considers the cognitive mapping as a process that is culturally constrained and results in the filtering of messages from the environment in which people live, this means we may have different cognitive mapping outcomes based on people’s values and considerations. If it could be shown that cognitive mapping process is influenced by people’s values and other cultural habits, then it means that configuration or quality is not the only factor that forms individual’s mental representation of space, but there is also another factor, this includes aspects that help individuals gain a specific sense of what is a proper or a satisfactory environment, based on their own particular view. The aim of this thesis is to explore this prediction by investigating the association between configurational features and cognitive representations and thus throw light on how the difference in people’s cultural background affects this association. Two key questions are addressed in this thesis: The first is whether there is a link between spatial cognition and people’s satisfaction about their local place, and the second is whether place satisfaction affects the association between space configuration and spatial cognition. Another question arises from the analysis: Which of the cultural values are most associated with the process of spatial cognition? The main tools and procedures used include: space syntax software to analyze space configurational characteristics of the study areas in question; the central area of Brno city (Czech Republic) and the old city of Damascus (Syria), a questionnaire to examine people’s satisfaction with their local place, a cognitive mapping test, and an on-site observations of pedestrian traffic. The analysis suggests: First, there is a considerable relationship between spatial cognition and place satisfaction, second, spatial cognition tends to be affected not only by the structure of the space but also by the way people understand and give meaning to space. The thesis also shed some light on findings with regard to those that have been confirmed by previous studies, in term of how spatial configuration affects aspects of relationship between people and space, especially, the relationship between configuration and pedestrian flow. 1 Abstrakt Studium prostorové syntaxe a prostorového poznání (vnímání) ukázalo a určilo statistický vztah mezi vlastnostmi prostoru a prostorovým poznáváním (schopnost jednotlivců připomenout a představit si mapu prostoru). Disertační práce zdůrazňuje aspekt prostorového poznávání, který je založen na podobě a kvalitě prostředí. Prezentuje myšlenku, že poznávací mapování jako proces je kulturně vymezený. Jeho výsledky jsou přejímány a filtrovány z prostředí, v němž lidé žijí. To znamená, že mohou vznikat různé výsledky poznávacího mapování a různé výsledky založené na lidských hodnotách. Pokud by se prokázalo, že proces je ovlivněn hodnotami lidí a jejich kulturními návyky, znamenalo by to, že existuje další faktor individuální mentální reprezentace prostoru. Ten zahrnuje aspekty, které pomáhají jednotlivcům získat specifické povědomí o tom, co je pro ně vyhovující prostředí. Cílem disertační práce je analyzovat tento předpoklad zkoumáním vztahu mezi vlastnostmi prostoru a prostorovým poznáváním a prokázat, že rozdíl v kultuře lidí ovlivňuje tento vztah. V práci jsou zodpovězeny dvě klíčové otázky: První - zda existuje souvislost mezi prostorovým vnímáním a satisfakcí lidí z jejich životního prostředí, a druhá - zda taková spokojenost ovlivňuje vztah mezi prostorovým uspořádáním a prostorovým poznáním. Další otázka plynoucí z analýzy zní: Které kulturní hodnoty jsou spojeny s procesem prostorového poznání? Mezi hlavní nástroje a postupy používané v práci patří: software prostorové syntaxe, analýza vlastností prostoru v rámci dvou studijních oblastí - Brno centrum města (Česká Republika) a staré Město Damašek (Sýrie), dotazník zkoumající spokojenost lidí, test prostorového mapování a pozorování chodců. Z analýzy vyplývá: Za prvé - existuje vztah mezi prostorovým poznáním a satisfakcí, za druhé - prostorové poznání má tendenci být ovlivněno nejen strukturou prostoru, ale také způsobem, jakým ho lidé vnímají a jaký mu přisuzují smysl. Práce se snaží celkově objasnit vliv prostorové konfigurace na vztah mezi lidmi a prostorem, zvlášť na vztah mezi prostorovou konfigurací a množstvím lidí v prostoru 2 Acknowledgments First I should like to thank Doc. Ing. Arch. Maximilian Wittman, Ph.D for his advice and guidance throughout the course of this thesis. Thanks are also due to the Faculty of Architecture, and the Section of Foreign Relations, Brno University of Technology for their funding. To the vice dean doc. Ing. Arch. Hana Urbášková, Prof. Ing. Arch. Jan Koutný, CSc, Ing. Arch. Kateřina Pazderková, PH.D, the Dean’s office and Admin Sraff in the Faculty of Architecture for their assistance during the course of my study. A special thank to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Kurdistan Region for their funding. I would particularly thank Dr. Asmat M. Khalid the president of the University of Dohuk who helped provide the opportunity of this study. Thanks to Dr. Dawood Atroshi, Dr. Salim Hajee and Dr. Hassan Mzoori for their assistance and making as easy as possible every administration issue I have required from the University of Dohuk. To the faculty of Architecture, Dohuk University for their assistance to deliver all the paper works needed for my study. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Mosa M. Ibrahim who encouraged me to undertake this task and who has supported me and my family tirelessly over the years of my study. Thanks to Ahmad H. Mustafa for his assistance in many issues during my absence. To Khalid M. Mohammed for helping provide an important source for my work Lastly, my thanks go to my family for their support, their patience and encouragement to accomplish this work. 3 Contents Page Abstract.................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgements.................................................................................. 3 Introduction & Research Goals ............................................................... 8 Chapter 1 Mental Space & Physical Space 1.1 Introduction........................................................................ 12 1.2 Meaning of Spatial Cognition............................................. 12 1.3 Environmental Perception.................................................. 13 1.4 Process of Cognitive mapping........................................... 13 1.5 Form of Mental Representation......................................... 14 1.6 Errors in Cognitive Mapping.............................................. 16 1.6.1 Alignment & Distance............................................. 16 1.6.2 Distortion in Cognitive Maps................................... 17 1.7 Cognition & Behavior........................................................ 18 1.8 Linking spatial Form to Cognition and Behavior…………. 19 1.8.1 Conclusion......................................................................... 20 Chapter 2 Spatial Cognition & Culture 2.1 Introduction....................................................................... 22 2.2 Cognition & Culture........................................................... 22 2.3 Across Cultural Mental Representation…………………… 23 2.4 Cognition & Cultural Settings............................................. 24 2.5 Cognition & Identity............................................................ 25 2.6 Identity as an Aspect of Place Satisfaction………………... 26 2.7 Dimensions of Place Satisfaction…………………………… 28 2.8 Conclusion.......................................................................... 30 Chapter 3 Space Syntax & Spatial Cognition 3.1 Introduction......................................................................... 32 4 3.2 Space syntax and Social Activity....................................... 32 3.2.1 The Concept of Space Syntax...............................