The effect of urban form on functional organization of space : a critical perspective on the role of configuration in urban planning by comparing three districts in Ankara, Turkey

Sevik, Ebru and Efeoglu, Hulusi Eren; (2022) The effect of urban form on functional organization of space : a critical perspective on the role of configuration in urban planning by comparing three districts in Ankara, Turkey. In: Annual Conference Proceedings of the XXVIII International Seminar on Urban Form. University of Strathclyde Publishing, Glasgow, pp. 1361-1371. ISBN 9781914241161

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Abstract

The configurational studies illustrate that there is a determinant relationship between human mobility and the built environment. For decades, the behavioral sciences have thoroughly elaborated on the effect of the built environment on human behavior based on the perceptual dimensions. An innovative approach to this relationship has opened another perspective in the last decades with the development of Space Syntax Theory (SST), which considers the topological structure of the street network as the primary conditioner of human movement. The research based on SST also suggests a strong correlation between the urban land uses and the configurational structure of the city. On the other hand, many inconsistencies are addressed by scholars criticizing the reductionist approach of the theory from planning and design perspectives. In this sense, this study focuses on the association between functional patterns and configurational structure of space in three different urban contexts in Ankara, which vary in terms of planning and development processes: Ulus District, Bahcelievler Neighborhood and Eryaman District. Within each case study, the topographical integration patterns are revealed by using space-syntax analysis and compared with the existing land-use patterns, observed pedestrian intensities, and main focal points. The potential central areas conditioned by the topological structure in all three areas are then evaluated, and a critical perspective is developed in terms of the role of configurational analysis in urban planning and design processes.

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https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00080533
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