Decoding Spontaneous Informal Spaces in Old Residential Communities: A Drone and Space Syntax Perspective
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- (1)
- How does one establish a methodological procedure to quantify SIS?
- (2)
- What are the main types of SIS?
- (3)
- How does the residential structure correlate with the characteristics of an SIS (such as area, service radius, population, etc.)?
2. Methods
2.1. Research Area
2.2. Data Collection
2.2.1. Drone-Based SIS Feature Capture
2.2.2. User Insights from Questionnaire
2.2.3. Space Syntax Modeling of Residential Environments
2.3. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Structural Layout Characteristics of Residential Community
3.2. Transformation and Utilization Methods of SIS
3.3. Types of SIS
3.4. Correlation between SIS Characteristics and Environmental Parameters
4. Discussion
4.1. Contributions of Research Methodology
4.2. The Influence of Community’s Layout on SIS
4.3. Sociological Insights and Design Recommendations for SIS
- (1)
- Maximizing Accessibility and Visibility: To promote social SIS, designers should create open layouts, wider pathways, and more public spaces while minimizing dead ends. Reducing blind spots and enhancing visibility deters undesirable behaviors.
- (2)
- Providing Green Planting Spaces for the Elderly: Urban planners should allocate areas in elderly communities for pocket gardens and community gardens, catering to their planting needs.
- (3)
- Flexible, Participatory Design to Meet Social Needs: To cater to the diverse social needs of the elderly, spatial design should be flexible. For example, modular seating or movable shading structures can be integrated into public spaces. Additionally, it is encouraged to involve community residents, especially the elderly, in the design process. Their insights and life experiences can guide context-specific and user-friendly designs.
- (4)
- Protecting and Strengthening Public–Private Boundaries: Recognizing how SIS redefines boundaries, urban design should strive for a balance. It should introduce personalized measures for defining areas to meet residents’ psychological needs while respecting public spaces to provide a sense of belonging.
- (5)
- Promoting Positive SIS: Managers should avoid attempting to eliminate or regulate all SIS. Urban designers should recognize their societal value and integrate the concept of spontaneous and organic SIS effectively into formalized spaces.
4.4. Limitation
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Sun, X.; Wang, L.; Wang, F.; Soltani, S. Behaviors of Seniors and Impact of Spatial Form in Small-Scale Public Spaces in Chinese Old City Zones. Cities 2020, 107, 102894. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Besser, L.M. Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with Neighborhood Walking among US Older Adults. Prev. Med. Rep. 2021, 21, 101291. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Ma, X.; Ma, C.; Wu, C.; Xi, Y.; Yang, R.; Peng, N.; Zhang, C.; Ren, F. Measuring Human Perceptions of Streetscapes to Better Inform Urban Renewal: A Perspective of Scene Semantic Parsing. Cities 2021, 110, 103086. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Qiao, Z.; Liu, L.; Qin, Y.; Xu, X.; Wang, B.; Liu, Z. The Impact of Urban Renewal on Land Surface Temperature Changes: A Case Study in the Main City of Guangzhou, China. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 794. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhuang, T.; Qian, Q.K.; Visscher, H.J.; Elsinga, M.G.; Wu, W. The Role of Stakeholders and Their Participation Network in Decision-Making of Urban Renewal in China: The Case of Chongqing. Cities 2019, 92, 47–58. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- World Urbanization Prospects—Population Division-United Nations. Available online: https://population.un.org/wup/ (accessed on 25 June 2023).
- Paquet, C.; Whitehead, J.; Shah, R.; Adams, A.M.; Dooley, D.; Spreng, R.N.; Aunio, A.-L.; Dubé, L. Social Prescription Interventions Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Meta-Review Integrating On-the-Ground Resources. J. Med. Internet Res. 2023, 25, e40213. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kamalipour, H.; Dovey, K. Incremental Production of Urban Space: A Typology of Informal Design. Habitat Int. 2020, 98, 102133. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Soyinka, O.; Adenle, Y.A.; Abdul-Rahman, M. Urban Informality and Sustainable Design of Public Space Facilities: A Case Study of Hong Kong SAR of China in 2018. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 2021, 23, 16560–16587. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sverdlik, A. Ill-Health and Poverty: A Literature Review on Health in Informal Settlements. Environ. Urban. 2011, 23, 123–155. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dovey, K.; King, R. Forms of Informality: Morphology and Visibility of Informal Settlements. Built Environ. 2011, 37, 11–29. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Castells, M. The City and the Grassroots: A Cross-Cultural Theory of Urban Social Movements, 1st ed.; University of California Press: Berkeley, CA, USA; Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1983. [Google Scholar]
- Roy, A.; AlSayyad, N. Urban Informality: Transnational Perspectives from the Middle East, Latin America, and South Asia, 1st ed.; Lexington Books: Lanham, MD, USA, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- Bromley, R. Street Vending and Public Policy: A Global Review. Int. J. Sociol. Soc. Policy 2000, 20, 1–28. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Donovan, M.G. Informal Cities and the Contestation of Public Space: The Case of Bogotá’s Street Vendors, 1988–2003. Urban Stud. 2008, 45, 29–51. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ulyssea, G. Firms, Informality, and Development: Theory and Evidence from Brazil. Am. Econ. Rev. 2018, 108, 2015–2047. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Okyere, S.A.; Diko, S.K.; Hiraoka, M.; Kita, M. An Urban “Mixity”: Spatial Dynamics of Social Interactions and Human Behaviors in the Abese Informal Quarter of La Dadekotopon, Ghana. Urban Sci. 2017, 1, 13. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dovey, K.; van Oostrum, M.; Chatterjee, I.; Shafique, T. Towards a Morphogenesis of Informal Settlements. Habitat Int. 2020, 104, 102240. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chiodelli, F.; Moroni, S. The Complex Nexus between Informality and the Law: Reconsidering Unauthorised Settlements in Light of the Concept of Nomotropism. Geoforum 2014, 51, 161–168. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yiftachel, O. Epilogue-from “Gray Space” to Equal “Metrozenship”? Reflections On Urban Citizenship. Int. J. Urban Reg. Res. 2015, 39, 726–737. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhang, B.; Guo, W.; Xing, Z.; Zhou, R. Current Situation and Sustainable Renewal Strategies of Public Space in Chinese Old Communities. Sustainability 2022, 14, 6723. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Li, J.; Wang, F.; Wuzhati, S.; Wen, B. Urban or Village Residents? A Case Study of the Spontaneous Space Transformation of the Forced Upstairs Farmers’ Community in Beijing. Habitat Int. 2016, 56, 136–146. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Xing, Z.; Guo, W.; Liu, J.; Xu, S. Toward the Sustainable Development of the Old Community: Proposing a Conceptual Framework Based on Meaning Change for Space Redesign of Old Communities and Conducting Design Practices. Sustainability 2022, 14, 4755. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Guo, S.; Song, C.; Pei, T.; Liu, Y.; Ma, T.; Du, Y.; Chen, J.; Fan, Z.; Tang, X.; Peng, Y.; et al. Accessibility to Urban Parks for Elderly Residents: Perspectives from Mobile Phone Data. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2019, 191, 103642. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kemperman, A.; Timmermans, H. Green Spaces in the Direct Living Environment and Social Contacts of the Aging Population. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2014, 129, 44–54. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wen, C.; Albert, C.; Von Haaren, C. The Elderly in Green Spaces: Exploring Requirements and Preferences Concerning Nature-Based Recreation. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2018, 38, 582–593. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yung, E.H.K.; Wang, S.; Chau, C. Thermal Perceptions of the Elderly, Use Patterns and Satisfaction with Open Space. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2019, 185, 44–60. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Xiao, Y.; Wang, D.; Fang, J. Exploring the Disparities in Park Access through Mobile Phone Data: Evidence from Shanghai, China. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2019, 181, 80–91. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Heikinheimo, V.; Tenkanen, H.; Bergroth, C.; Järv, O.; Hiippala, T.; Toivonen, T. Understanding the Use of Urban Green Spaces from User-Generated Geographic Information. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2020, 201, 103845. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Donahue, M.L.; Keeler, B.L.; Wood, S.A.; Fisher, D.M.; Hamstead, Z.A.; McPhearson, T. Using Social Media to Understand Drivers of Urban Park Visitation in the Twin Cities, MN. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2018, 175, 1–10. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hamstead, Z.A.; Fisher, D.; Ilieva, R.T.; Wood, S.A.; McPhearson, T.; Kremer, P. Geolocated Social Media as a Rapid Indicator of Park Visitation and Equitable Park Access. Comput. Environ. Urban Syst. 2018, 72, 38–50. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Alivand, M.; Hochmair, H.H. Spatiotemporal Analysis of Photo Contribution Patterns to Panoramio and Flickr. Cartogr. Geogr. Inf. Sci. 2016, 44, 170–184. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Delavarpour, N.; Koparan, C.; Nowatzki, J.; Bajwa, S.; Sun, X. A Technical Study on UAV Characteristics for Precision Agriculture Applications and Associated Practical Challenges. Remote Sens. 2021, 13, 1204. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Luo, J.; Zhao, T.; Cao, L.; Biljecki, F. Semantic Riverscapes: Perception and Evaluation of Linear Landscapes from Oblique Imagery Using Computer Vision. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2022, 228, 104569. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Park, K.; Ewing, R. The Usability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Measuring Park-Based Physical Activity. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2017, 167, 157–164. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hillier, B. Space is the Machine: A Configurational Theory of Architecture; Space Syntax: London, UK, 2007. [Google Scholar]
- Chen, S.; Knöll, M. Refugee Children’s Access to Play in Meso-Environments: A Novel Approach Using Space Syntax and GIS. Buildings 2023, 13, 111. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sultan Qurraie, S.; Mansouri, S.A.; Singery, M. Landscape Syntax, Landscape Assessment Using Landscape Approach Indices. MANZAR 2023, 15, 20–27. [Google Scholar]
- Istiani, N.F.F.; Alkadri, M.F.; van Nes, A.; Susanto, D. Investigating the Spatial Network of Playgrounds during COVID-19 Based on a Space Syntax Analysis Case Study: 10 Playgrounds in Delft, the Netherlands. Cogent Soc. Sci. 2023, 9, 2163754. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McCahill, C.; Garrick, N.W. The Applicability of Space Syntax to Bicycle Facility Planning. Transp. Res. Rec. 2008, 2074, 46–51. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hillier, W.R.G. What are cities for? and how does it relate to their spatial form? J. Space Syntax. 2016, 6, 199–212. [Google Scholar]
- Hillier, B. A Theory of the City as Object: Or, How Spatial Laws Mediate the Social Construction of Urban Space. Urban Des. Int. 2002, 7, 153–179. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Marquet, O.; Hipp, J.A.; Alberico, C.; Huang, J.-H.; Fry, D.; Mazak, E.; Lovasi, G.S.; Floyd, M.F. Use of SOPARC to Assess Physical Activity in Parks: Do Race/Ethnicity, Contextual Conditions, and Settings of the Target Area, Affect Reliability? BMC Public Health 2019, 19, 1730. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gehl, J. Life between Buildings: Using Public Space; Island Press: Washington, DC, USA, 2011. [Google Scholar]
- Cozens, P.M.; Saville, G.; Hillier, D. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED): A Review and Modern Bibliography. Prop. Manag. 2005, 23, 328–356. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Can, I.; Heath, T. In-between spaces and social interaction: A morphological analysis of Izmir using space syntax. J. Hous. Built Environ. 2016, 31, 31–49. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pan, M.; Shen, Y.; Jiang, Q.; Zhou, Q.; Li, Y. Reshaping Publicness: Research on Correlation between Public Participation and Spatial Form in Urban Space Based on Space Syntax—A Case Study on Nanjing Xinjiekou. Buildings 2022, 12, 1492. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Li, W.; Chen, M.; Yao, N.; Luo, Z.; Jiao, Y. Spatial-Temporalevolution of Roadway Layout System from a Space Syntax Perspective. Tunnell. Undergr. Space Technol. 2023, 135, 105038. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Newman, O. Defensible Space; Crime Prevention through Urban Design; Macmillan: New York, NY, USA, 1972. [Google Scholar]
- Mawby, R.I. Defensible Space: A Theoretical and Empirical Appraisal. Urban Stud. 1977, 14, 169–179. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mouratidis, K.; Poortinga, W. Built Environment, Urban Vitality and Social Cohesion: Do Vibrant Neighborhoods Foster Strong Communities? Landsc. Urban Plan. 2020, 204, 103951. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Xia, C.; Yeh, A.G.-O.; Zhang, A. Analyzing Spatial Relationships between Urban Land Use Intensity and Urban Vitality at Street Block Level: A Case Study of Five Chinese Megacities. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2020, 193, 103669. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lai, D.; Lian, Z.; Liu, W.; Guo, C.; Liu, W.; Liu, K.; Chen, Q. A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Comfort Studies in Urban Open Spaces. Sci. Total Environ. 2020, 742, 140092. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Torku, A.; Chan, A.P.C.; Yung, E.H.K.; Seo, J. The Influence of Urban Visuospatial Configuration on Older Adults’ Stress: A Wearable Physiological-Perceived Stress Sensing and Data Mining Based-Approach. Build. Environ. 2021, 206, 108298. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kohn, M. Brave New Neighborhoods: The Privatization of Public Space; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- Li, X.; Li, Z.; Jia, T.; Yan, P.; Wang, D.; Liu, G. The sense of community revisited in Hankow, China: Combining the impacts of perceptual factors and built environment attributes. Cities 2021, 111, 103108. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Alexander, C. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction; Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- Lynch, K. The Image of the City; MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 1964. [Google Scholar]
- Jacobs, J. The Death and Life of Great American Cities; Vintage Books: New York, NY, USA, 2016. [Google Scholar]
- Tyler, T.R. Why People Obey the Law; Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, USA, 2006. [Google Scholar]
- Altman, I. The Environment and Social Behavior: Privacy, Personal Space, Territory, Crowding; Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.: Monterey, CA, USA, 1975. [Google Scholar]
- Gehl, J. Cities for People; Island Press: Washington, DC, USA, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Zhang, W.; Chong, Z.; Li, X.; Nie, G. Spatial Patterns and Determinant Factors of Population Flow Networks in China: Analysis on Tencent Location Big Data. Cities 2020, 99, 102640. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hillier, B. Studying Cities to Learn about Minds: Some Possible Implications of Space Syntax for Spatial Cognition. Environ. Plan. B Plan. Des. 2012, 39, 12–32. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
SIS Features | Important Parameters | Calculation Method/Description |
---|---|---|
Basic features | Area | s = area of each SIS |
Location | Latitude and longitude of each SIS | |
Structure | Physical structure of each SIS (e.g., sunshade, fence, seats, sofas, etc.) | |
Type | Classification of SIS based on function and usage (e.g., entertainment area, green plant area, basic living area, etc.) | |
Usage characteristics | Average age | Average age = ai: the age of each user n: total number of users in each SIS |
Number of users | Number of Users = pi: the number of people during each survey k: the order of drone shooting | |
Service scale features | Average usage Frequency | Average usage frequency = fi: a user’s frequency of visits in a SIS during past 2 weeks n: total number of users in each SIS |
Average service radius | Average service radius = ri: the distance of each user n: total number of users in each SIS |
The Type of SIS | The Service Radius (m) | The Number of Users | Mean Value of Parameters for Each Type | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VI | VCC | NAIN | NACH | |||
Gardening and planting | 2.71 | 0.83 | 7.64 | 0.66 | 1.13 | 104.74 |
Daily living type in front of buildings | 4.72 | 1.28 | 6.96 | 0.76 | 1.13 | 93.75 |
Leisure and communication type between residential buildings | 133.21 | 4.10 | 7.13 | 0.69 | 1.11 | 92.87 |
Intersection entertainment and leisure type | 427.27 | 6.10 | 8.37 | 0.54 | 1.20 | 150.18 |
Hidden cluttered space type | 0 | 0 | 5.87 | 0.82 | 0.58 | 73.21 |
Constant | VI (x1) | VCC (x2) | NACH (x3) | NAIN (x4) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of users (y1) | −8.459 × 10−17 | 2.478 × 10−1 | −8.430 × 10−3 | 2.189 × 10−1 * | 4.965 × 10−1 ** |
Service radius (y2) | −5.495 × 10−16 | 3.929 × 10−1 | −5.294 × 10−2 | 1.561 × 10−1 | 2.485 × 10−1 * |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Zhang, R.; Cao, L.; Liu, Y.; Guo, R.; Luo, J.; Shu, P. Decoding Spontaneous Informal Spaces in Old Residential Communities: A Drone and Space Syntax Perspective. ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2023, 12, 452. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12110452
Zhang R, Cao L, Liu Y, Guo R, Luo J, Shu P. Decoding Spontaneous Informal Spaces in Old Residential Communities: A Drone and Space Syntax Perspective. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information. 2023; 12(11):452. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12110452
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhang, Ran, Lei Cao, Yiqing Liu, Ru Guo, Junjie Luo, and Ping Shu. 2023. "Decoding Spontaneous Informal Spaces in Old Residential Communities: A Drone and Space Syntax Perspective" ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 12, no. 11: 452. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12110452