Research On Urban Space Based On Spatial Syntax

Space Syntax, as developed at the Bartlett, University College London, proposes a fundamental relationship between the configuration of space in a city and the way that it functions. The analysis of space in terms its configurational properties-or syntax-may, according to the theory, allow us to determine some aspects of the functioning of cities. It has been the aim of the work described in this paper to test this proposition in the Chinese cities, and to try to explore the nature of any fundamental space-function relation in the Chinese cities reflected by Space Syntax.This paper explores the potentials of applying Space Syntax methodology to analyze the effects of urban configuration on cities’transport performance. The empirical analysis takes as a case study Yinjiang Town considering its urban road system. The proposed adaptation of the chosen Space Syntax methodology is applied to Yinjiang Town, a Chinese small size town in Southern China with a very interesting variety in the form and density of its urban texture. It is the purpose of this application (which uses the DepthMap) to verify and interpret the functional structure of the town through identifying the form of its core, the principal and most congested road areas, the allocation of the central land use etc. Moreover, it aims to verify the argument that the Space Syntax attributes of the urban public space have an impact on the accomplishment of the objectives in the regeneration studies and are able to affect the development and structure of its central functions.In this paper I describe a classic small size Chinese town, based on Space Syntax visibility graphs, aiming to explore the application of the small size towns urbanization process in China, to provide an advanced theory and techniques of urban analysis in redevelopment opportunities.