An Investigation Into Function And Vitality Of Waterfront Squares In Central Chongqing And Design-strategy Studies From The Perspective Of ’Lost Space’

Chongqing,located along the area where the Yangtze River and the Jialing River meet,is a typical waterfront city with a unique mountainous landscape.With the increasing demands for public spaces and emphasis on the development of waterfront areas from the government in recent years,the waterfront spaces have become progressively crucial for the future urban development of Chongqing.As an important part of the city’s waterfront public space,a waterfront square plays a key role in the development of riverside.The factors affecting the function and vitality of waterfront squares are worthy of attention.The thesis took the waterfront squares in Chongqing city as the research objects.According to Finding Lost Space——Theories of Urban Design written by Roger Trancik,which emphatically expounded three theories of urban design(Figure-ground theory,Linkage theory and Place theory),the study selected “figure-ground”,“linkage” and “place” as main dimensional indicators to measure the material condition of the squares.With combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis,the relationship between the three-dimensional index of the square and the function and vitality of the square is studied,allowing the optimization strategies of the three-dimensional obtained,and the strategies were finally applied to a practical project.Based on literature review,the thesis discussed the gains and losses of modernism urban planning,then concluded the significance of public space for urban development.Furthermore,the thesis put forward the application and feasibility of theories mentioned in Finding Lost Space in various public space research.Then the thesis discussed the influence and value of waterfront space of the city,and focus on the study of the material and social characteristics of the waterfront squares.In addition,the thesis found out the research gap related to the function and vitality of relative squares.By relative research,the thesis selected the three-dimensional indicators as the influencial factor of function and vitality,while chose the visitor feature,usage feature,behavioral density,behavioral distribution,and behavioral diversity as indicators for the evaluation of function and vitality of the squares.In addition,the thesis introduced the overall statement and historical development of waterfront squares in Chongqing city,and selected 12 waterfront squares in four types for further investigation.Then the research on the three-dimensional indicators and the function and vitality indicators were investigated,and the data were collated and correlated analysis was carried out to obtain the conclusions.Finally,the thesis concluded the empirical conclusions and formed a holistic optimization strategy for the waterfront square in Chongqing city.Besides,a practical urban design for the important sections of Nan’an district was taken as a case to introduce the implementation methods of optimization strategies.