Exploring the Impact of Streets’ Syntactic Properties on the Urban Functions and Land Use: Insights from Spatial Network Analysis

محتوى المقالة الرئيسي

Aya Furat Alobaydi
Dhirgham Alobaydi
Sally Fakhri Abdullah

الملخص

This study employs an integrated research model to examine the syntax properties of the historic urban network in older Baghdad, explaining how spatial configurations affect urban functions and land use. The relationship between the street network and land use pattern is again the focus for architects and urban planners trying to revitalize historic urban cores. In this research, a multi-method approach is used, incorporating GIS, space syntax analysis, statistical correlations, and site observations, to systematically analyze the syntactic properties of the street network in Old Rusafa. The examination was conducted within a 400m radius of Old Rusafa's historic urban fabric to analyze the syntactic processes that govern the city’s functionality and accessibility despite the multiple morphological changes that have happened in the area. Results show a strong correlation between street network and land use in Old Rusafa, commercial areas positive (ρ=0.175, p<0.01) and residential areas negative (ρ=-0.234, p<0.01). High choice values also correlate with commercial activity (ρ=0.160, p<0.01), so spatial accessibility plays a big role in shaping urban functions and land use. There is a lot to learn from this in other historical urban situations to compare and apply urban design principles based on syntactic properties. Comparative research like this can help architects and urban planners understand the universality of space syntax in urban design.

تفاصيل المقالة

القسم

Articles

كيفية الاقتباس

"Exploring the Impact of Streets’ Syntactic Properties on the Urban Functions and Land Use: Insights from Spatial Network Analysis" (2025) مجلة الهندسة, 31(8), ص 122–141. doi:10.31026/j.eng.2025.08.08.

المراجع

Abbas, S.S., Al-Dujaili, S.H.A., 2013. Historical paths and the growth of Baghdad Old Center. Journal of Engineering, 19(09), pp. 1073-1093. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2013.09.03 .

Al Hashimi, H., and Alobaydi, D., 2023, March. Measuring spatial properties of historic urban networks. In AIP Conference Proceedings, 2651(1). AIP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0117077 .

Albabely, S., Alobaydi, D., 2024. Analyzing movement densities in AlKarkh districts: A comparative study. Journal of Engineering, 30(04), pp. 134-151. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2024.04.09 .

Albayati, R., Alobaydi, D., 2023. Conservation of urban heritage landscapes: Lessons from Souq AlSaffarin in Baghdad, Iraq. ISVS-e Journal, 10 (8).

Alobaydi, D., Rashid, M., 2015. Evolving syntactic structures of Baghdad: Introducing transect a way to study morphological evolution. In The 10th Space Syntax Symposium (SSS10), 13.

Alobaydi, D., Rashid, M., 2024a. The evolution of street structures: A morphological study. Journal of Engineering, 30(10), pp. 203-220. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2024.10.12

Alobaydi, D., Rashid, M., 2024b. Morphological evolution of Baghdad: Analyzing urban growth patterns and transformation processes. Journal of Engineering, 30(12), pp. 16-32. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2024.12.02 .

Alsaffar, N.H., Alobaydi, D., 2025. Street patterns, visual permeability, and spatial accessibility of downtown: The case of Baghdad. Journal of Engineering, 31(2), pp. 140-155. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2025.02.09.

Alsaffar, N.H., and Alobaydi, D., 2023, March. Studying street configurations and land uses in the downtown of Baghdad. In AIP Conference Proceedings, 2651(1). AIP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0105420 .

Arisha, A.R., and Abd El-Moneim, N.M., 2019. Space syntax beyond Cairo Street markets: An application of a theory on socio-spatial contemporary practices. In Handbook of research on digital research methods and architectural tools in urban planning and design. pp. 250-281. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-9238-9.ch012.

Bianca, S., 2000. Urban form in the Arab world: Past and present. vdf Hochschulverlag AG, 46.

Bianca, S., Yamada, S., Fethi, I., and Lombardi, G., 1984. Synthesis report of Rusafa: Study on conservation and redevelopment of historical centre of Baghdad City. 2A, pp. 1-111. Baghdad, Iraq: Amanat Al Assima (Municipality of Baghdad).

Danilina, N., Alibrahim, L. and Teplova, I., 2024. Identifying the mobility patterns of the Historic Centre of Syrian Cities using cluster and spatial analysis. Preprinted. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202406.1721.v1

Dettlaff, W., 2014. Space syntax analysis–methodology of understanding the space. PhD Interdisciplinary Journal, 1, pp. 283-291.

Esposito, D., Santoro, S., and Camarda, D., 2020. Agent-based analysis of urban spaces using space syntax and spatial cognition approaches: A case study in Bari, Italy. Sustainability, 12(11), P. 4625. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114625 .

Franz, G., Mallot, H.A., and Wiener, J.M., 2005. Graph-based models of space in architecture and cognitive science: A comparative analysis. In 17th International Conference on Systems Research, Informatics and Cybernetics (INTERSYMP 2005). pp. 30-38.

Fu, J.M., Tang, Y.F., Zeng, Y.K., Feng, L.Y. and Wu, Z.G., 2025. Sustainable historic districts: Vitality analysis and optimization based on space syntax. Buildings, 15(5), P. 657. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15050657 .

Hakim, B.S., 1994. The "Urf" and its role in diversifying the architecture of traditional Islamic Cities. Journal of architectural and planning research, pp. 108-127.

Hakim, B.S., 2013. Arabic Islamic Cities rev: building and planning principles. Routledge.

Hegazi, Y.S., Tahoon, D., Abdel-Fattah, N.A. and El-Alfi, M.F., 2022. Socio-spatial vulnerability assessment of heritage buildings through using space syntax. Heliyon, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09133 .

Hillier, B., 1989. The architecture of the urban object. Ekistics, pp.5-21.

Hillier, B., 2007. Space is the machine: A configurational theory of architecture. Space Syntax.

Hillier, B., Hanson, J., 1989. The Social Logic of Space. Cambridge University Press.

Hillier, B., Iida, S., 2005. Network effects and psychological effects: A theory of urban movement. In Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Space Syntax, 1, pp. 553-564. Delft: TU Delft.

Hillier, B., Leaman, A., Stansall, P., Bedford, M., 1976. Environment and planning B: Planning and design. Space syntax, 3(2), pp. 147-185.

Hillier, B., Vaughan, L., 2007. The city as one thing. Progress in planning, 67(3), pp. 205-230.

Hossain, S.T., Al-Ramadan, B., Bilal, M. and Altuwaijri, H.A., 2025. Enhancing accessibility in public spaces: A computational study of Hatirjheel lakefront using space syntax. (ISPRS) International Journal of Geo-Information, 14(1), P. 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi14010029 .

Jiang, B., Claramunt, C. and Klarqvist, B., 2000. Integration of space syntax into GIS for modelling urban spaces. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 2(3-4), pp. 161-171.

Khotbehsara, E.M., Yu, R., Somasundaraswaran, K., Askarizad, R., and Kolbe-Alexander, T., 2025. The walkable environment: A systematic review through the lens of space syntax as an integrated approach. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, (ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-02-2024-0049 .

Lee, S., Yoo, C., and Seo, K.W., 2020. Determinant factors of pedestrian volume in different land-use zones: combining space syntax metrics with GIS-based built-environment measures. Sustainability,12(20), P. 8647. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208647 .

Lian, H. and Li, G., 2023. Correlation analysis of retail space and shopping behavior in a commercial street based on space syntax: A case of Shijiazhuang, China. Buildings, 13(11), P. 2674. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112674 .

Meknaci, M.E.F., Wang, X., Biara, R.W., and Zerouati, W., 2024. Analysis of the urban form of bechar through the attributes of space syntax “for a more sustainable City”. Buildings, 14(7), P. 2103. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072103 .

Mohammed, L.R. and Alobaydi, D., 2020. Studying sustainable actions of syntactic structures of historic hit citadel: A morphological approach. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 881(1), P. 012034. IOP Publishing. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/881/1/012034/pdf .

Özbek, M.Ö., Ertürk, F., Çelebi, T.T., Kınacı, Y., and Caymaz, G.F.Y., 2022. Interpretations and comparisons of pedestrian movement and land use activities in Kadıköy region using space syntax method. SAUC-Street Art and Urban Creativity (repository), 8(1), pp. 48-61.

Özbil, A., 2013. Modeling walking behavior in cities based on street network and land-use characteristics: the case of Istanbul. METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, 30(2). https://jfa.arch.metu.edu.tr/uploads/docs/sayilar/sayi-30-2/17-33.pdf .

Penn, A., 2003. Space syntax and spatial cognition: Or why the axial line?. Environment and behavior, 35(1), pp. 30-65. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/3419/1/3419.pdf .

Rasheed, K.G., Rasheed, S.A.A., and Rahma, M.T., 2023. Interruption of urban style of old Baghdad’s hub: A case study of the urban fabric of historic Baghdad-Al Rusafa. International Information and Engineering Technology Association (IIETA). 18(4), pp. 995-1002. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijdne.180428.

Safari, H., and Moridani, F.F., 2017. Syntactical analysis of the accessibility and sociability of a square in the Kuala Lumpur city center. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 6(4), pp. 456-468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2017.06.005

Van Nes, A., Yamu, C., 2021. Introduction to space syntax in urban studies. Springer Nature. P. 250.

Van Nes, A., Yamu, C., van Nes, A., Yamu, C., 2021. Analysing linear spatial relationships: The measures of connectivity, integration, and choice. Introduction to Space Syntax in Urban Studies, pp. 35-86. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59140-3_2 .

Xia, X., 2013. A comparison study on a set of space syntax-based methods: Applying metric, topological, and angular analysis to natural streets, axial lines, and axial segments. Journal of Space Syntax. http://hig.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:656758/FULLTEXT01.pdf.

Yamu, C., and Van Nes, A., 2017. An integrated modeling approach combining multifractal urban planning with a space syntax perspective. Urban Science, 1(4), P. 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci1040037 .

المؤلفات المشابهة

يمكنك أيضاً إبدأ بحثاً متقدماً عن المشابهات لهذا المؤلَّف.