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Urban plaza design process using space syntax analysis:: El-Houria plaza,
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Article · April 2019

DOI: 10.14246/irspsda.7.2_125

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 International review for spatial planning and sustainable development A: Planning Strategies and Design
Concepts, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142
ISSN: 2187-3666 (online)
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14246/irspsda.7.2_125

Copyright@SPSD Press from 2010, SPSD Press, Kanazawa

Urban plaza design process using space syntax

analysis:
El-Houria plaza, Biskra, Algeria

Souhaila Bendjedidi1*, Yassine Bada1 and Rim Meziani2

1 Laboratory of design and modeling of architectural ambiances and urban forms
(LACOMOFA), Departement of Architecture, Mohamed Khider University
2 Department of Architecture and Design, Abu Dhabi University
* Corresponding Author, Email: S.bendjedidi@hotmail.com

Received: September 26, 2018; Accepted: November 29, 2018

Key words: Urban Plaza, Design Layout, Space Syntax, Visibility, Accessibility.

Abstract: The quality of urban public space in general, and urban plazas in particular,
has been a concern and a major challenge for designers in setting rules and
principles to its layout and its design; functional and aesthetic.
Environmental and behavioural research contributes importantly to the
understanding of the interaction between user and space, to well respond to
users’ real needs; and to have design grounded in social understanding. In
pertinent literature, it is common to argue that the most important measures of
the success of an open space is attributed to its location, design, and use. In
this matter, space syntax provides theory and method to analyse the correlation
between spatial properties and people behaviour; understanding this
interaction helps in design, with improved design leading to more functional
places.
This paper instigates from the assumption that human behaviour in space is
highly dependent on visibility generated by the built environment
configuration, and it aims to look into the correlation between the use of space
and spatial quantitative measures, i.e. the syntactic properties of an urban
plaza. It also aims to look into how to integrate space syntax analysis as a tool
in the plaza layout design process. This work will be carried out on the
analysis and the design proposal of the most frequented public place in Biskra,
Algeria, “El-Houria plaza”. The analysis process consists of overlapping space
syntax method (Depthmap), behaviour mapping and various qualitative
analysis techniques such as questionnaire and mental mapping. The results
show that plaza spatial use is highly dependent on visibility and that the
accessibility (visual access) and the connectivity to the surrounding are the key
parameters to its functioning. The results also indicate that there is a high
correlation between the human behaviour and the syntactic properties in
selecting places to do definite activities. Furthermore, it is shown how
visibility becomes the principal feature in the layout proposal of this plaza.

1. INTRODUCTION

Urban public spaces are fundamental elements of the urban environment

and the aesthetic appearance of the built environment, which have always
played a key role in the structure, organization and public life of the city.
125
126 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

Urban plaza is one type of open public space, considered as the first
discovered by man as a result of grouping a cluster of houses around an
open space (Krier & Rowe, 1979), also as an ideal stage for the collective
representation of urban society that reflects a city’s identity and the
communities’ cultural background. Today, many public plazas are non-
functional spaces, barely used or unevenly used; this is due to various
deficiencies that are mainly relevant to their layout design and site
organization (Whyte, 1988).
There are two main methods of categorizing the plaza, by function and
by form (Moughtin, 2003). Some research focuses more on the spatial
organisation and the visual effects rather than the functionality, leading to
dysfunctional spaces with a negative impact on people’s lives. However,
others suggest that functionality comes first in urban plaza design. In this
regard, the functionality and the form of the plaza are two equally important
criteria that should not be neglected in the design process. In fact, the
relationship between these two dimensions determines the character and
success of the urban plaza (Özyavuz, 2013).
Several environmental and behavioural studies have contributed
importantly to the understanding of the interaction between user and space,
to well respond to users’ real needs, to have design grounded in social
understanding. In pertinent literature, it is common to argue that the most
important measures of an open space’s success is attributed to its location,
design and use. Many theoretical concepts, evaluative methods and tools
have been developed to investigate this issue. This study relies on space
syntax as an analytical and design tool in the process of a design proposal of
the main existing public plaza in Biskra, Algeria, “El-Houria plaza”. Thus,
to show how space syntax could be a remarkable tool to be integrated into
the design process. Like many urban plazas, public plazas in Biskra, despite
some layout design attempts to make them more functional and responsive
to people needs, they are still dysfunctional spaces and rarely used. To look
into this matter, this work illustrates how plaza layout design could affect its
use and how to make it more functional and attractive, focusing on syntax
properties of space, i.e. visibility.

2. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK AND

METHODOLOGY

2.1 Human behaviour and perception of public space

Understanding the use of space by humans has become a necessary

analytic step in the design process (Baker, 1997). The perception of space
describes the multiple ways in which people receive information from their
surroundings, to know their space. The impression of space is a construction
of human perception (mainly visual) and a cognitive system that actively
forms relations between objects or relations (Bada, 2012). So, the
comprehension of human behaviour and the perception of space represent
the principal way to improve the quality and the functionality of public
space.
To understand what makes the success or failure of some plaza designs
in New York City, Whyte (1980) observed in-situ and recorded the
behavioural dynamics of plaza use. He found that people choose to occupy
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 127

dense spaces (co-presence), pedestrian paths and flows, deducing that the
main activity for people is to look at other people; what attracts most people,
are other people. He concluded that visibility increases the sense of security
that is highly preferred by people.
Lynch (1976), in dealing with the perception of urban space, suggested
that the design and planning of urban spaces should be based on people’s
experience and the ways in which space could be more legible. Gehl (1987)
has similarly focused on the social interactions and human behaviour related
to perceptions of public spaces. He argued that the presence of people is the
key feature of a public space that can be encouraged through physical
planning. According to him, people prefer to occupy the curbs (edges and
pillars), especially places where people could sit and face the pedestrian
flows. That means people prefer areas which provide good visibility, but
with keeping some privacy: ‘edge effect’.

2.2 Theories in urban design

Most theories and research tend to stress the importance of the realities
that people live and treat their experiences of their everyday activities as a
feedback to designers to adapt the design process and to create better space,
thus being more human and responsive to these realities, instead of
concentrating solely upon the physical environment, as Husnéin (2017)
stated, "everyday life is connected to urban design through everyday
experiences of physical space".
Understanding people’s behaviour in space, the way they use and
colonize space, is a requisite to build a substantive knowledge (Lang, 1987).
To deepen this issue, Alexander (1977) introduced the term ‘tendencies’
(observable patterns of behaviour) to replace the idea of ‘needs’ of people.
He states that the environment is supposed to carry out these tendencies as
well as conflicts between these tendencies. He argued that these conflicts
must be treated by the geometrical relationship of the environment features
as the sole key to a successful design. He also advocates for the integration
of social and environmental criteria into the design process. Perin (1970)
also stressed the importance of analysing human behaviour and invented the
term ‘behaviour circuit’ to refer to the observation of people’s everyday
activities and behaviour in order to; “learn what resources, physical and
human, are needed to support, facilitate or enable them”.
Hillier (1996) emphasized the importance of the correlation between the
visual properties of space and people behavior; static or dynamic
(movement). He argued that the spaces preferred and occupied by people are
those characterized by the visual properties experienced by the stationary
person. He added that space depends primarily on ‘how to deploy physical
elements’; the arrangements of boundaries and walls, and the consequent
generated visual field that affects people’s behaviour, this constitutes the
everyday life real space that is ‘rarely itself that is addressed’. Talking about
urban space, he stated the city is composed of two cities: the physical city
and the experiential city in which the spatial network and space is the
common medium. The physical city refers to buildings and all physical
objects, and the experiential city is the space between them for the
movement that spatially merges into one; its layout design could affect its
experience (Hillier, 2005).
128 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

It seems that most theories and concepts tend towards a consensus: a

‘substantive theory’ that deals principally with the man-environment issue
that requires an understanding of the natural and the built environment and
their relationships to people’s lives, instead of a normative theory that deals
with “what has been consensually agreed upon, the norms of a given time or
what to be – what a good world is” (Lang, 1987). In other words, to
approach with a design based on users’ experience.

2.3 Space Syntax application

The space syntax emerges as a set of theories and methods used for the
definition of the structural environment and analysis of spatial
configurations. At the end of the 1970s, space syntax was first put forward
and applied by Bill Hillier and his team. Since then, many scholars have
conducted a number of extension studies on space syntax, such as the
studies on urban traffic, urban street layout, urban space design, and so on.
Space syntax is another way of thinking about space by focusing on the
organization of spaces, movement patterns and their social meanings
(Dursun, 2007), and this has been chosen to be used by this research to
investigate the case study mainly because it provides techniques and tools
that allow analysis and quantification of space, and also to link its
configuration (spatial aspect) with people’s behavior (social aspect).
The application of space syntax has been used to study several issues and
its techniques are very much applied in contemporary studies that deal with
the impact of urban form (visibility features) on spatial use and human
behaviours in urban plazas. Hillier (1996), in studying a number of open
spaces in the City of London, discovered that the areas with heavy traffic are
better used than those without traffic and that open places are better than
those which are closed; the more space is structured and legible, the better it
is lived by the user. Campos, B. (1997) carried out a comparative study of
twelve plazas in London, based on three levels: 1) the closure (visual link
with the surroundings), 2) syntactic measures, and 3) the number of static
people. The results showed that the performance of plazas is related to the
provision of places to sit, well-designed elements, and that enclosure is not
particularly significant. It was also found that the number of static people
using the plaza is not only dependent on the number of axial lines that
interface with the public space, but to the sum of its global and local
integration values. In another work, she investigated the relationship
between visual fields and patterns of stationary activities for six public
plazas in London, using people counting, observation and the space syntax
method. The results indicated that people avoid very exposed areas and
prefer spaces providing views, so the need of the ability to see is present, but
the degree of seclusion depends on the person himself (Campos, M. B. d. A.
& Golka, 2005). Bada (2012) has studied four plazas within the city centre
of Biskra, Algeria, to look into why, within the same plaza, some parts are
busier and more preferred by people than others. He investigated the
correlation between people’s movement and spatial use to the visual fields
created by the spatial configuration. The results showed that people come to
public space through linear properties and then choose the location that
offers some privacy, so the spatial use is strongly related to visual
considerations relevant to the type of activity. Trova, Vaso et al. (1999) have
studied how the visual fields, linear properties, and socio-spatial boundaries
interact to structure the public space of three sets of housing in Athens using
syntactic and isovist analysis. The results showed that people converge on
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 129

the areas of the greatest visual field and the correlation between the density
of people moving and syntactic variables are higher. In analysing the
proposals of Omonoaia plaza (Athena) design completion laureates, Trova
has focused on the visual aspect and its impact on the functioning of space.
She stressed the importance of the visual fields created from the relative
position of architectural elements, and how these were not integrated into
the design process of the proposal entries (Trova, V, 2007).

2.4 Overlapping space syntax to qualitative methods

Against this backdrop, this paper instigates from the assumption that
human behaviour in space is highly dependent on visibility generated by the
built environment configuration, and it aims to look into the correlation
between the use of space and spatial quantitative measures, i.e. the syntactic
properties of an urban plaza, and how to integrate space syntax analysis as a
tool in the plaza layout design process. This work will be carried out on the
analysis and the design proposal of the most frequented public place in
Biskra, Algeria, “El-Houria plaza”. The research methodology is constituted
of three phases (see Figure 1), the first is an analysis of the existing plaza
layout, which consists of overlapping space syntax method (Depthmap),
behaviour mapping and qualitative analysis techniques such as questionnaire
and mental mapping, to assess whether there is any correlation between the
space use and the spatial properties of a given space in the plaza; to look for
links between visibility and spatial use. The second is a design principles
implementation, which is based on the results obtained by the current plaza
analysis, particularly the syntactic ones, and the last is a syntactic evaluation
of the plaza layout design proposal carried out to check whether the spatial
proprieties of different subspaces are relevant or not to design principles,
through three analyses: visibility graph, fewest-lines and isovist, using the
Depthmap program.

Figure 1. Research methodology diagram; analysis and design process of El-Houria Plaza.
130 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

3. CASE STUDY

Biskra is a mid-sized city in the Southeastern part of Algeria, located on

the edge of the Sahara Desert in a stretch of oases, around 430 km south of
Algiers, it is known as the ‘gate to the desert’ with very hot summers and
mild winters. Biskra has several open spaces such as plazas and public
gardens. El-Houria plaza has been chosen essentially as a case study, for its
strategic location in the city centre (Figure 2), and which allows it to be
among the most popular plazas in Biskra; where occasionally various
celebrations and festivities are held.

Figure 2. Situation plan of El-Houria plaza in Biskra city.

Two main busy streets go parallel on two opposite sides of the plaza
(Figure 3). The plaza layout is mainly characterized by its two-level space;
the higher part limited by Elamir Abdelkader Boulevard, the most liveable
street of the city, and the lower part is limited by a busy street that links to a
popular market. The difference between the two levels is about 1.20 meters
in height, and the connection is assured by a series of stairs. The space
layout is characterized by a linear fountain along a central pathway oriented
symmetrically to the state building facade, a memorial wall and well-defined
spaces by built sitting areas. Surrounding land uses include cafes, few shops,
and newsstands.
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 131

Figure 3. (A) Ground plan of El-Houria plaza, (B) Photo taken at the higher level of the
plaza, (C) Photo taken at the lower level of the plaza.

4. DESIGN PROCESS

The design process is based on three steps: analysis of the existing plaza
layout, design principles implementation, and syntactic evaluation of the
plaza layout design proposal.

4.1 Analysis of existing plaza design

First, the goal of this analysis phase is to investigate the pattern of

occupation of the plaza (existing layout) inherent to stationary and non-
stationary activities or positions: sitting, standing people, and moving
people. Second, is to look if there is any correlation between the space use
and the spatial properties of a given space in the plaza; to look for links
between visibility and spatial use. Therefore, the main focus is put on the
visual fields created by urban components and architectural elements in the
plaza layout and their impact on the plaza use. So, to know in detail the
distribution of people and the occupancy of space throughout all the
subspaces of the plaza and their syntactic properties, the analysis phase is
based on various qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques.
132 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

4.1.1 Use of questionnaire and mental mapping

Questionnaire and mental map techniques are used to grasp any

connection between the people’s perception and use frequency of the plaza.
The questionnaire consists of a series of questions addressed to 100 users
about the use pattern and frequency of the plaza. The results showed that
70% of respondents have considered it as a place of crossing, with a shorter
length of stay, due to many problems related to its design such as the lack of
green spaces, playgrounds, and family spaces, and also the lack of comfort.
In order to grasp people’s mental representation of the plaza, two mental
mapping exercises are carried out. Firstly, a group of thirty participants is
asked to draw on a sheet of paper all the public plazas of Biskra city they
know or visited, to find out if El-Houria plaza is popular and well-known in
the city or not. Secondly, the same participants who know or visit the plaza
are asked to draw the layout of EL-Houria plaza and represent its features as
much as possible, to grasp what is mostly noticable and attracts people
(Figure 4). The main finding is that El-Houria plaza is the most popular
public plaza in the city, the most cited and the better represented by
participants. The elements that stand out from the mental maps as the most
attractive in the plaza are: the fountain, the memorial wall and the
monument (Figure 5). Moreover, these elements drawn by the respondents
do not point to any activity, meaning the plaza does not provide such
affordance.
The confrontation between the mental mapping and the questionnaire
results leads to the same conclusion that El-Houria plaza is considered just
as a crossing place due to several problems linked to its layout design, and
also the majority of users find it unpleasant, not functional and visually not
attractive.

Figure 4. Examples of mental maps of EL-Houria plaza drawn by the respondents.

Figure 5. The three elements that stand out from the mental maps as the most attractive in El-
Houria plaza: A) The fountain, B) The memorial wall, C) The monument.
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 133

4.1.2 Use of behaviour mapping

The large size and non-visibility between parts of the plaza itself (due to
the obstruction of physical elements such as trees, memorial wall, and
monument) would make observations inaccurate. As a result, the plaza is
subdivided into subspaces, using some physical objects as landmarks for
their delimitations. The main physical property that determines the
subspaces is the level difference of 1.20 meters. The upper level is
subdivided into two subspaces, 1 and 2, by the presence of the memorial
wall, while the lower space is subdivided into three subspaces, 3, 4 and 5, by
the built-in sitting benches and a row of boutiques (Figure 6). People-
counting considered only static people (sitting and standing positions) and
dynamic people (people in activity with corporal mobility), while
eliminating people crossing the plaza. For the present work, the goal is to
look for any link between occupancy of space and the properties of that
space no matter the type of people’s activities.

Figure 6. Behaviour map of static (sitting/ standing), and dynamic (in an activity) people of
El-Houria plaza. People on the map are represented by dots.
134 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

Table 1. Shows the number of static people (sitting/standing people) and dynamic people,
according to subspaces of El-Houria plaza on two days (a weekday and a weekend day).
Weekday Weekend

No. of dynamic

No. of dynamic

Aggregate
Subspaces

static People

static People
No. of

people

people
No. of
Total

Total
Higher spaces

1 40 37 77 67 49 166 193

2 1 2 3 3 5 8 11

3 12 7 19 20 30 50 69
Lower spaces

4 5 5 10 13 21 34 44

5 29 13 42 70 32 102 145

Total 87 64 173 137

The first assessment about the behaviour mapping of the spatial

occupancy of the plaza Table 1 shows that the space occupancy of the upper
zone, which is connected to a major street, is remarkably higher than the
lower zone mainly on the weekend.

4.1.3 Use of space syntax

Afterward, El-Houria plaza is modelled by space syntax techniques,

using “Depthmap” program which is considered as a visual analytical tool
(Turner, 2004), to explain the relationship between accessibility, visibility,
and movement of users.

4.1.4 Visibility analysis

In term of visual analysis, isovists and Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA)

of the plaza (existing layout) are generated to grasp the syntactic values, i.e.
integration and connectivity values of different subspaces of the plaza. The
integration value is calculated to measure how well integrated the subspaces
are, that is, limited only to the boundary of the public plaza. However, the
connectivity value is used to indicate how visually attractive is the plaza
from its surrounding, and how connected it is with the other adjacent spaces;
a 250 meter-radius surrounding area has been considered, from the centre of
the plaza, in order to track their movement trajectories.
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 135

Figure 7. (A) Results of the VGA for the visual integration values of El-Houria plaza, (B)
Visual connectivity within a 250 meter-radius perimeter from the centre of El-Houria plaza.
(Red (the darkest colour) = high values / blue (lightest colour) = lower values).

As can be seen on the Visibility Graph Analysis (Figure 7), the value
distribution of integration and connectivity are very close. The most
connected areas (significant value over 11,280), and the most integrated
(maximum value 28.76) are located in the north, near the Elamir Abdelkader
boulevard. These spaces are visually exposed, accessible, and well
connected to other areas of the plaza and to the adjacent urban spaces.
Therefore, they must be highly considered in the plaza layout design.

Figure 8. (A) Results of the fewest-lines analysis for the visual integration values of El-
Houria plaza. (B) The visual connectivity within a 250 meter-radius perimeter from the centre
of El-Houria plaza. (Red (the darkest colour) = high values / blue (lightest colour) = lower
values).

The axial map (Figure 8) highlights two major lines (L1; L2) that are the
most integrated and connected lines, where the line (L1) is characterized by
its length. This predicts the importance of these lines’ directions in the
design proposal.
Isovists are generated from two points; from the esplanade in the
subspace 1 (higher level) as an entry to the plaza from Elamir Abdelkader
Boulevard, where space is more integrated, and from a point in the subspace
3 (lower space), where the space is segregated, to measure and compare the
visual potentiality of both points as experienced by users. This analysis has
considered only the geometric shape of the polygon (Figure 9).
136 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

Figure 9. Isovists generated showing the visual potentiality, (A) from the esplanade (subspace
1), (B) from the subspace 3.

According to Figure 9 (A), the plaza is visible, except for subspace 2

behind the memorial wall and subspace 3, due to the visual obstructions
such as trees and the memorial wall. From the isovist map (Figure 9 (B)),
partial visibility can also be noticed from the generating point, because of
random tree plantings covering the view and the memorial wall hiding
subspace 2.

4.1.4.1 Overlap of behaviour map and visual integration map

Figure 10. Overlapping people’s spatial occupation and visual integration map. (Red (the
darkest colour) = high values / blue (lightest colour) = lower values). Static and dynamic
people on the map are represented by dots

The overlapping of the behaviour map with the visibility graph shows
that there is a correlation between the integration value and occupancy of
space (Figure 10); the higher is the integration value, the greater is the
number of users occupying space (Table 2); occupying the most visible and
accessible areas. These results indicate that there is a high correlation
between the human behaviour and the spatial syntactic properties in
selecting places to do definite activities. To sum up, visual access and
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 137

visibility are two parameters that influence people’s movement in space and
therefore in choosing a given space for a given activity. As it can be seen in
the results, the layout of the plaza does not handle these parameters as it
should due to the visual obstructions between subspaces, such as the random
distribution of trees and the location of the memorial wall that is as a visual
shield, in addition to the quality of the urban furniture in the plaza, which
does not invite people to use it. Hence, the plaza, despite its good location
in the urban structure with good connectivity, is not functional and not
frequented by people as it should be. This is due to its layout design that has
weakened its spatial urban quality (syntactic), as has been demonstrated.

Table 2. Showing the number of static (sitting/standing) and dynamic (in an activity) people
in each subspace with space syntax values (integration and connectivity).

Integration (HH)
No. of dynamic

Total No. of

Connectivity
No. of static
Subspaces

people

people
ppl

1 67 49 166 20.94 2349

Higher space

2 3 5 8 11.54 1244

3 20 30 50 12.31 1186
Lower space

4 13 21 34 11.81 1259

5 70 32 102 12.63 1309

4.2 Implementation of the analysis results in the plaza

design proposal

This study is a research work on urban plaza analysis using space syntax,
and a layout design proposal based on the analysis results and on syntactic
principles (space syntax theory). This design proposal is also intended to be
a pedagogic sample of introducing space syntax into the design process and
may be a proposed for consideration at the local municipality level.
The plaza design aims to provide a dynamic and functional space by
creating a new image of the city of Biskra and to achieve a flexible space for
walking, based on visibility features. The design process was based on the
results obtained by the current plaza analysis, especially on the syntactic
properties (Figure 11 (A)), where the initial idea was a superposition of
three specific structures (Figure 11 (B)). The first structure is a pedestrian
axis created by a regular square grid pattern of 20m2 shifted at an angle
following the most integrated lines L1 and L2 (axial line). The second one is
a grid of services conceived on the basis of a cube of 5m and arranged
according to a regular square grid of 10m2. Every cube is unique and
formally different, some are designed to house services such as cafeterias
and staircases to the underground parking. These cubes’ design (volume)
and position are dictated by visibility considerations in order to avoid the
effect of visual obstruction as found in the existing layout. Finally, the
interconnected footbridges are created on the two most connected and
integrated axis according to the axial map of the syntactic analysis and
which indicate the directions of movement, being the paths potentially
138 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

interesting for the plaza design as links to the surrounding areas. The most
integrated spaces, according to the VGA results in the north of the plaza,
were liberated as an esplanade with a memorial wall, designed in a way that
did not hinder their visibility (Figure 11 (C;2)), in order to create a wide
visible area attracting people to access the plaza. Concerning the segregated
spaces, a cultural space was created as an extension of the existing cultural
centre, and a green space created with trees as a small garden for resting and
relaxation, to give some seclusion for the users. To handle the partial
visibility according to isovist results, the centre was designed with an
outdoor theatre and fountain that create a dynamic space (Figure 11 (C;
6,7)), as a gathering point visually connected with all the subspaces of the
plaza, to somehow oppose the ‘edge effect’ in terms of people’s spatial use.

Figure 11. (A) Ground plan of the proposal design, (B) design proposal principals: the grid
oriented according to the angle of the most integrated and connected lines L1 and L2 (axial-
line map), (C) some 3D views of the proposed design.
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 139

4.3 Verification and syntactic valuation of the plaza

design proposal

This phase is aimed to evaluate syntactically the layout proposal, to

check whether the spatial proprieties of different subspaces are relevant or
not to the functional principles of the design, through three analyses using
the Depthmap program: the Visibility Graph Analysis, the fewest-lines
analysis and isovist.
Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) generated the level of integration and
connectivity; the former was measured considering only the boundary of the
public plaza, and the latter measured within a 250-meter radius perimeter
from the centre of El-Houria plaza (Figure 12).

Figure 12. (A) Results of the VGA for the visual integration values of the proposal design.
(B) The visual connectivity values of the proposal design. (Red (the darkest colour) = high
values / blue (lightest colour) = lower values).

This analysis shows that the most integrated (34.02) and the most
connected (more than 11,560) spaces are close to Elamir Abdelkader
Boulevard, particularly in the Northeast part (Figure 12). Therefore, this
area is the most visible and accessible and has connections with other spaces
because of the total absence of visual obstacles and the presence of
landmarks such as the memorial wall and the footbridge, which provides an
excellent entry to the plaza as a visual access point.

Figure 13. (A) Results of the fewest-lines analysis for the visual integration values of the
design proposal. (B) The visual connectivity values of the design proposal. (Red (the darkest
colour) = high values / blue (lightest colour) = lower values.
140 IRSPSDA International, Vol.7 No.2 (2019), 125-142

As can be seen from Figure 13, the segregated spaces are fewer than the
integrated spaces, and the majority of the spaces are more connected (more
than 2,240) with each other and with other surrounding urban spaces
because there is no separation between them, except the area to the west
next to the private houses, which is characterized by a density of trees to
create a visual obstacle to the houses (privacy).
Isovist analysis is generated to measure the visual field that can be seen
by a user from two points, one as an access point from the esplanade (isovist
A), and the other in the centre of the plaza as a gathering space (isovist B).

Figure 14. Isovists generated within the plaza layout design proposal: (A) from the esplanade,
(B) from the centre of the plaza.

The isovist (A) indicates that the plaza is partially visible from the
esplanade (Figure 14 (A)), due to the presence of certain obstacles such as
trees and the memorial wall. However, this space provides a greater
indivisibility with the surrounding of the plaza that would enhance the effect
of visual access. Isovist (B) indicates that the plaza is visible in all directions
except the esplanade because of the presence of trees that conceal the view
(Figure 14 (B)). However, each of these two spaces (A and B) gives a large
visual field as can be seen by the shape of the polygon, it seems to be a good
result since the existing literature shows that people gather where they can
control and see other people (Campos, M. B. d. A. & Golka, 2005; Whyte,
1980) and the spaces for sitting and activities need some seclusion (edge
effect).

5. DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS

The confrontation of the visibility analysis results of El-Houria plaza and

the design proposal of this plaza, made from the syntactic approach, show
that the most integrated and connected spaces in the El-Houria plaza are the
same as those in the proposal design, but with a remarkable enlargement, as
well as most of the segregated spaces of the current layout having
disappeared in the proposed layout and having become more connected with
all the subspaces. The isovist analysis also shows that the visual field
(polygon) generated from the same points in both positions is more
important (larger and more spiky) in the proposal than in the existing plaza
layout, indicating deeper views. For this purpose, it can be said that the
proposed design of this plaza has reached a higher level of visibility and all
 Bendjedidi, Bada & Meziani 141

its subspaces are interconnected visually, in addition to the surrounding

urban space, except for the western zone next to the private houses, which is
characterized by a density of trees as sitting spaces. As a result, it is good to
have some seclusion according to the literature that people prefer occupying
the edges to have views, with keeping the privacy.

6. CONCLUSION

Urban plazas as one of the significant open public space types is a

fundamental element for liveable cities because without public spaces it is
impossible to establish a physical and mental connection between people
and the urban environment. Designing public urban spaces, i.e. urban plazas,
requires more understanding and attention to people’s behaviour. To be
functional and responsive to people needs, the design of such spaces has to
consider primarily the visibility as a principal feature in the space layout and
all its components (Bada, 2012).
The results of all the methods of the El-Houria plaza analysis, and the
confrontation of the visibility analysis of El-Houria plaza and the design
proposal, show that the spatial use of the plaza is highly dependent on
visibility, accessibility and connectivity to the surroundings, as key
parameters to good functioning; visual access is a decisive factor in public
space use (Montello, 2007). The results also indicate that there is a high
correlation between the human behaviour and the syntactic properties in
selecting places to do definite activities. Furthermore, it is shown how
visibility becomes the principal feature in the layout proposal of this plaza.
This study has considered space syntax as both theory and method, the
most appropriate tool to investigate the problems inherent to the use of
urban plazas linked to visibility and accessibility. Mainly, space syntax
seems to be an effective tool for analysis and design when coupled with
behavioural, perceptual and cognitive analysis methods. Nevertheless, the
only disadvantage is the syntactic measures rely on the two-dimensional
space. This represents a field of research in which many researchers
collaborate in order to develop methods and syntactic parameters of three-
dimensional space to gain a better understanding of human behaviour in
architectural and urban space.
In conclusion, this study has allowed us to show how space syntax could
be a remarkable tool to be integrated into the design process. Besides that,
this study has shown how syntactic properties, i.e. isovists (visual fields), of
the plaza could be integrated into the design process and manipulated
(enhanced) by the layout design and the pattern of its urban and architectural
components.

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