The Application of Space Syntax Analysis in

Project Identification: A Special Reference to the

Moratuwa
Mathivathany.S* a Nanthagopan.Yb, Thirugnanasampanthar.Sc, Rukshan.Ad
a Lecturer, Department of Economics and Management, Vavuniya Campus of the
University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka
b Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and Management, Vavuniya
Campus of the University of Jaffna
c Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and Management, Vavuniya
Campus of the University of Jaffna
d Lecturer, Department of Economics and Management, Vavuniya Campus of the
University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka
*stpmathy@gmail.com
Introduction

Project success is decided on best project identification which provides guidance

regarding setting project objectives to solve a given development problem or to
use the opportunity for the development of a particular aspect (Westland, 2006).
Project identification involves a review of alternative approaches or options for
addressing a set of development problems and opportunities. Prior research found
that the project identification can be handled by software technologies which are
modern techniques to identify the projects (GTZ, 1996). The “Space Syntax
Analysis” is a science-based Geographical Information System (GIS) and human-
focused analysis, a plug-in for spatial network and statistical analysis. This
provides a front-end for the depth map software within GIS, offering user-friendly
space syntax analysis workflows in a GIS environment. In practice, the space
syntax provides a fundamental project planning information including patterns
of movement, density, land use and land value, urban growth and societal
differentiation, safety as well as crime distribution, which can be used for
generation and evaluation of project ideas.

The research objective is to identify the usage of space syntax technology in the
project identification. Moratuwa, which is a large suburb of Colombo city on the
southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, was selected to investigate the relationships
between spatial layout and project identification with a range of social,
environmental, technical and economic aspects. This study supports the space
syntax methodology and enhances with GIS data analysis and visualization
features to raise fundamental research question which is how space syntax analysis
create the project ideas and help to project identification that is fed back from

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practice. New development project ideas are generated using the space syntax
analysis and GIS software. The result of this study helps to exchange knowledge
for stimulates innovation, facilitates practice and ultimately benefits our
surroundings and regions for sustainable development.

Literature Review

Project identification is important to assess the outset situation for establishing a

system of objectives. GTZ (1996) categorized project cycle into three phases
such as identification phase, concept phase (establish project concept, prepare
decisions to implement the project) and implementation phase (operationalize
planning, implement, adjust and update planning, and terminate project).
Westland’s (2006) project life cycle consists of four phases including project
initiation, concept, implementation, and monitoring. During the project initiation
phase, a business problem or opportunity is identified and defined in a business
case that provides various solution options. Next, a feasibility study is conducted
to investigate whether each option addresses the business problem and a final
recommended solution is then put forward. After the solution is defined, a project
is formed, and a project team is appointed to build and deliver the solution to the
customer. According to Manual on Project Cycle Management (2009), the project
concept should be relevant to priority local needs and consistent with policy
priorities. In the project identification stage, project ideas are developed using
different technologies and assessed the relevance as well as the feasibility. This is
important to determine the scope of further work required during the formulation
stage for individual projects.

Space syntax is used for a construction) project identification practices worldwide,

for urban design, building design and design education professional. Space syntax
was pioneered in the 1970s by Prof. Bill Hillier, Prof. Julienne Hanson and
colleagues at The Bartlett, University College London. Built on quantitative
analysis and geospatial computer technology, space syntax provides a set of
theories and methods for the analysis of spatial configurations of all kinds and at
all scales. The space syntax approach has since grown around the world in a variety
of research areas and practical project applications including archaeology,
criminology, information technology, urban and human geography, anthropology,
and cognitive science. Dursun (2007) discussed the roles of space syntax in design
through case studies in real design projects as follows. First, space syntax serves
as a language for thinking and talking about space in the dialogue between architect
and designed space. Second, it merges science-based knowledge into the design
process, which constitutes the core of "evidence-based design" (Hanson 2001).
Third, space syntax provides tools for architects to explore their ideas, to

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understand the possible effect of the design, and to let them evaluate their design
beforehand. Fourth, space syntax gives a chance for architects to evaluate the
designs as living organism experienced by inhabitants.

Space syntax provides a configurative description of both urban structure and

architectural space and attempts to explain human behaviours and social activities
from a spatial point of view. Most space syntax studies concern issues related to
urban patterns, but the method is also relevant for studies on the scale of urban and
architectural design. Space syntax can produce a kind of knowledge which
supports architects to find out how well their designs might work; what kinds of
properties their design solution has, and so on. In practice, urban planners and
designers can predict pedestrians' movement flows before the actual development
of real urban systems and buildings by analyzing the morphological structure of
the design plan using space syntax. It makes the deployment of non-discursive
intuition more rational and therefore more discursive (Hillier and Hanson 1997).
Space Syntax seems to offer a natural platform for such methods (Jiang, 2002),
with its ability to handle geographic and geometric data associated with attribute
information, to easily perform spatial, mathematical and statistical calculations,
and to visualize the results. These previous researches and its findings and ideas
were very helpful for this research.

Methodology

This research is based on the secondary data. Further, field study and observation
of the city formation and existing functions of the area were used to get primary
data. The application of this technique initially involves the graphic representation
of the Moratuwa urban street network based on the cartographic information of the
area. Segment map was built in the axial map which segments allowing the
analysis of street segments. Then the integration index (topological accessibility
or permeability) was used for the analysis.

After the construction of axial and segment maps of these systems, Geographical
Information System and Depth map software were used for the calculation of the
connectivity matrix and configurationally measures and to identify their
configurationally features according to the variables from space Syntax studies.
Analyses always consider a 2D layout model. All of them start from the subjective
process of separating elements of spatial configuration. The subjective step
involves considering all the visibility obstacles. The result is an estimated model
where open public space is bordered and painted in contrasting colours (like black
and white). The next step is to draw the possible smallest number of the longest
lines of movement (lines of sight) in space. The whole space should be covered
with them to show all the possibilities for movement. It represents the relationships
of accessibility between all axial spaces of a layout model. Axial lines which

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represent spaces are presented as circles (nodes) which are linked by lines showing
intersections with subsequent axes. Nodes are numbered according to the numbers
on the axes. The number of immediate neighbours that are directly connected to a
node is a local measure of connectivity. The algorithm described below serves to
examine axial maps and count all four syntactic measures. The result of axial map
calculations, a spatial accessibility map, or spatial integration maps are obtained,
where lines representing the most accessible spaces are marked red, and the least
available blue. The algorithm used to calculate the shortest paths from one
topologically specified point to any other point on the map. Such an operation is
performed for each segment of the map. It turns out that the obtained results are
almost always the same as the ones from studies where users are counted
empirically.

There are four syntactic measures calculated such as connectivity, depth, control
value and local and regional integration. Connectivity measures the number of
neighbour axes directly connected to space. Depth or degree of depth was counted
in a graph and is determined by parameter k. Parameter connectivity considers
immediate neighbours and depth considers the neighbours of the k-th degree.
Connectivity and depth measures can be written as a sum:
m Connectivity iff m = 1

∑
depth s x Ns
Local depth off m = k 1< k < l/local

(until
= k =3)
S= Regional depth if m = 1
1

Where, k – Parameter, s – operator (s is an integer), l – the shortest distance, Ns –

the number of nodes with the shortest distances. Where 1 < k < l, usually three
steps are adopted for the calculation of local depth, i.e. k is equal to 3 (this means
that we consider lines within three steps from an axial line). We can also note that
connectivity is equivalent to local depth if k = 1.

The control value is the sum of the inverse values of the parameter connectivity of
all neighbours from the selected axial line. It measures the degree to which a given
space controls access to all immediate neighbours of the axis line. It takes into
account all alternative connections. This is a dynamic local measure. Integration
also called availability is a variable that refers to how space is connected to other
spaces in its surroundings. This is the key parameter leading to the understanding
of the relationships that exist between users and the urban space and it is a global
measure. It can be used to predict the potential of meetings in the space because it
is directly linked to the presence of people in a given location. The greater
integration of the space, the more people will appear in it. For this reason,

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integration is sometimes called accessibility. The most important observation is
the fact that the axis system will lead users into the best-integrated spaces in that
system. Similarly, if less integration means less human presence, and uncontrolled
space, it increases the chances of criminal and antisocial behaviour in such
structures.

Results and Discussions

According to the space syntax analysis final map was prepared. There is a very big
potential for the project identification in the study area because high integration
(red colour) shows in the centre grid network area. The integration or accessible
areas indication is varying based on roads accessibility. It spreads along some parts
of the main arterials roads (Map:02). These parts of roads are the high integration
roads segments in Moratuwa Area. This is not enough for the further development
activities and integrates to all physical land areas. Therefore, there was a need to
reroute the planning assessment through these scientific analysis methods. New
linking roads identified and applied into the space syntax analysis. According to
those analyses, new simulation space syntax maps were prepared for some new
project ideas and special development activities (See Map: 05). Based on the
proposed polycentric spatial form of the area some new projects were identified
(Map:04).

Map:1, Study Area- Map:2, Existing LINEAR Map:3, Proposed POLYCENTRIC

spatial form Spatial Form
Moratuwa D.S Division

POLYCENTRIC
FORM

Existing

LINEAR FORM

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 Paddleboard service

Map:4, Identified Future Development Projects

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Map:5, New Simulation space syntax maps

Projects and ideas were identified based on the prepared polycentric spatial map
and given an indication of future developments through this research using space
syntax technology. (Map: 03). The potential of the most viable concepts has been
overlooked at the identification phase. Those are new road project (Extending New
Indibedda Water Front Road across Cross Junction along Lunawa Lagoon to
Angulana Beach), formation of Traditional Timber Village and Timber related
commercial avenue, Recreational Zone project (300m Buffer Zone along the
Bolgoda River), River based Tourism Centre project and Paddleboard service
project.

At the project identification stage, ideas came up with project solutions that can
have a positive contribution to the environment. If not positive the projects should
be at least neutral in the pace of their impact on the environment. One of the main
reasons for the failure of projects either at an early stage of the implementation or
not being sustainable after getting into operation stages is low attention given at
the project identification and selection stage.

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Recommendation

The project identification stage is important to the sustainability of the project.

Different scientific software chooses projects from many alternative ideas or
schemes that balance between local demands, strategic priorities and research or
baseline studies. Project identification should be both demand and supply driven.
It should not only be focused on the needs of the local entities but should also look
at the overall strategy of the government in particular and donor agencies in
general. The needs to consult the country's strategy from the allocation of scarce
resources spatially. The local needs are enormous, particularly in any projects. It
is difficult to meet all these local needs with the vast area. Therefore, there is a
need to prioritize through a different strategy. The pre-feasibility studies at project
identification stages should seriously look at the criteria of selection in order to
filter those projects that have versatile effects on the overall economy of the
country. Lack of paying attention to this stage or phase of the project cycle can
lead to the identification of projects that can lead to failure in meeting the
envisaged objectives and goals.

References

Turner, A., (2007). ‘UCL Depth map 7: From Isovist Analysis to Generic Spatial
Network Analysis', In Turner, A. (Ed.), New Developments in Space Syntax
Software. Presented at the 6th International Space Syntax Symposium, Istanbul
Technical University, Istanbul, p.43–51.

Varoudis T., (2012), 'depthmapX Multi-Platform Spatial Network Analysis

Software’, Version 0.30 Open Source. Available at:
http://varoudis.github.io/depthmapX/

Gil, J., Stutz, C., Chiaradia, A., (2007). ‘Confeego: Tool Set for Spatial
Configuration Studies', In Turner, A. (Ed.), New Developments in Space Syntax
Software. Presented at the 6th International Space Syntax Symposium, Istanbul
Technical University, Istanbul, p.15–22.

Mathivathany.V, (2016), The Application of Space Syntax Analysis in Urban

Planning with existing Practice: Case Study of Jaffna Municipal Council Area,
Presented at the South Eastern University Arts Research Session, Sri Lanka, pp.7-
15.

Westland, (2006): The Project Management Life Cycle a complete step-by-step

methodology for initiating, planning, executing & closing a project successfully,
(http://www.netLibrary.com)

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RPRLGSP, May 2009: MANUAL on PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT:
Guidelines on Identification, Design and Implementation of Successful Local
Authority Projects: http://www.rprlgsp.go.ke

Deutsche Gesellschaft fürTechnischeZusammenarbeit (GTZ ) GmbH (1996) :

Project Cycle Management (PCM) and Objectives-Oriented Project Planning
(ZOPP): Guidelines

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