- Place syntax
Place syntax is a term in spatial analysis.
There is great potential in combining geographically oriented accessibility research and geometrically oriented research in architecture, such as
space syntax , as stated by for example, Jiang et alFact|date=May 2007. The weak representations of the cognitive environment for movement space in current accessibility measures, pointed out by for example Kwan et alFact|date=May 2007, can be reinforced by the concept of the axial line, developed by Hillier et alFact|date=May 2007. The axial line represents how you move and what you can see, which is by nature directionalFact|date=May 2007.An
axial map thereby captures not only themovement grid but also, roughly, how it is to navigate in it. The axial map therefore can put local data on plots or places, as used in geographical approaches, in defined geometrical relations or configurations. Seen the other way around, space syntax can be integrated and strengthened withplace data, in ways not done beforeFact|date=May 2007. This is what we call Place Syntax, which basically means accessibility with axial lines, i.e. accessibility with visibility.The research group
Spatial analysis & Design (SAD) at theRoyal Institute of Technology inStockholm, Sweden , has, together with the Department of Numerical Analysis and Computing Science, developed a new GIS-tool called "The Place Syntax Tool " (PST)Fact|date=May 2007. The tool uses spatial data on plot regions or address points. The axial map with unlinks constitute the grid. Address points also work as links between plot and axial line. Distance (dij) can be constrained as 'turns' (axial steps), walk distance or bird's distance (meter). There are also possibilities to define a function on the distance constraintsFact|date=May 2007.SAD believe that the 'Place syntax' approach and the new GIS-tool has great potential for urban analysis and architectural space design for example in better predicting pedestrian flow and estimating accessibilities based on the experiencing subject, both where the pedestrian can go and what it can seeFact|date=May 2007.
External links
* [http://www.arch.kth.se/sad/ Spatial Analysis and Design]
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