Finding the Optimal D/H Ratio for an Enclosed Urban Square: Testing an Urban Design Principle Using Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Techniques

Jaecheol Kim and Seungnam Kim
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Jaecheol Kim: Department of Urban Planning, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Korea
Seungnam Kim: Department of Urban Design and Studies, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: Using immersive virtual reality (VR), this study examined the D/H ratio principle (where “D” means the depth or width of a public space and “H” means the height of its surrounding buildings.) that urban design theorists have suggested as an important design principle for public spaces. The authors built VR models of eight enclosed urban public squares with different D/H ratios ranging from 1/3 to 6/1. They then carried out an experiment in the form of a visual assessment survey using the VR models with 69 university students majoring in urban planning and compared the optimal D/H ratios from the experimental results with those proposed by urban design theorists. The statistical analysis of the experimental results revealed that the optimal D/H ratios for most qualities of public squares are larger than the optimal ratios claimed by theorists.

Keywords: urban public squares; enclosure; D/H ratio; virtual reality; visual assessment survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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