Effect of Space Configurational Attributes on Social Interactions in Urban Parks

Qiang Sheng, Dongyang Wan and Boya Yu
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Qiang Sheng: School of Architecture and Design, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Dongyang Wan: School of Architecture and Design, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Boya Yu: School of Architecture and Design, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-15

Abstract: Urban parks are one of the most common spaces for social interactions in modern cities. The design of park spaces, especially space configuration, has significant influences on people’s social behaviors in parks. In this study, the associations between space configurational attributes and social interactions were investigated using space syntax theory. An observation analysis of social behaviors was carried out in two urban parks in Beijing, China. Nine space configurational attributes, including depth to the gate, depth to the main road, connectivity, normalized angular integration (NAIN), and normalized angular choice (NACH) with three radii, were calculated using a segment model. The variance analysis and regression analysis reveal the strong joint effect of space type, space scale factors, and space configurational attributes on social interaction behaviors in parks. The personal interaction group contained 23% of the total observed people involved in social interactions. Pathway length, zone area, and NACH-10K (NACH with a radius of 10,000 m) are positively associated with the number of people involved in personal interactions. For the social interaction group (77% of the total observed people), the space scale and depth to main city road were found to have a positive and negative influence on social interaction intensity.

Keywords: space syntax; personal interaction; social interaction; behavior mapping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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