Are high distributed streetscapes also located in the high social interaction streets? A Space syntax approach on street liveability assessment

Abstract

Cities should be built for people and planned for potential changes with high efficiency. Well-distributed streetscapes in neighborhoods are proved to bring co-benefits of health, active transport, and social equity. This paper provides an innovative framework to interrogate the spatial and social configurations of streetscapes for the City of Greater Bendigo, Australia. The primary research goal is to investigate whether those high distributed streetscapes are also located in the high social interaction streets. The social configuration of streetscapes refers to the degree of integration, connectivity and visibility within a street network and the spatial configuration of streetscapes refers to the percentage of sky, building and trees at any point in the streetscape. The social configurations of streetscapes along street network were measured using space syntax tools and GIS. Space syntax parameters (degree of integration, connectivity and visibility) representing the social interaction level of streets were integrated into the spatial distribution of streetscapes (sky, building, and trees) for analysis. Results showed that Bendigo locality area poses the highest social integration and connectivity. High localized connectivity was observed in the townships of Heathcote and Marong, while recommendation can be made for Heathcote and White Hill area to improve the street network integration and connectivity so as to promote neighborhood liveability. The results also showed that the percentage of older population and population density were positively associated with social connectivity, indicating higher settlements in well-connected townships. Findings from this research can contribute to design more sustainable and efficient streetscapes through our scalable methodological framework.