Comparative Study on Residents' Perception and Activities in Their Outdoor Spaces -Cases of Traditional Blocks and a New Housing Project in Beijing

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a comparative study on traditional blocks and a new housing project with relatively high population densities in Beijing concerning the residents’ activities, perception, and evaluation of their outdoor spaces. Outdoor spaces in both the two residential settings function as essential places for the residents’ daily and communal lives and a variety of activities were observed. The spaces in the traditional blocks, however, are considerably more used and satisfied with by the residents than those in the new project are, although they are perceived as problematic in evacuation and rescue in emergencies while the spaces in the new project are seen as areas of potential criminal activities. The traditional outdoor space as a whole retains a clear cognitive hierarchy space from public to private domains, whereas the modern outdoor space lacks definite regions that can be recognized as semiprivate or private.