Evaluating Accessibility of Street Network in Neighborhood by Space Syntax Method: The Case of Çankırı

Abstract

Designing inclusive cities by creating accessible neighborhoods in cities is one of the top agendas in urban planning and design. Therefore, it is important to examine settlements morphology to find out functional contributions to urban design. In this study, the aim is to find street characteristics that support accessibility by comparing street network of current and zoning plan in the neighborhood. The study was carried out in the Esentepe Neighborhood, which is far away from the city center of Çankırı. The fact that the neighborhood is one of the directions of urban development and is located in an area with low accessibility throughout the city requires the development of this area. The study area was evaluated by the space syntax method. The study was designed in three stages. First, the spatial accessibility of the street network in the Esentepe Neighborhood in its current state was analyzed by creating axial maps. Secondly, integration and connection maps were created to evaluate the accessibility of the street network based on the future development plan of the Esentepe Neighborhood. Finally, the current and master plan of the neighborhood was compared to understand the characteristic of accessible street network in the neighborhood. The study results revealed that integration and connectivity values increased compared to the current plan. The creation of simple, interconnected and intersected axes placed in a certain range increased accessibility of area. The long and continuous central axis providing access to the circular central area and the axes connected to this line have the highest integration value in the neighborhood. Space syntax will be a guiding tool on issues such as the selection, design and development of settlements in city plans. The transportation system, which promotes use of spaces around the residence in settlements planned far from cities, contributes to the evaluation of the social interaction areas for residents. The research develops a proposal method in terms of evaluating the future development of neighborhoods for creating a sustainable transportation system.