Urban Architecture: Eyes from the City A Mobile Eye-Tracking Study of Urban Villages

Abstract

This feasibility study assesses the strength and weaknesses of a novel methodology applied to the design of urban architecture to enrich the process of urban planning to satisfy the needs of a city’s inhabitants. Specifically, a visual preference survey was conducted using eye-tracking technology to observe the influence of urban differing scales on the human visual experience. Using an observational design, two architectural conditions were introduced to section an urban village into a few predetermined areas and walking lines. The visual experience of ten participants was then collected using a mobile eye-tracking device. Results showed that people indeed have different visual perceptions when interacting with urban fabric, and that such perceptions change from a formal to a traditional scale design