Urban morphotypes and functional diversity of city environment

Abstract

On the example of the urban space of one of the largest Russian cities, Samara, various environmental morphotypes are analyzed for: mixed use in the ratio of residential and service functions; the nature of the service objects, the spatial organization of the contact of public areas with the building surrounding them. Through the analysis of rental rates of commercial premises in different parts the connection between the demands for different morphotypes of the city is considered. It is found out that regardless of the density of the population in the study area, the development of public activities in the territories depends on the spatial organization of the urban environment: street arrangement, convenience of service function’s access. Commercial demand for premises serves is an indicator of the quality of organization of public spaces of streets. Densely populated areas with chaotic development that does not form a street front are deprived of socially active spaces with developed street retail, while less populated areas with a high-density street network and quarter-perimeter buildings form active spatially organized traffic of people that support the development of street retail.