Urban texture and space configuration: An essay on integrating socio-spatial analytical techniques

Abstract

This paper integrates two distinct approaches to the analysis of urban phenomena – image texture analysis and space syntax –, aiming at a better description and understanding of complex intraurban socio-spatial patterns. On the one hand, satellite image texture analysis distinguished morphological patterns from urban areas with different inhabitability conditions, as previous studies have are already demonstrated. On the other hand, the constitution map texture analysis revealed distinct patterns according to different social and urban dynamics, according to urban form, size and land use, in such way that compact, highly parceled and constituted patterns tend to present low levels of mean lacunarity, whereas disperse, non-parceled and poorly constituted ones tend to present high levels of mean lacunarity. Such findings show that the texture analysis combining satellite images and interface maps is a very promising research for understanding the relationship between morphological and social patterns, and deserves future investigations.