A Tentative Approach to Mapping Street Space: A Case Study of Chinese Central Urban Districts

Authors

  • Lian Tang
  • Wowo Ding

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7480/footprint.7.1.765

Abstract

This paper focuses on exploring a quantitative approach to mapping street space. Characteristics of street space can hardly be described and explained using only the traditional architectural forms of street space. The difficulty arises because of the lack of relevance between these forms and people’s activities in them.

This phenomenon presents a challenge to mapping methods. Expanding mapping elements is one viable and ongoing path. Which element could be an effective one and how it should be measured and mapped, are vital questions. Interface signs have been selected as the experimental elements, with an area of central Nanjing selected as the research sample.

Database and statistics of interface signs and pedestrian flows have been established and inserted into the GIS (Geographical Information System) where a series of correlation analyses between basic mappings and pedestrian flows are carried out.

Author Biographies

Lian Tang

Lian Tang is a Doctoral Candidate at the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University, China. Her main research area is mapping methodology of urban space.

Wowo Ding

Wowo Ding (corresponding author) is Professor in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University, China. She got her Nachdiplom and PhD from ETH-Zurich. She specializes in Urban Design and Theory, Design Methodology, and Architectural Design. She is a council member of ISUF since 2012; a member of the National Supervision Board of Architectural Education and Executive Director of Jiangsu Civil Engineering and Architectural Society; as well as the head of the jury for the Holcim Awards (Region Asia Pacific 2011) and a jury member (Region Asia Pacific 2008).

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Published

2013-01-01

Issue

Issue # 12 | Spring 2013 | Future Publics: Politics and Space in East Asia’s Cities

Section

Article

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