Abstract

Our group has been working on Space Syntax since the mid 90’s, mainly focusing on the relations connecting configuration and land uses in the urban grid. The research has been following two directions, respectively searching for the possibility of making use of configurational analysis as an interpretative tool of the existing urban structure and as a town planning supporting tool.

In the first case, we assumed as a case study the historic consistency of a wide and varied set of Tuscan medieval towns. Here we noticed that, despite any morphological and geometric difference (somewhere even glaring), still some configurational elements punctually and constantly emerge from all the studied cases, standing out as the actual specific feature that characterize the intrinsic structure of the settlements.

In the second research (which is still in progress), our work is focused on testing configurational analysis as a predictive tool regarding the distribution of the attractiveness levels towards activities and, therefore, on proving it both as a town planning and as a decision making support tool. In other words, we are to regard the levels of attractiveness of each part of a settlement being directly related with the development of the grid, and appraised by means the analysis of its configuration. Therefore, if we assume centrality, defined in terms of attractiveness, as a function of configuration, then we can prove configurational analysis as a reliable tool to support the decision maker in evaluating urban plans and projects. In particular, configurational analysis

- can help in highlighting the hidden effect of the planned transformation of the grid;

- allows to appraise the correspondence of the activities location with the actual distribution of attractiveness, and then the actual feasibility of the plan;

-allows to manage the shifting of centrality resulting from the grid transformation.