Quantitative Explanation and Evaluation of the Qualitative Factors of Public Spaces Using the Space Syntax Method(Case Study: Ferdows Garden in Tehran)

Problem statement: 

To increase the efficiency of the social function of the public space, urban researchers have listed many features in various conceptual models. It seems that these qualitative characteristics can be categorized under the configuration of space to converge the concepts and to evaluate them quantitatively.

 There is a cause-and-effect relationship between the qualitative factors that influence the ability of a space to shape public urban life. These factors can be evaluated through quantitative and qualitative methods. This research tries to put the necessary factors that increase the quality of the space in a more comprehensive category and evaluate them through the integration of the above methods.

The present study is applied research in terms of purpose. It used a descriptive-analytical method. First, qualitative variables effective in constructing and forming public spaces were identified and categorized by reviewing the literature. The factor of accessibility was identified as a common factor that all theoreticians have emphasized. This factor was considered to be the basis of using the space syntax method. The space syntax evaluated the qualitative characteristics of the space at the macro level. Then the results were discussed using logical reasoning.

The findings of the research showed that the analysis of spatial qualities can be defined in a two-step process: first, in an initial evaluation, the public space is analyzed at the macro level through axial maps based on the level of accessibility and mobility, which is the basis and foundation of spatial qualities. In the second stage, to measure how the space is experienced by the users, a micro-scale investigation should be done on the site by referring to analytical techniques such as questionnaires, mapping, surveys, etc.