A Comparison Study on Space Syntax as a Computer Model of Space

Over the past two decades, space syntax has been extensively researched with a considerable amount of empirical case studies (Hillier and Hanson 1984, Hillier 1996). It has been found that space syntax can be a valuable tool for the prediction of people’s movement in urban environments. Basic to this finding is the relationship between human spatial behaviour and urban morphological structure, i.e. how people’s movement is affected by spatial perception. This paper intends to provide an analysis, based a comparison study, of space syntax as a computer model of space, i.e. a unique vision of space syntax in spatial modelling from the point of views of spatial perception and cognition. In this context, space syntax is examined in details in terms of representation and analysis capabilities, in comparison to the human and computer models of space in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). We believe that such a discussion can benefit to the space syntax research community by providing more evidence to support space syntax as a valuable tool for many disciplines and application areas.