Quantitative tools for measuring and classifying urban space

Abstract

A sustainable, comfortable city can exist only if development strategies take into account not only the latest technologies and energy saving, but also the architectural and social harmony of the urban community as priority factors of influence. In order to achieve a high quality urban environment, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the spatial and architectural design of urban spaces and the structure of the city, as well as to take into account the contextual conditions of their environment. The process of urban development is interactive and complex, requiring analysis of available resources, collection of empirical data, and identification of quantitative opportunities for spatial development. The article discusses the current problems of the urban environment, reviews modern urban planning models and parametric methods of spatial analysis, such as Spacematrix, Spacesyntax and MIT, designed to study and analyze various aspects of the urban environment, including the structure and interaction between the spatial elements of the city. Parametric methods allow to identify the boundaries of morphological areas and describe building morphotypes with greater accuracy. Spacemate test modeling provides spatial visual information about the different effects of building typology on the compaction potential, as well as the design possibility of modeling free space. Spacematrix and MXI are powerful tools that allow solving many different urban planning tasks, such as analyzing urban development, assessing the development of urban areas, determining the potential for urban development, and developing strategies for future urban development. The use of Spacematrix, Spacesyntax, and MXI as tools for the objective description of urban development can be an important step in the development of evidence-based urban planning in Ukraine, facilitate the development of local urban planning strategies and the adoption of solutions between cities and countries, and help improve urban policies and strategies to achieve sustainable urban development.