Evidence-based planning and design: integrating centrality and accessibility analysis into urban design at early stages

Short bio: Urban calculator is a research-based start-up and a spin-off from Spatial Morphology research group at Chalmers University, Sweden. Our vision is to turn evidence-based spatial analysis into an integral part of the design loop, especially at early stages of design /planning process. 

Urban Calculator is an evidence-based design support tool for urban practitioners, easy and user-friendly, that can be used in different phases of the design process. During the first explorative sketches feedback is given to make informed decisions, revise the design and rerun the spatial analysis until the project’s ambitions are metDesigned to streamline planning procedures, Urban Calculator offers an intuitive interface accessible to planners, irrespective of their GIS proficiency. This tool empowers planners to conduct spatial analyses interactively, enabling informed decision-making supported by robust evidence.

Overview & aims: In its implementation, Urban Calculator focuses on assessing street centrality, encompassing pedestrian and vehicular street networks. Additionally, it examines accessibility to various destinations, such as social services and bustling urban hubs.

The aim of the half day workshop is to introduce the tool to a wider audience, specifically practitioners.

The workshop objective is to demonstrate to participants how centrality and accessibility analyses can be used as a part of a design loop to quickly measure potential effects of their spatial interventions and to compare different design alternatives.

Keywords: Evidence-base design, spatial analysis, integration, space syntax, centrality, accessibility, accessible density

Information about the course instructors and partner involved: 

Instructor´s Name: Evgeniya (Jane) Bobkova
Instructor´s Institution: Urban Calculator

Course Content: 

• Lecture on  basic concepts of spatial analysis, when it comes to street centrality and accessibility, with the focus on interpretation and understanding analysis results
• Summary of the research background behind selected spatial analyses, in connection to pedestrian movement in cities and socio-economic process
• Demonstration of the tool in connection to evidence-based urban design
• Learning-by-doing design exercise, where participants are asked to test the tool themselves in order to understand the relevance of spatial analysis for early stages of design process

Learning outcomes: a) Being able to interpret space syntax centrality and accessibility analysis in connection to applied urban design, b) ntegrating spatial analysis into evidence-based urban design

Who is this course for:

This course is suitable for:

• Students with an interest in EBDP (PhD Candidates, researchers etc.)
• Professionals and experts such as urban planners who participate in the design process of city’s public spaces, public buildings, etc.

Group Size:

Max 20 participants

• 10-20 participants
• 10-12 students
• 10-12 planning and urban design experts and practitioners, preferably from various backgrounds (urban planning and design, participatory planning, transport planning etc.).

Specific Requirements, if any: Windows computers (UC is not supported by Mac), GIS expertise is not needed.