Evaluating Mass Housing In-Between Spaces' Spatial Configuration on Social Interaction

Frontiers of Architectural Research (2020) 9, 34e53
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
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journal homepage: www.keaipublishing.com/foar
Research Article
Evaluating the impact of mass housings’
in-between spaces’ spatial configuration
on users’ social interaction
Wiem Zerouati*, Tahar Bellal
Habitat and Environment Laboratory, Department of Architecture, Institute of Architecture and Earth
Sciences, Ferhat Abbas University- Setif 1, Setif 19000, Algeria
Received 5 March 2019; received in revised form 9 May 2019; accepted 12 May 2019
KEYWORDS
In-between spaces;
Social interaction;
Degree of
permeability;
Space syntax;
Snapshot observation
Abstract This research examines the impact of in-between space configuration on users’ social practices. The effects of different degrees of permeability of these spaces on the social
interactions of the inhabitants are also analyzed. This research is based on a comparative
approach using space syntax analysis and snapshot observations on four mass housing neighborhoods in Setif, Algeria. The neighborhoods are selected according to their degree of permeability, location in the city, realization period, and syntax measures from integrated to
segregated. The activity patterns of two-week days for each study case are observed and recorded. Correlation results of observed social activities and syntactic measures demonstrate
that spatial configuration affects people’s use of in-between spaces. Moreover, connectivity
and clustering coefficients are revealed to be important indicators of social activities. Previous
urban studies argued that integrated spaces are mostly used by people. However, social interaction in the studied cases increases in the least connected areas, adjoining spaces to the
buildings, and most closed spaces. This research finds that social activities are dependent
on the degree of permeability, which when low, gives rise to increased social interaction
and activities.
ª 2019 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on
behalf of KeAi. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (W. Zerouati).
Peer review under responsibility of Southeast University
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2019.05.005
2095-2635/ª 2019 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi. This is an open access
article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
1. Introduction
After the end of French colonization and with the advent of
independence in Algeria, facing high population growth,
decision-makers opted to push for the massive construction
of apartment buildings at the city periphery to meet the
housing shortage within a short period of time. The choice
of the large ensemble model imported from Europe and
inspired by modern urbanism precepts was perceived as an
adequate solution. This model offered accommodations
based on the global standards of comfort, hygiene, and
modernity, with rapid execution and reasonable cost, for a
centralized Algeria that was experiencing a housing crisis
and a social change driving it toward urbanity.
The big ensembles were witnesses to a new Algeria with
ambitious economic and urban planning programs. This
situation brought about a new organization of the city and
created a break from the existing urban fabric. The Algerian version of large ensembles, the New Urban Habitat
Zones (ZHUN), is characterized by a functional simplicity
through the predominance of residential function on the
affordances and services. The monotony and standardization offered by massive silhouettes that meet universality
requirements, affected the identity of places by neglecting
their spirit and inducing a repetitive composition without
considering the place’s environmental, climatic, and sociocultural conditions.
The “modern” layout of the residential buildings resulted in the creation of large independent parking areas
because of the buildings’ assembly rules; the famous
“crane roads” respect modern urbanism principles. Outdoor
spaces showed an outgrowth appearance without any hierarchy, made homogeneous with the “green spaces” and
crossed by abstract paths intended to be pedestrian paths
but manifest no relation with the existing places. These
spaces were supposed to be the scenes of interactions,
social practices, and socialization between inhabitants.
Several studies showed the effect of outdoor in-between
space design through the layout of residential buildings on
the decrease of social interactions between inhabitants
(Abu-Ghazzeh, 1999; Chombart de Lauwe, 1952). From this
perspective, space syntax theory provides valuable tools for
examining the configurational characteristics of the environment and their potential influence on people’s activities
and perception. Space syntax is widely used in urban space
studies and user movement. Research indicates that
configurational measures are correlated with the number of
walking trips (Baran et al., 2008), frequency of pedestrian
movement (Hillier et al., 1993; Ozer and Kubat, 2007;
Zampieri et al., 2009), and route choices (Chang, 2002).
The production of mass housing from the ZHUN programs
to the most recent formulas (e.g., Participative Assisted
Housing L.P.A) underwent various spatial configurations:
from bars and plots, to buildings aligned with the lanes
surrounding mass housing complexes forming a kind of
“open modern island.”
From a study perspective of the relation between man
and his built environment, the present research is interested in the influence of different spatial configuration
characteristics, in terms of outdoor in-between space degree of permeability, on the inhabitants’ practices and
35
social interactions. These spaces are located between
residential building entries and urban road structures
delimiting the neighborhood of various programs of mass
housing in Algeria. First, this study informs us about the
optimal spatial configuration for social interactions and
practices. Second, this study contributes to the analysis on
these under-studied spaces from the morphological and
behavioral points of view. Finally, the knowledge obtained
will provide additional information to designers regarding
the actual practice of space. Accordingly, designers can
produce enhanced outdoor in-between spaces and meet
the socialization requirements of the inhabitants.
2. Literature review
The research interest of this work is the impact of outdoor
in-between space configuration on users’ social practices.
In this section, we present the studies whose subject, object of study, and methodology are close to our current
research related to in-between space, social interaction,
spatial configuration, and space syntax.
2.1. Social use approach in public spaces
The research of sociologist William Whyte (1980) is one of
the main studies on social use in public space. It is based on
direct observation as a methodology to study the use frequency of certain squares in New York in the usual and
ordinary way. Whyte (1980) placed cameras to capture
pedestrian flow and social gatherings in the streets. The
main results showed that users were the main attraction
factor for other users. The users chose the spaces already
occupied and dense by preferring the outer limits or borders for sedentary activities. Whyte (1980) concluded that
the use of places is correlated with the number of spaces to
sit on and their proximity to the street. Several studies
confirmed Whyte’s results, wherein the visibility of other
users is an important factor in space occupation (Bada,
2012).
Jan Gehl is a Danish architect who wrote about pedestrian life in his book “Life between buildings.” He created
three categories of outdoor activities taking place in public
spaces, namely, necessary, optional, and social. Examples
of necessary activities are going to work, buying, waiting
for a bus or a person, and running. Necessary activities are
mainly related to movement and walking. They are slightly
influenced by the built environment and take place under
all conditions because users have no choice (Gehl, 1996).
Optional activities depend on a desire, schedule, and
location that allow the deployment of these activities,
which can be walking, standing, sitting, and sunbathing.
These activities take place in favorable weather conditions
(Gehl, 1996). Social activities are all activities that depend
on the presence of others in public spaces. They can be
children’s games, greetings, and discussions between people, common activities of all kinds, and passive contact
defined as watching and hearing others. These activities
can also be described as “resulting” activities because they
occur spontaneously as a direct result of movement and the
presence of people in the same spaces. Gehl states that a
social activity takes place when two people meet in the
36
same space, see each other, and listen to each other, all of
which are forms of contact and social interaction. Gehl
(1996) believes that the physical structure presents no
direct influence on the quality, content, and intensity of
social contacts; architects and planners can affect opportunities to meet, see, and hear people.
Gehl specifies that outdoor intermediate spaces, which
serve as transition zones between private and public
spaces, support long-term activities and social interactions.
These transition spaces, located between the street and
the building, create opportunities for residents to spontaneously socialize and spend time together. Gehl et al.
(2006) point out that the specific characteristics of each
space are important to encourage interactions between
inhabitants.
According to Montgomery (1998 in Hutama, 2016), activity is the product of two separate but connected concepts: vitality and diversity. The first concept refers to the
number of people (movement and flow) in and around the
street and space. In this sense, Gehl et al. (2006) and
Jacobs (1961) argue that the integration of well-connected
spaces is a key component in attracting people and
encouraging them to use spaces for prolonged periods. An
integrated and connected street tends to be the site of
social interaction (Can and Heath, 2015). The second
concept, diversity, is a combination of mixed activities and
a variation of functions. Gehl et al. (2006) report that diversity is expressed through several functions: residential
activity, services, and commercial functions in the immediate neighborhood. This situation allows a mix of residents
and working people to use the same public space and be in
touch in different daily activities.
2.2. In-between spaces and social activities
Open spaces vary from squares to intermediate spaces with
linear forms with a certain degree of social space, for
example, streets, roads, and alleys. The intensity of social
activities in a street can be ensured in areas with reduced
traffic and available facilities. High-density residential
neighborhoods where public spaces are inadequate push
people to use the streets as a means of interaction.
Ferguson (2007) finds a strong relationship between
spatial configuration, accessibility, and social interactions.
These factors can be facilitated by accessibility and spatial
configuration. The fluidity of pedestrian movement can
contribute to the increase of encounters between urban
space users.
Gehl (1996) emphasizes the importance of in-between
spaces as a support for social life and their development
on the social interactions between users.
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
with similar appearances but different properties. Spatial
configuration is ultimately a concept that refers to the
whole system rather than to its parts (Greene, 2003).
Legeby (2013) states that the main idea of space syntax is
that the use and understanding of space functioning is
influenced by the relationships between spaces (of a city or
within a building). Space syntax is based on space affecting
the behavior that unfolds there.
The fundamental concepts of space syntax are explained
according to two postulates that attempt to reflect the
objectivity of space. The first postulate is that space is
intimately linked to human activity and is not its support
but rather an essential aspect of any human activity made
by moving in space. Space is designed to reflect the direct
interaction between space and its occupants, and it becomes humanized through this interaction (Hillier and
Hanson, 1984; Hanson and Hillier, 1987; Hillier, 2008).
Throughout the various civilizations that the world has
witnessed, space is always a reflection of the activity and
way of life of its inhabitants. Space analysis inevitably leads
to the understanding of the society and vice versa. A society is complicated to analyze because it involves difficult
measurable factors related to humans (Bernard, 2000). The
second postulate of space syntax is that space is fundamentally a configurational entity (Hillier and Hanson, 1984;
Hillier and Penn, 1991; Hillier, 1996, 2008). Space is not
only the characteristics of spaces separately taken but also
the relationship between the different spaces that make up
a whole building or city (Mahmoud and Omar, 2015).
The approach is undeterministic and provides no affirmation that the power of a specific spatial configuration
produces a certain type of behavior but makes it likely.
According to Greene (2003), space syntax postulates that a
spatial configuration provides a probable field of encounter
and presence where social action can take place and the
rest is just the effect of culture. The combination of space
and society, or spatial configuration and human activities,
testifies to the power of space syntax as an analytical tool.
A series of analysis techniques and models is developed to
analyze the spatial configuration. These techniques are
based on fundamental concepts, such as movement, visual
perception, and human occupation, which connect the
physical space to its occupants. Previous studies showed
that the visual and spatial integration of urban space is
strongly correlated with observed human movements
(Desyllas and Duxbury, 2001; Hillier et al., 1993; Parvin
et al., 2007). The results of various studies undertaken to
compare measured movement rates and spatial integration
confirmed the strong relationship between these two parameters (Hillier, 1996; Read, 2001; Dawson, 2003; Raford,
2003).
2.3. Spatial configuration and space syntax
2.4. Previous space syntax research related to inbetween spaces and social use
Spatial configuration is the system of interrelated relationships between the spaces that make up the city or
building. Configuration is defined as the existing spatial
relationship and the composition of built form of the parts
that are in unique relation to one another. This concept of
spatial configuration introduced by space syntax allows the
illustration of different configurational properties of spaces
Space syntax is used in innumerable studies on urban space.
Nevertheless, only one research project (Can, 2012) was
conducted on the in-between spaces of mass housing in
three neighborhoods with different morphologies in Izmir,
Turkey. The author investigated the relationship between
the spatial configuration of intermediate spaces and its
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
importance in relation to social practices and urban
morphology in collective housing neighborhoods in the
aforementioned area. Social practices are defined as “the
set of actions of men in space, simultaneously consisting of
giving him material spatial configurations and meanings”
(Lefebvre, 1970). The research investigated the effect of
in-between space organization on social interactions in
different urban tissues using visibility graph analysis (VGA),
space syntax tool, and snapshots, which is observation
behavioral mapping. This last technique makes the pattern
of space use in the urban area apparent and allows the
recording of mainly stationary activities (Vaughan, 2001).
This technique consists of taking a mental snapshot of the
observed activities that will be recorded on the plan using
codes and colors for each activity or user category.
The correlation results between space syntax and observations showed that stationary activities are related to
the highly connected streets of traditional neighborhoods.
In modern neighborhoods, long-term activities are less
strongly correlated than those in traditional ones.
The research results refuted the hypothesis that modern
neighborhoods exhibit a lower sense of community than do
traditional ones. On the contrary, traditional neighborhoods present a lower sense of community than do modern
ones. The study concluded that community meaning is not
exclusively related to spatial organization, which can be
supported by syntactic analysis and urban design.
Several studies concluded that integration is closely
linked to human spatial behavior. A strong relationship is
found between the measurement of spatial integration and
the observed people movements (Hillier et al., 1993). One
can be predicted with other syntactical results using space
syntax.
A single recent doctoral research related to the large
ensemble outdoor spaces in Algeria (Hima et al., 2018) was
undertaken. The research was initiated by developing an
analytical and investigation model of spatial change impact
on the wayfinding sociospatial dysfunction, namely, facade
transformations and outdoor space appropriation of two
neighborhoods in Biskra and M’sila, two cities located at the
gateway to Algerian Sahara. The used analytical model
consists of VGA and accessibility analysis (all-line analysis)
in combination with “movement traces,” a method for
identifying users’ routes through outdoor spaces.
The study concluded that the routes taken by users influence facade transformations and outdoor space appropriation. The role played by urban morphology (syntactic
properties) and spatial changes (installation of new public
buildings) as determining factors in wayfinding dysfunction
and urban reproduction (facade transformation and outdoor space appropriation) were highlighted.
3. Relevance and research question
The interest and scientific enthusiasm for the present
research are rooted in the curiosity to understand life in
outdoor in-between spaces in mass housing, the main
ingredient of an Algerian city. The exploration of architectural and sociological factors by using adequate analysis
toolsdin this case space syntaxdand observation allows
in-depth understanding on the impact of outdoor in-
37
between space configuration on the social practices of
inhabitants.
Outdoor in-between spaces that constitute the place
where social relations flourish, a theater of social practices, and the link connecting the urban space to the home
aroused our interest to study, far from purely sociological
approaches, these spaces by using appropriate methods
with established effectiveness to urban morphology.
The subject interest aroused from the absence of thorough analytical studies carried out in Algeria dealing with
the question of outdoor in-between space configuration,
especially their degree of permeability, in relation to inhabitants’ social practices, using the theory of space syntax
and its tools. The majority of the studies carried out on
Algerian housing complex outdoor in-between spaces are
descriptive of appropriation practices and inadequacy
detected between the conceived and lived spaces using
qualitative sociological tools, namely, questionnaire and insitu observations. The present research attempts to fill this
gap by bringing quantitative and qualitative analytical
readings of outdoor in-between spaces and contributing to
the existing scientific knowledge. The study will analyze
the effects of outdoor in-between space configuration by
focusing on the degree of permeability on users’ social
practices.
We hypothesize that the most recent spatial configurations in the form of a closed island may be more conducive
to a life full of social interactions between inhabitants than
the configurations in blocks and bars, which may be less
encouraging for social exchange because of the high degree
of permeability of their outdoor in-between spaces.
The uniqueness of this research lies in the exploration of
the outdoor in-between spaces’ morphology in relation to
inhabitants’ use through observable social interactions
using space syntax. The field of study chosen is an Algerian
city with four varied case studies. The research findings will
enable decision-makers and designers to acknowledge this
influence, criticize the urban production of mass housing,
and explore other forms that can promote social
interactions.
4. Methodology
The analytical approach is based on the combination of two
methods, namely, space syntax using VGA, and observation
using snapshots. Syntactic analysis was performed using the
Depthmap software developed by Alasdair Turner. Only the
built elements were kept in the mass plans to analyze the
outdoor in-between spaces. These spaces are located between the entrances of housing buildings and the roads
surrounding the neighborhood. They are generally
composed of pedestrian paths, stairways, parking areas,
playgrounds, sports fields, and routes for vehicular traffic.
The mapping of observed activities was developed using
AutoCAD 2014.
4.1. Visibility graph analysis
For a more efficient description of the spatial characteristics of environments, Turner et al. (2001) developed VGA as
a technique that allows the integrative analysis of multiple
38
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
positions in an environment by calculating the intervisibility of distributed positions on a regular basis in the
entire environment. This technique proposes additional
measures, such as clustering coefficient and integration
(Mahmoud and Omar, 2015). Desyllas and Duxbury (2001)
report a significant correlation between VGA and pedestrian movement in poorly defined outdoor spaces compared
with other syntax analysis techniques, such as axial mapping. Thus, the choice of VGA for the study on in-between
spaces intervenes in relation to its relevance for the analysis of the large ensemble spaces with a quasi-absent
physical delimitation.
Through this representation technique, several measurements of the built environment’s local and global
spatial properties can be obtained. Turner et al. (2001) find
that by considering the significance of local and global
properties in terms of spatial description and comparing
them to the observed motion and occupation of the studied
environment, graphs are an effective representation of the
spatial structure effects on social function in architectural
spaces.
For each case study, the scope of analysis encompasses
the neighborhood and its immediate environment as it is
part of a larger system whose dissociation will affect the
results of the syntactic analysis. The visibility analysis
radius used is (3) in the local analysis and (n) in the global
analysis.
4.2. Snapshot observation
“Snapshot” observation, a space syntax observation tool, is
used to record the activities of stationary or moving people
in a given space. This method allows for understanding the
space function in terms of the types of activities, the
movement of people, and the distribution of people
through space and subspaces. Users are classified into the
following categories: children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Activities within the urban or outdoor space can be
classified into two categories: static sedentary and dynamic
movement. This research focused on the sedentary or static
activities that were identified after field visits, namely,
sitting, standing, playing, buying or selling, and chatting.
These activities were recorded on a map of the observed
space. Each activity was transcribed on the map using a
different color for each activity. A symbol was assigned for
each category of users. Interacting users were enclosed by
a circle (Table 1).
The observation lasted two days for each studied
neighborhood from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. For safety, observations could not extend beyond 5 p.m. This observation
aimed to identify the areas most frequented by users
through a compilation of various observation session results. In other words, a map represents the activities and
their deployment at a space throughout an entire day of
observation. Several observation stations were specified to
cover all in-between spaces. The observation was carried
out every Sunday and Monday (November 5, 6, 12, 13, 19,
20, 26, and 27, 2018). The weather on these days was
favorable, with the temperature ranging from 12 to 18 , a
clear sky and a sunny day.
4.3. Sampling
The selected case studies are part of the mass housing in
the town of Setif. This town, a former Roman colony called
“Sitifis,” is located 300 km from the capital Algiers. It is
considered one of the most important Algerian cities for its
location as a crossroad of Eastern Algeria, a link between
Constantine and Algiers, M’sila and Bejaia, and Batna with
Bordj Bou Arreridj (Fig. 1). Setif is located in the Wilaya
center, with an area of 127.30 km2, 287,574 inhabitants,
and a density of 2259 inhabitants/km2. According to the
Intercommunal Plan d’Aménagement et d’Urbanisme
(PDAU) (2010), 56.46% of the population in Setif is located
at the Wilaya chief town. Setif has an 88% importance rate
of urbanization.
The choice of elements constituting the sample is an
important phase of this research. To delineate the target
population and perform sampling according to the posed
problem, the use of one or both of the two types of sampling, probabilistic or non-probabilistic, is essential. Stratified sampling, a type of probabilistic sampling, was applied
in this research. This sampling was composed of different
strata that represent the spatial configuration types of mass
housing complexes in Setif. They were classified according
to the outdoor in-between spaces’ degree of permeability,
namely, the configuration in bars and plots and semi-closed
and closed configurations. Tower configuration was not
retained as a type because of the small number of mass
Table 1 Activities and users’ category codes for snapshot
observation. (Source: Vaughan, 2001).
Users’ categories
Child
Teenage
Adult
Elderly
Activities
Sitting
Standing
Playing
Buying and Selling
Interacting and chatting
Fig. 1
Location of Setif. (Source: http://d-maps.com).
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
Fig. 2
39
Global integration (r Z n) of the four case studies (Source: Authors, 2018).
housing neighborhoods (02) that could not be proportionally
represented.
For each stratum, which represents a type of spatial
configuration, a census of the different sets of collective
dwellings was conducted to determine the total number for
each type. Thus, 18 bar-type housing neighborhoods, 9
plots, 10 semi-closed, and 13 closed types of dwellings were
identified. The main criterion in the census was the presence of outdoor in-between spaces surrounded by walls,
consisting of buildings, according to different degrees of
permeability. This degree of permeability is defined by the
number of wall access, which is made up of residential
buildings surrounding the in-between spaces. The large
Table 2
complexes produced in the 1970se1980s in Algeria are
characterized by apartment buildings in blocks or bars.
Meanwhile, the most recent forms of collective housing,
such as the participatory social housing (L.S.P), are closed
and have one or two maximum accesses. Thus, the four
case studies were selected according to the degrees of
permeability and wall surrounding the in-between space
continuity, their realization period, the different programs
of housing they belong to, location in the city, and distance
from the city center. The axial map followed by the
segment map helped in selecting the case studies according
to various integration values. The 600 logts1 neighborhood
is near the city center, whose accessibility routes have the
Quantitative data related to the four case studies (Source: Authors, 2018).
Neighborhood
Year of realization
Site area
Number of apartments Distance to city center
Built
600 logts
1006 logts
500 logts
L.S.P
1975
16 ha
600
0 kms
18%
1979e1986
14.7 ha
1006
3 kms
41%
1988
4.1 ha
500
3 kms
32%
2011/2012
4 ha
570
5 kms
36%
1
The term “logts” is an abbreviation of the French word “logements,” which means dwellings or the number of apartments in the
neighborhood studied.
40
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
Fig. 3
Mass plans of the different case studies (Source: Authors, 2018).
highest integration values (1868.61), followed by the 1006
logts (1803.05). The 500 logts (1696.13) ranks third, and the
L.S.P has the lowest integration value (1244.88) (Fig. 2).
The following sections provide a brief description of the
selected case studies.
4.3.1. 600 logts neighborhood
The 600 logts neighborhood was selected to represent the
plots type, the most opened spatial configuration. The
neighborhood is located at the eastern limit of the city
center. It is surrounded by a park in the south, the financial
city (banks) in the east, mass housing neighborhoods in the
north, and public buildings (municipality, banks, and cultural facilities) in the west. This configuration is characterized by a large opening of the outdoor in-between space
resulting from the discontinuity of the wall surrounding it.
This spatial configuration can lead to a large movement of
passage through the outdoor in-between space owing to its
high permeability. To observe this neighborhood, we
required three observers, and each had eight stations for
snapshot mapping.
4.3.2. 1006 logts neighborhood
For the bars type, the 1006 logts neighborhood in ZHUN,
east of the town, was selected. The neighborhood is surrounded in the north, south, and west by individual housing
and the east by educational facilities (primary school,
middle school, and professional and technical centers), a
sports center, and the 400 logts neighborhood. The neighborhood is near the 1014 logts market, Abu Oubaida Djarrah
Mosque, and a dispensary. Similar to the previous case
study, three persons observed the neighborhood with seven
to eight stations to observe the outdoor in-between space.
4.3.3. 500 logts neighborhood
The semi-closed 500 logts city was selected because it includes various spatial configurations. This city is located in
ZHUN, east of Setif, and surrounded by mass housing
neighborhoods. This variety will lead to explanatory conclusions regarding the spatial configuration/social practices
relation. Only two observers were required to observe this
neighborhood. Each observer had eight to nine stations for
snapshot observation.
4.3.4. L.S.P Hidhab neighborhood
The closed-type LS.P neighborhood in Hidhab represents
the latest design trend in mass housing neighborhoods. The
outdoor in-between space is surrounded by a continuous
wall with minimum openings (a maximum of 2). This
neighborhood, located in the northeast, is part of the new
periphery of Setif where an important housing program is
located. As this is the precedent studied neighborhood, two
observers conducted the observation with nine stations
each.
The opening of the outdoor in-between space was
judged to be the cause of failure of large ensembles and
ZHUN. The comparative study will confirm or invalidate this
assertion.
Table 2 illustrates that the oldest neighborhood, 600
logts, is the largest, with 16 ha of site surface, the most
open configuration of plots, and the nearest to the city
center. By contrast, L.S.P is the most recent neighborhood with the lowest surface site and the farthest one
from the city center. The 1006 logts bar configuration is
the densest neighborhood with the highest number of
apartments. Notably, the most recent neighborhoods
located in the city periphery have a smaller site area (4
ha) and are more compact and denser than the old
neighborhoods.
Fig. 3 shows the variety of spatial configurations of the
four case studies. The 600 logts is composed of plots and
facilities (primary and middle schools) inside the neighborhood. The 1006 and 500 logts neighborhoods in the ZHUN
of the city, with bars and L- and U-shaped buildings, have
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
Fig. 4
Integration “VGA” results for the four case studies (Source: Authors, 2018).
facilities such as a primary school for the 500 logts and a
water tower for the 1006 logts. By contrast, L.S.P does not
have facilities inside the neighborhood, except for the local
commerce at the ground level of housing buildings accessible from the outside. This neighborhood is the most closed
one, with U-shaped buildings and the lowest access
number.
Fig. 5
41
5. Findings
The space syntax application results of the VGA of the four
case studies are presented, followed by the superposition
of the syntactic and snapshot observation results to avoid
redundancies in presentation and explanation of results.
Connectivity “VGA” results for the four case studies (Source: Authors, 2018).
42
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
5.1. Space syntax results
Space syntax, as a quantitative method, is based on measurements to quantify certain parameters of spatial
configuration and visual accessibility. Space syntax analysis
can be performed at two scales, global and local. These two
scales are concretely measured by calculating the measurements with different radii of analysis. Two types of
measures are also distinguished, namely, first-degree and
second-degree measures. First-degree measures are the
output of the visual analysis performed and generated by
Depthmap software, such as integration, connectivity, and
clustering coefficient. Meanwhile, second-degree measures
require a correlation between two first-degree measures,
such as intelligibility, which is the correlation between
global integration and connectivity.
The results presented below in VGA visibility graph form
include the syntactic measures used: integration, connectivity, and intelligibility. For readability of the visibility
graphs, the most accessible spaces with maximum values
are represented by the red color. The color gradient varies
from red to orange and yellow, then green, and finally
blue as the color representing the low and minimum
values.
5.1.1. Integration
Integration is a measure of syntactic and non-metric
accessibility; the most accessible places will have the
highest flows. A space considered as integrated tends to
“bring back to it the other spaces of the system” (Hillier,
1998: 36).
According to Hillier (1998), integration is the best predictor of movement and use density of a pedestrian path or
road in urban space research. It appears as a property
capable of intuitively grasping people without prior
knowledge of the area as a whole (Wang, 2009).
Most studies have shown a strong correlation between
integration and the qualities of attendance, implementation of socioeconomic activities, animation, and urbanity.
When this measure is used, spaces can be classified from
the most integrated to the most segregated. It corresponds
Fig. 6
to the rates of social regrouping and commercial activities
(Hillier, 1996).
The VGA of the four neighborhoods, including their immediate environment, indicate that the paths surrounding
the three neighborhoods (i.e., 600 logts, 500 logts, and
L.S.P) have high integration values. This finding indicates
their considerable accessibility and predisposition to
movement, mainly due to the width and length of the
boulevards.
The neighborhoods, 600 and 1006 logts, which in the east
are limited mainly by fenced public buildings that affect
the visibility of outdoor spaces, display low and minimal
values.
The closed spatial configuration displays a very low
integration value, such as the L.S.P neighborhood and the
500 logts group where buildings are U and L shaped,
respectively. This situation implies a weak predisposition of
the in-between space for social use, attributed mainly to
the shape of the buildings that enclose it which minimize
the number of accesses.
The shape of the bars in the western part of the 1006
logts leads to a significant segregation of spaces.
The 600 logts in its eastern part is the most favorable for
movement, followed by the 500 logts (Fig. 4). The inbetween spaces of the L.S.P and the 1006 logts remain
the most segregated and the least suitable for social
activities.
5.1.2. Connectivity
According to Mazouz (2013), connectivity measures “the
number of lines immediately connected to the line being
analyzed (at one depth step).” Connectivity is one of the
key measures in the topological analysis of a given space
(Mahmoud and Omar, 2015). It is essential for exploring
small spaces.
The connectivity graphs of the four in-between spaces
show low or even minimal values of connectivity. The internal road separating the neighborhood from the 1006
logts has high connectivity values. These values are also
observable at the large parking area of the 600 logts
(Fig. 5).
Intelligibility results for the four case studies (Source: Authors, 2018).
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
Fig. 7
43
Superposition of 600 logts integration results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
The same is confirmed for the road that limits the 500
logts from the north and National Road 9 along the 600 logts
at the west side, displaying the highest values of connectivity. This characteristic is mainly due to their continuity,
length, and connection with several spatial entities surrounding the studied neighborhoods. However, the boulevard limiting the L.S.P Hidhab neighborhood exhibits
average values, not reaching the same values as those of
other neighborhood axes. This finding is due to the location
of the neighborhood on the town periphery without a strong
connection with other urban entities. The shape of the
building located along the boulevard, the most closed
spatial configuration, and the absence of communication
between the outdoor in-between spaces and the boulevard
are the main causes of the lowest values of connectivity of
the L.S.P neighborhood.
44
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
5.1.3. Intelligibility
Intelligibility is defined as the correlation between connectivity and the global integration of a line in an axial map
(Hillier, 1996; Al Sayed, 2014; Mahmoud and Omar 2015). It
expresses the clarity of the global spatial configuration to
its users or facilitates the understanding of the global
structure from a given local position (Al Sayed, 2014). A
system is intelligible when a strong correlation exists between the connectivity and integration measures (Mazouz,
2013). The intelligibility ratio is represented as a diagram.
The determination coefficient (R2) is calculated. The
system is considered intelligible if this coefficient is greater
than 0.50 and the resulting point cloud is near a 45 line.
The entire system becomes legible from its component
parts. The system is considered unintelligible if R2 is less
than 0.50. The correlation between local and global
Fig. 8
configurational variables is a measure of spatial pattern
intelligibility for the people who use it (Penn, 2001).
The results of the determination coefficient (R2) show
that the 600 logts is unintelligible and difficult to navigate.
By contrast, the 1006 logts, which is a configuration based
on bars, seems to be conducive to movement. The L.S.P and
500 logts neighborhoods show close values of the coefficient of determination R2 (Fig. 6).
5.2. Superposition of space syntax results with
snapshot observation maps
A comparison of the four case studies shows that the social
interactions observed in the outdoor in-between spaces,
namely, discussions, games, and static positions (sitting and
standing), are correlated with the spaces displaying
Superposition of 600 logts connectivity results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
medium/high values of integration and low/minimal values
of connectivity. Thus, these spaces are located at the periphery of the neighborhood, its surroundings, and in certain
axes between the east and west neighborhood parts.
At the 600 logts, the observed activities are correlated
with the integration measure. Children’s play and discussion activities are located in spaces with mid-to-high integration values, which are mainly adjacent to buildings
(Figs. 7 and 8).
The 600 logts, which is characterized by a high degree of
permeability and an open outdoor in-between space, knows
Fig. 9
45
an important flow of movement owing to its location near
the important structures and public buildings of the city
and bordering the city center. This fact negatively affects
the occurrence of social interactions within the outdoor inbetween space.
Thus, the 500 logts neighborhood, with varying degrees
of permeability, also displays a clear correlation between
medium and high integration value spaces and the location
of all types of activities. They occur at the most integrated
axes with local shops, bus stops, and educational buildings
(primary school) (Figs. 9 and 10).
Superposition of 500 logts neighborhood integration results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
46
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
For the 1006 logts, most of the activities are located in
the areas adjacent to residential buildings, especially the
entrances (Figs. 11 and 12).
Empirical observation indicates that the 1006 logts
neighborhood seems more conducive to movement than to
social interactions. This morphology of bars seems to
significantly affect all activity types within the outdoor inbetween spaces. The presence of educational buildings at
the eastern limit of the neighborhood, surrounded by fence
walls, blocks the visibility of spaces. These spaces are
visually inaccessible, which inevitably affects their physical
accessibility. Despite the proximity of the 1006 logts
neighborhood to the 1014 market, Abu Oubaida Ibn Djarrah
Mosque, administrative offices, various services, and
Fig. 10
commercial premises, few interactions are observed in the
outdoor areas.
In the case of the L.S.P neighborhood, the spaces displaying low and minimum values of integration are the
places of various activities, especially children’s games.
They are located in the adjacent areas of apartment
buildings and the parking areas to have sufficient grounds
for playing games, such as football (Figs. 13 and 14).
The L.S.P neighborhood clustering coefficient with the
lowest and minimum degree of permeability corresponds to
the observed activities (Fig. 15).
Table 3 shows that the maximum and minimum connectivity values are recorded in the 1006 logts, which has
the highest and weakest values of space connectivity. This
Superposition of 500 logts neighborhood connectivity results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
Fig. 11
47
Superposition of 1006 logts neighborhood integration results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
outcome can be explained by the presence of public
buildings with fence walls disconnecting some spaces from
the rest of the space system. Meanwhile, the bar configuration has two possible orientations: horizontal and vertical. Hence, the opening of the outdoor interspaces
engenders the maximum connectivity values.
The 500 logts neighborhood displays a maximum integration value at the nodes, which represent the intersections of the neighborhood’s internal roads. The
spatial configuration of the neighborhood has internal roads
with high integration values. These roads are connected to
the boulevards surrounding the neighborhood that shows
high values, which may be the source of this result. Meanwhile, L.S.P obtained the lowest integration value because
of its location in the periphery of the city.
A comparative reading of the different categories of user
activities in the four neighborhoods was performed to
determine the influence of spatial parameters on the
observed social interactions. The snapshot results show
that the 500 logts neighborhood’s in-between space is the
most favorable for sitting positions and for children’s
games. Then, the 1006 logts neighborhood is more conducive to standing positions and children discussions
compared with the other neighborhoods. L.S.P cities are
the most interesting for children’s play and discussions. The
600 logts neighborhood is the most unfavorable for all types
of interaction. For teenagers, the L.S.P neighborhood
shows the best results in terms of stationary positions
(sitting and standing) and discussions. Meanwhile, findings
indicate that the 1006 logts neighborhood’s outdoor inbetween space is the most favorable for teenagers’ games.
This outcome can be explained by the presence of football
fields for this category. The L.S.P and 500 logts neighborhoods have no facilities for this category, except for
48
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
Fig. 12
Superposition of 1006 logts neighborhood connectivity results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
children. The same can be said about the 600 logts neighborhood being the most unfavorable for interactions between adolescents (Fig. 16).
Fig. 17 shows the results of the outdoor in-between
space use intensity of the two categories: adults and
elderly. The 500 logts neighborhood appears to be the most
adaptable space to adults and elderly sitting positions. This
can be explained by the urban furniture in the north
boulevard delimiting the neighborhood in addition to the
stair steps and borders for this activity.
Adults and seniors are most likely to stand up in the 600
and 1006 logts neighborhoods. The latter is the most
favorable for elderly discussions. This finding can be
explained by the neighborhood age and, therefore, the
presence of several generations. The L.S.P neighborhood is
the most recent and is inhabited mainly by young couples
with children. Finally, the L.S.P neighborhood has the
highest rate of adult discussions and the lowest elderly
interaction given the low number (19 elderly persons
observed against a number varying between 55 and 74
people for the other study cases).
6. Discussion
The findings indicate that the degree of permeability of the
outdoor in-between space has a strong influence on the
deployment of user activities. Ferguson (2007) pointed out
that an important movement in an open space would be
more conducive to the formation of encounters and interactions between users. In the four cases examined, the
opposite is true. The 600 logts neighborhood, which has the
highest degree of openness, followed by the 1006 logts, has
a lower social activity intensity than the two other neighborhoods. The 500 logts and L.S.P neighborhoods are
characterized by a low degree of permeability and a high
social activity.
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
Fig. 13
Superposition of L.S.P Hidhab neighborhood integration results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
Fig. 14
Superposition of L.S.P Hidhab neighborhood connectivity results and snapshot map (Source: Authors, 2018).
49
50
Fig. 15
2018).
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
Superposition of the L.S.P Hidhab neighborhood clustering coefficient results and the snapshot map (Source: Authors,
The L.S.P with a compact morphology of outdoor inbetween spaces resulting from a continuously spaced apart
layout of the built form and creating introverted spaces is
better correlated in the peripheral spaces limiting the
neighborhood than those located between the residential
buildings. The internal spaces are well correlated with the
clustering coefficient results compared to the integration
or connectivity findings.
The comparison of the results and correlations of the
four case studies shows that these last housing programs
(L.S.P), given the clear delimitation of the outdoor inbetween spaces and the limited access number, generate
better social interaction than the neighborhoods with an
open structure, such as the 600 and 1006 logts neighborhoods. The same observation can be made concerning the
500 logts neighborhood, which has groups with limited
permeability (2 and 3 accesses) and L-shaped buildings. It
would be the scene of a better use dynamics than the
neighborhoods with highly permeable spaces.
The outdoor in-between spaces connected to important
boulevards (as seen with the 600 logts and 500 logts
neighborhoods) are influenced by their high integration
values due to their width and length, which are two
important spatial parameters.
The vertical and horizontal variations of bars direction
seem to create a certain visual closure of outdoor inbetween spaces, which explains the low values and the
segregation in the 1006 logts neighborhoods. Meanwhile,
this aspect provides direction and orientation to the outdoor in-between spaces and leads to more movement and
the intelligibility of the neighborhood’s spatial system,
unlike that of other neighborhoods.
The shape of residential buildings influences the connectivity and integration values in addition to the social use
of the outdoor in-between spaces. The most delimited and
enclosed spaces due to the L- or U-shaped buildings create
more social activities. This spatial aspect, the discontinuity
of the built form, a clear spatial structure, and a delimited
and circumscribed territory make the neighborhoods (i.e.,
the L.S.P and 500 logts neighborhoods) intelligible and
conducive for social activity.
The intelligibility results correspond to the other syntactic measures used. Indeed, the 600 logts neighborhood
with the discontinuity of buildings, absence of spatial
Table 3 Comparative table of the syntax measures used
in the four neighborhoods studied (Authors, 2018).
Measures
Connectivity Max
Connectivity Min
Integration Max
Integration Min
Neighborhood
600 logts
1006 logts
500 logts
L.S.P
2228
276
7.96
2.95
2855
50
9.48
3.57
1162
100
10.95
4.30
128
71
7.99
2.22
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
Fig. 16
Snapshot results of childreneteenager interactions of the four study cases (Source: Authors, 2018).
structure and legible axes, dilution of the in-between
spaces between buildings, and urban space is unintelligible and difficult to navigate. This explains the lack of social
use observed in the neighborhood.
Snapshot observation seems to be a successful tool in
this research by providing information about the important
activity registered at the periphery of the 600 logts neighborhood because of the presence of local shops and services that create a dynamic spatial and social use.
However, the location of public buildings inside and around
the neighborhoods (i.e., the 600, 500, and 1006 logts
neighborhoods) with fences affects the residential inbetween spaces. In syntactical terms, we can observe a
spatial segregation and an absence of social use of the
spaces located near these fences. These buildings are also a
Fig. 17
51
nuisance for the inhabitants because the in-between space
is transformed into a public space used by outsiders.
We notice that the arrangement of the neighborhoods’
accesses that face each other allows greater visibility of
spaces and generates a greater intensity of activities within
the outdoor in-between spaces. In some groups of the 500
logts neighborhoods, particularly those in the southeast,
the practices are affected by the ground topography, where
the slope does not allow children activities and is avoided
for movement. Children’s play activities are not only
dependent on spatial configuration but also on ground
quality, which must be adequate for their games.
The location of activities also depends on the local shop
situation. Discussions and games take place in parking
areas.
Snapshot results of adultseelderly interactions of the four study cases (Source: Authors, 2018).
52
In this study, connectivity is not an indicator of the
observed static activities. On the contrary, the measure of
integration appears to be an important indicator in the
first three cases (i.e., the 600, 1006, and 500 logts
neighborhoods).
The previous results confirm our hypothesis that the
most closed spatial configurations with a low degree of
permeability lead to more important social activities in the
outdoor in-between spaces than the most open ones with a
high degree of permeability.
7. Conclusions
This study investigated the impact of the outdoor inbetween spaces’ degree of permeability, which was
measured using the number of accesses, on observable
social interactions. Space syntax was used in this research
through the two tools of VGA and snapshot observation.
Through the four analyzed case studies, the 600 logts, with
a significant potential for movement due to its location
near the city center and important facilities of the city, has
the lowest values in terms of social interactions and static
activities compared to the other studied neighborhoods.
The important implementation of the liberal functions in
the apartments of this neighborhood allows the public use
of the outdoor in-between spaces by outsiders. In addition
to this, the occupation of buildings and ground floors
located along the two main roads (north and west) by shops
and cafes has attracted all types of users and affected the
inhabitants’ occupation of the place. The 600 logts neighborhood is followed by the 1006 logts, with a bar-based
morphology that is propitious for movement and supported
by the high result of intelligibility (0.63), which indicates
equally low values of social interactions.
This research was able to identify several points related
to the impact of the spatial configuration of mass housing on
social interactions. First, the outdoor in-between spaces
with low and minimal integration values are better places to
deploy the activities and social interactions between the
inhabitants than the spaces with high values. Thus, the L.S.P
with an introverted configuration and the weakest degree of
permeability might encourage all kinds of interactions between its inhabitants. On the other hand, the 600 and 1006
logts neighborhoods, with spatial configurations that promote movement, are affected by these flows, resulting in
the low practice of the inhabitants. The highest occupancy is
located on the outskirts of both neighborhoods owing to the
presence of shops and equipment that attract users.
Given the variety of configurations, the 500 logts
neighborhood is better in terms of activities than the
neighborhoods mentioned above.
Second, the designed and implemented L.S.P has
playgrounds, unlike other neighborhoods with only one
playground completed 20 or even 30 years after the
occupation of the dwellings. This characteristic explains
the important volume of children play activity. The
clear demarcation of the children’s play areas and their
appropriate development implies a strong use of play
spaces by children in L.S.P unlike in other neighborhoods. Safety could be in favor of this practice. Indeed,
recent neighborhoods have guards monitoring any
W. Zerouati, T. Bellal
intruder, unlike other neighborhoods that do not have
this privilege. It is a significant problem that deserves a
full research.
The results of this research enlighten designers at the
operational level of the impact of spatial configurations
through the choices of residential building organizations on
the inhabitants. Space syntax, as a prospective method,
can be used in the design phase to simulate the effect of
the chosen built forms on the use of open spaces. Indeed, it
provides an opportunity to remedy the problems related to
the spatial aspect of housing. At the urban scale, spatial
syntax is useful for determining the spatial and configurational properties of the city road structure. For example,
segment map enables planners to know where to program a
residential complex and how to address the spatial segregation of a site.
8. Limitations and further research
The main criticism on space syntax methods is the nonconsideration of certain aspects, such as building height
and ground topography, which can influence accessibility
and visibility. Furthermore, vehicle movement should be
considered to explore their influence on pedestrian movement. Space syntax, as a quantitative method, cannot be
exhaustive without being accompanied by qualitative sociological tools, such as observation. At this level, the
application of the snapshot tool can be extended to the
immediate environment to comprehend the social use of
neighborhoods in their urban entity. Future research can be
conducted all days of the week to compare the social activities between weekdays and weekends. The present
research focused on usual activities. Future research should
be extended to explore nuisances, such as noise, verbal and
physical violence, hygiene, and other negative interactions
that can occur in public spaces.
The deployment of activities is not solely determined by
space. For example, the availability of furniture, shade,
and vegetation or good quality space devices can influence
where activities occur. The spatial configuration of a space
and its diversity of use and function affect activities.
The spatial factor cannot simply cause weak interactions. Other factors can be explored and may possibly
affect the use within outdoor in-between spaces. The
duration of residence and homogeneity or social and functional heterogeneity can be among the aspects that can
influence the use of outdoor in-between spaces. Spatial and
behavioral explorations on specific categories of users, such
as fragile ones (children and elderly), and gender studies
can be conducted.
Finally, a multidisciplinary, behavioral, sociological, and
environmental approach must be considered to explore the
other aspects mentioned above using space syntax and its
tools over a medium or long term to identify the impact of
time on the usage evolution within mass housing.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Prof. Mazouz Saı̈d and Dr. Can
Is‚in for their valuable advice during this research. They also
Evaluating the impact of mass housings
thank Zerouati Maouahib and Bensaadi Karim for their
invaluable help in conducting snapshot observation.
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