Abstract
This paper reports on two view-oriented visual analysis models for the urban environment that aim at capturing the three-dimensional (3D) urban reality.
One of the models described focuses on coastal urban environments evaluation, where the orientation of the preferred view is evident. The visual openness is measured at different levels of the built volumes, relating mostly to the private domain, and from the street level relating to the public spaces. This model could easily be described as a view-oriented multi-level ISOVIST. The visual analysis and evaluation is applied to three selected case studies from around the world, and enables comparative evaluation and ranking.
Another model presented is the ‘spatial openness index’ (SOI). It is a quantitative metric – expressed in terms of 3D visual spatial information: it measures the volume of free spaces potentially seen from a given point. In addition, it enables the simulation of weighted landscapes for a more realistic estimation of the view. This model can also be described as a 3D ISOVIST. It enables the ranking of alternative built-up configurations.
The objective of such analysis and evaluations is to examine and characterize morphological principles of urban morphologies that are more permeable to the view for future planning and design research and practice.
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Acknowledgements
The SOI concept was developed in Dafna Fisher-Gewirtzman's Doctoral research, instructed by Professor Burt and Professor Tzamir from the faculty of Architecture & Town Planning at the Technion.The method for visual openness to the water was developed in Shach-Pinsly's MA research, instructed by Professor Burt and Dr Fisher-Gewirtzman.The development of the SOI automated model is the result of collaboration between architecture and computer science researchers at the Technion – IIT. We thank the students Dmitry Batenkov and Ben Riva from the faculty of Computer Science who helped with the software development.
In addition, we thank UNESCO for their generous grant that enabled Dr Fisher Gewirtzman to do fieldwork at Trieste and other coastal locations in Europe.
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Fisher-Gewirtzman, D., Shach Pinsly, D., Wagner, I. et al. View-oriented three-dimensional visual analysis models for the urban environment. Urban Des Int 10, 23–37 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.udi.9000133
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.udi.9000133