Noor Assessing the Space Syntax Properties of Downtown: A case study of Old Baghdad

Abstract

Downtown considers as a main hub that stood behind defining the urban prosperity and success of a city, as it goes beyond being a geographical center of the city, and it represents its historical, cultural, socioeconomic cores and activities. Old Baghdad or AlShorja area represents the historic downtown of Baghdad. This paper examines the urban grid of Baghdad’s downtown by applying a scientific, quantifiable approach. Methods employed in this research included a case study and Space Syntax, which offered various measures (Integration, connectivity, and choice) to describe the spatial properties of urban areas and produced specific, computable data relating to concepts of integration and segregation. The selected urban grid was measured at one-kilometer square, and analyzed at several measurements in relation to the distribution of land uses. The results showed a strong relationship between the integrated streets and commercial and mixed-used activities at the whole level (HH Rn), while there was a clear connection between segregated streets and residential activities, which supported the concept of privacy and isolation for residential areas. The choice values in AlShorja area is recorded as a high value because the urban-blocks are formed finely-meshed grain system. Syntactic analyses have shown that although AlShorja is the oldest downtown in Baghdad, it is considered the commercial center that has remained more conservative in its physical urban characteristics that connect various activities.