Askarizad Reza, Lamíquiz-Daudén Patxi J, Dastoum Mana, Khotbehsara Elham Mehrinejad, Sharifi Ayyoob, Garau Chiara
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture (DICAAR), University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, Cagliari, 09123, Italy.
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 26;15(1):31338. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-16421-7.
Despite the growing emphasis on social sustainability in urban design, limited research has examined how spatial configurations influence socio-behavioural patterns across culturally distinct urban squares. This study addresses this gap by investigating how the spatial configuration of public squares interacts with pedestrian social behaviours in four cities in Iran, Spain, Italy, and Australia. Guided by theories of space syntax and social behaviour frameworks, a unique mixed-method approach was adopted, combining spatial configuration analysis, behavioural mapping, and people-tracing, coupled with agent-based simulations. The findings revealed that the accessibility of urban squares is not necessarily determinative of their social vibrancy. Rather, stimulating sustained social life in these environments is governed by an intricate nexus of factors, including culturally specific behaviours, the purposeful allocation of functional amenities, and the critical amelioration of socio-economic challenges inherent to their shared public domain. Notably, this cross-cultural analysis highlights how socio-spatial dynamics differ across contexts, offering a richer lens for inclusive design. The originality of this study lies in its multi-scalar, comparative, and culture-sensitive approach to analysing public squares, advancing urban design strategies that are adaptable, equitable, and responsive to both spatial logic and cultural diversity.
尽管城市设计中对社会可持续性的重视日益增加，但针对空间布局如何影响不同文化背景下城市广场的社会行为模式的研究却很有限。本研究通过调查伊朗、西班牙、意大利和澳大利亚四个城市的公共广场空间布局与行人社会行为之间的相互作用，填补了这一空白。在空间句法理论和社会行为框架的指导下，采用了一种独特的混合方法，将空间布局分析、行为映射和人员跟踪相结合，并结合基于主体的模拟。研究结果表明，城市广场的可达性不一定决定其社会活力。相反，在这些环境中激发持续的社会生活受一系列复杂因素的制约，包括特定文化行为、功能性设施的合理配置，以及对其共享公共领域中固有社会经济挑战的关键改善。值得注意的是，这种跨文化分析突出了不同背景下社会空间动态的差异，为包容性设计提供了更丰富的视角。本研究的独创性在于其采用多尺度、比较性和文化敏感的方法来分析公共广场，推进了既适应空间逻辑又兼顾文化多样性的、公平且具有响应性的城市设计策略。
