From a planning concept to keep changing residential regeneration: A vision for better social interaction
Neighbourhood Unit Future neighbourhoods Current post-war neighborhoods
“Environmental determinism”
• Limited interaction
• segregation
From construction to renewal
• Divided social interaction (new/old dwellers, different social and ethnic groups)
• Spaces intentionally being divided and privatised by specific social groups
• Demand for diversity of open space for specific social activities
• …
Policy Planning ideas (Neglected)
Regeneration practices: Visions of social mix
Actual interaction in the postregenerated neighbourhood
Research problem
How can open spaces be (re)shaped to enhance social interaction?
Neighbourhood Unit
Rethinking: By retracing the transition of open spaces,
• How were different planning ideas (and policy initiatives) translated into spatial change through time?
• What kind of shifts in social interactions have resulted from these processes?
Current post-war neighborhoods
Future neighbourhoods
Socio-spatial study:
• What are the spatial characteristics of current open spaces? How do resident perceive them?
• How do they relate to residents’ social interactions?
Reflection and look-out: What planning ideas can contribute to future renovations of open space?
Research gaps of post-war neighbourhood:
A retrospective thinking：
• Current neighbourhood regeneration research lacks a historical overview which describes open space changes in comprehensive perspectives (policy and design interventions through time) and corresponding changes in social interaction.
Socio-spatial study in the current environment:
• There is a lack of mixed-method research on spatial characteristics and social interaction in the current postwar neighbourhood, especially for identifying spatial perception and use by dividing residents into specific categories.
Research questions
How do the spatial characteristics of open spaces shape interactions between different social groups in post-war neighbourhoods in Europe?
Rethinking：
Socio-spatial study：
How have the socio-spatial attributes of neighbourhood open spaces changed within renewal processes in European post-war neighbourhoods?
Reflection and look-out：
How are post-regeneration spatial characteristics performing with respect to their ability to foster social interactions among different social groups?
What are the subjective perceptions of social interactions between different categories of residents?
What practices and intervention guidelines can contribute to improving the social potential of open spaces in post-war neighbourhoods?
Theoretical framework
(Hutama, 2016)
Vitality
(the number of people, movement and flow)
Diversity
(combination of mixed activities and a variation of functions)
Social interaction
(Gehl, 2011)
Types
• Necessary activities (going to work, buying or waiting for a bus)
• Optional activities (depend on a desire, schedule, and location)
• Social activities (occur spontaneously as a direct result of movement and the presence of people in the same spaces)
(Jacobs, 1961; Raman, 2010)
Spatial parameters
• Open space area
• Open space per capita
• Softscape coverage
• Density of buildings
• Length and width of streets/spaces
Functional distribution
Open spaces
• Commercial areas
• Services
• Sport facilities
• Public health
• Public transportation
(Van Nes & Yamu, 2021)
Spatial configuration
Space Syntax theory (Hillier & Hanson, 1989)
Users
• Connectivity
• Integration
• Visibility
• Constitutedness and Intervisibility
Theoretical framework + research methods
Types of activities
Vitality
Diversity
Social interaction
Systematic observation
Socio-spatial study
Open spaces
Spatial parameters
Functional distribution
Spatial configuration
Physical level analysis
Users
Specific groups/individuals
Interview study
Research methods
Rethinking
Paper 1
Method 1
Literature review
How have the socio-spatial attributes of neighbourhood open spaces changed within renewal processes in European post-war neighbourhoods?
Policy aspect:
Restructuring policies
Method 2
Archival research
In the topic of urban / neighbourhood renewal, the changing path of European post-war neighbourhoods
Design aspect:
Planning ideas for renewal
Goals and implementations “neighbourhood unit”
Principles
Interventions (tools)
Case study of Pendrecht: How these aspects are reflected in the transition of this neighbourhood
User aspect:
Changes
Planning and architectural drawings
Open spaces
Users
Social behaviours
Project description, research thesis, and publications
Meeting files recorded from the government
Research methods
Paper 2
Socio-spatial study
Paper 3
How are post-regeneration spatial characteristics performing with respect to their ability to foster social interactions among different social groups?
(2-3 comparative case studies focus on physical analysis and behavioural study)
What are the subjective perceptions of social interactions between different categories of residents?
(2 comparative case studies conducted from the physical analysis to the investigation of subjective aspects)
Method 1
Space Syntax analysis (SSA) combined with morphology research
Morphology research
• Spatial parameters
Physical level analysis (DepthmapX)
• Functional distribution
Space Syntax analysis
• Connectivity
• (global) Integration
• Visibility
• Constitutedness
Example: integration “VGA” results for the four case studies
Source: Zerouati & Bellal, 2020.
Research methods
Space syntax metric
Indicators
Integration
Explanations
Integration analysis estimates the degree of accessibility a street has to all other streets in the urban system taking into consideration the total number of direction changes of the urban entity. (Hillier, 2007a)
Meanings of social interaction
High Integration facilitates the pedestrian movement and activity. (Alabi, 2021) Highly integrated streets have high level of urbanity. (Eldiasty et al., 2020)
Connectivity
Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA)
Connectivity is a static local measurement, and it accounts for all direct connections each street has to other streets in its immediate vicinity. (Van Nes & Yamu, 2021)
High connectivity facilitates social activity and indicates the “In-between spaces” location in the neighbourhood. (Can & Heath, 2016)
Constitutedness
Based on the concept of isovist (all spatial volumes which are visible at a point), VGA is derived by overlapping grids on the neighbourhood and computing isovists from the centre of each grid cell. (Penn & Turner, 1999)
The level of space visibility correlates with the integration of spaces. High visibility facilitates activities as well as orientation and navigation of pedestrians. (Van Nes & Yamu, 2021)
Constitutedness is about the degree of adjacency and permeability from buildings to the public space, it depends on how buildings’ entrances with adjacent windows establish their connection to the street, as well as the visibility to the street. (Hillier & Hanson, 1984)
Constitutedness has an impact on the vitality of street life in urban areas. In unconstituted streets, the stationary activity of people is lower. Fewer people tend to sit and stand for a longer time in unconstituted streets, and these places are less safe. (Van Nes, 2007)
Research methods
Paper 2
Socio-spatial study：
Paper 3
How are post-regeneration spatial characteristics performing with respect to their ability to foster social interactions among different social groups?
What are the subjective perceptions of social interactions between different categories of residents?
Method 2
Systematic observation
Identification
• Types of activities
• The movement of people
• Distributions of social interaction
Behavioral mapping (Gehl, 2011)
• Activities: static or dynamic, as group or independent
• Users： children, adolescents, adults, and elderly
• Types: standing, sitting, communicating, buying, and selling, playing, and others (exercising, walking the dog, etc.).
Example: superposition of space syntax results with observation studies
Source: Zerouati & Bellal, 2020.
Research methods
Paper 2
Socio-spatial study：
Method 3
Interview study
Paper 3
How are post-regeneration spatial characteristics performing with respect to their ability to foster social interactions among different social groups?
What are the subjective perceptions of social interactions between different categories of residents?
• Recording
To identify elements that affect the user's process of walking and utilization
• Semi-structured interviews
To identify the differences in open space use preferences (place, time, frequency, and necessity) of different age groups
The walking with video approach juxtaposed with space syntax results and human perceptions about mobility safety (Hidayati et al., 2019)
Atlas ti or other tools for further analysis
Registrations of vandalism on buildings and street fixtures in the town of Bergen, Norway (Berge, 2019)
Reflection and look-out：
What practices and intervention guidelines can contribute to improving the social potential of open spaces in post-war neighbourhoods?
Planning ideas:
Open spaces:
• Rethinking planning ideas: from the “neighbourhood unit” to “15- minute cities”, how do planning ideas shape social interaction and create spatial inclusiveness?
• A review of the issues: what socio-spatial problems exist in current post-war neighbourhoods and what challenges have they posed for the future renovation of open spaces?
Social interaction:
• Social potential: what insights can be added to planning ideas for promoting future social interaction with the discussion of social sustainability?
List of cases
Pendrecht, Rotterdam (ongoing)
Built from 1954
Area: 122 ha. Residents (2017): 12,110
Geuzenveld, Amsterdam
Built around 1950s
Area: 141 ha. Residents (2017): 15,720
Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam
Built from 1966
Area: 724 ha. Residents (2017): 52,890
Ommoord, Rotterdam
Built from 1965
Area: 418 ha. Residents (2017): 25,265
't Hool, Eindhoven
Built around 1970s
Area: 34 ha. Residents (2017): 2,165
How have the socio-spatial attributes of neighbourhood open spaces changed within renewal processes in European post-war neighbourhoods?
Literature review
Google Scholar (Ongoing)
TITLE-ABS-KEY：neighbourhood AND ( renewal OR restructuring OR reform OR regeneration OR redevelopment ) AND ( "open space" OR "public space" OR "public realm" OR "neighbourhood environment" OR "public domain" OR "social space" OR "community space" )
English language journal articles within the subject area of social sciences
n=217 (screening is ongoing)
TITLE-ABS-KEY： neighbourhood AND ( renewal OR restructuring OR reform OR regeneration OR redevelopment ) AND Netherlands)
English language journal articles within the subject area of social sciences
n=211 (before screening)
related to topic n=67 → related to NOS n=8
Scopus
Policy perspective
1. Policies in different countries
2. Specific approaches to achieving social mix
3. Research on reconstruction and relocation of families and social impact in the Dutch context
Design perspective
The European context: (need more findings)
The Dutch context:
1. Literature discussing neighbourhood unit and its implementation in the Netherland
2. Renovation: principles, classification of interventions (neighbourhood pattern and open spaces) (need more findings)
User perspective
Need more examples
Socio-spatial change → cases: Belgrade, Bijlmermeer, and Buitenveldert
Socio change after restructuring: case studies in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht
How have the socio-spatial attributes of neighbourhood open spaces changed within renewal processes in European post-war neighbourhoods?
Archival research
(case study of Pendrecht)
Planning and architectural drawings
Library of TU/e, and open access websites (ongoing) (ongoing)
Project description, research thesis, and publications
Rotterdam Archives (Stadsarchief Rotterdam)
Meeting files recorded from the government
Pendrecht
Rotterdam central
“Neighborhood unit”
Clarence Arthur Perry, 1920s
Pendrecht planning concept
Lotte Stam-Beese, 1949-1953
Pendrecht as the first application of “stamp”
Source: Pendrecht - Cultuurhistorische analyse en beschrijving (1948-1958)
Stadsarchief Rotterdam: Collection of printed documents 1952, no. 99
Stadsarchief Rotterdam: Topographical serial maps
The neighbourhood center in Pendrecht (Plein 1953) after construction
Map view of the square area (red: new buildings)
Construction period
Around 18,000 dwellers
Renovation of the central area
Renovation area of the project “The Garden on the South Rotterdam”
Plan: De Nijl Architecten
Program: approx. 15.7 ha.
new construction 307 homes, renovation 200 homes
‘Bestemmingsplan Pendrecht’ by ds+v Spatial Planning Office, Gemeente Rotterdam
Chosen as the second worst in the ‘40 problem neighbourhoods’ list (Vogelaarwijk)
(Ongoing) Valckensteyn housing project 2007
Renewal project “De Tuin op het Zuiden Rotterdam” 2010
The next step
How have the socio-spatial attributes of neighbourhood open spaces changed within renewal processes in European post-war neighbourhoods?
Literature review
Archival research
• Finish screening literature in the European context
• Finding puzzles for completing the timeline (especially for social level)
Paper 1
• Writing structure and draft of research paper
The 2nd phase of research
• Reading while determining the cases for research
Thank you
Rethinking Planning Ideas and Social Interaction: Transition and Reshaping of Open Spaces in European Post-War Neighborhoods
