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Space Syntax Research – Somers Town Cycle Routes

Research and collaboration is a key component of the Somers Town Cycle to School Project, and working within UCL and The Bartlett offers excellent opportunities to make connections between a wide range of disciplines and research techniques.
Following on from a successful application to the Research Challenges – Small Grants Award, Izaskun and the project team were delighted to be able to collaborate with a team from the The Bartlett Space Syntax Laboratory.

 

Somers Town Cycle To School Research Project

Led by Dr Sophia Psarra, the Space Syntax team consisted of; Dr Sophia Psarra, Fani Kostourou, Athina Lazaridou and Falli Palaiologou

 

A significant part of the Cycle to School project is focused upon creating a series of defined cycle routes within the study area, and providing data to assist in locating way-finding signals along these routes. With direction from Izaskun and the project team, the Space Syntax team’s research investigated:

Which are the safest, simplest and most ‘memorable’ cycle routes between 5 unknown origins and a single known destination (Somers Town arrival point)?

 

With data provided from Camden Council GIS mapping, and significant amounts of fieldwork, the Space Syntax team organised their analysis and research findings through the following structure.

  • Space Syntax Analysis
  • Origins
  • Destination
  • Proposed cycling routes
  • GIS Mapping
  • Visual experience of the routes

From this structure, Sophia and her team generated a number of proposed routes which will be used by Izaskun and the project team as a basis for locating a series of way-finding signals which will designed as part of the wider project.
The work performed in collaboration between Izaskun’s Architectural Public Engagement Fellowship and the Space Syntax Laboratory illustrates the value of the creative integration of analytical tools with inspirational community-focused design. Together this creates a strong user-centred approach between the two parts of the team.

The full report was completed towards the end of May, and the results delivered to both the project team, and Camden Council will prove invaluable for structuring the work and research going forward.

Below, we share a few slides of some of the analysis work, and resulting routes that were generated throughout the course of the project. The images shared below are only a small amount of the total work completed, and is displayed at a much lower resolution than the final report. We would encourage anyone interested in this work to contact the Space Syntax Laboratory for further information about their work on this project, and the wide range of other research they undertake.

Street segments adjacent to existing cycle lanes, street lights and landmarks

Street segments adjacent to existing cycle lanes, street lights and landmarks

 

Children’s post codes within 10 min or 800m distance from the 6 origins of cycle routes

Children’s post codes within 10 min or 800m distance from the 6 origins of cycle routes

 

Cycle routes and space syntax measures (Normalised Angular Choice at 5230m distance from each segment)

Cycle routes and space syntax measures (Normalised Angular Choice at 5230m distance from each segment)

 

Bloomsbury-Somers Town Route

Bloomsbury-Somers Town Route