An Experimental Study on Evaluating the Indicators of the Sense of Physical Oppression Created in Urban Space

Abstract

This study aims to propose an indicator for evaluating senses of physical oppression in urban space. Possible senses of oppression were evaluated from the perspectives of viewing a single building, viewing groups of buildings, and with the entire streetscape in view. The physical evaluations aim to cover these three architectural situations. The results are as follows. First, the configuration factor, having been used hitherto as an indicator corresponding to senses of physical oppression, is found to have a high correlation; however, it is weaker than the correlation to the solid angle. Second, among the physical indicators being suggested for the evaluating indicator, the correlations of the three indicators, ��{solid angle × distance}�, ��{ solid angle × distance 2 }�, ��{solid angle × distance 3 }�, are high. In this study, ��{solid angle × distance 3 }� is suggested because it is a reasonable indicator for determining the capacity of openness in a city from the viewpoint of its spatial form. Third, it is suggested that solid angle is substituted as ��{solid angle × distance 3 }� which this study proposes. Finally, in order to calculate the evaluating indicator, the subjective distance to the sky is normally about 500m, which is consistent with other studies, but further research on this distance is necessary.

Evaluation of Urban Landscape Outdoor Advertisement Signboards Using Virtual Reality

“…For most urban landscapes, it was confirmed that the correlation between the proportion of rooftop advertising signs and oppressiveness was positively related; this was in agreement with previous studies, except for in special cases [29].…”

“…Taeyon Hwang et al (2009) devised criteria for measuring oppressiveness and openness according to the solid angle of an object, which was used to check the limitations in using the solid angle as an index for evaluating physical oppressiveness or openness [28]. Furthermore, Kurotaki et al (2005) studied the sense of oppressiveness provided by skyscrapers by conducting an empirical analysis on whether the subjects actually felt oppressiveness from selected high-rise buildings [29]. The street space in an urban landscape is known to be an important key element; Munakata et al ( 2008) conducted a research on the factors involving the oppressiveness and openness of urban street spaces while considering regionality [30].…”

“…Meanwhile, 15 scale items were also selected from the studies conducted for the correlations between structures and psychological oppressiveness (Tae-Yon Hwang et al, (2009) [27]; Kurotaki et al, (2005) [28]; and Munakata et al, ( 2008)) focusing on the oppressiveness/openness in urban landscapes and the oppressiveness provided by skyscrapers [29]. These items include evaluation, competency, and emotional content.…”