Visual Preferences in Enclosed Urban Spaces

Abstract

Few design approaches have utilized scientific methods in dealing with aesthetic and visual factors. In an attempt to explore a scientific approach to environmental design, the relationship between visual preference and ratio variables in enclosed spaces on the Virginia Tech campus was investigated. Visual preference of enclosed spaces was measured by the Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE) method. The SBE method was found to be reliable and valid in urban enclosed spaces. This study suggests that visual quality of an enclosed urban place can be predicted from the linear combination of three ratio variables-ground slope, height ratio, and vegetation coverage. The prediction model can be used as an heuristic or analytic tool for design practice.

Finding the Optimal D/H Ratio for an Enclosed Urban Square: Testing an Urban Design Principle Using Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Techniques

“…In particular, first and second-year students were classified as lower grade, and the rest were classified as upper grade. The variables “overseas travel experience” and “large city residence” are related to the familiarity of the environment being studied; the relationship between familiarity (and experience) and visual preference has also been examined in many studies [43,44,47]. For the variable “overseas travel experience,” the authors classified the participants’ travel experiences according to the period of travel in Western cities, because urban public squares enclosed by buildings are a more common type of public space in Western cities than in Oriental cities.…”

Comparing the Influences of the D/H Ratio, Size, and Facade Design of an Enclosed Square on Its Perceptual Qualities as a Sustainable Urban Space in South Korea

“…48)." Some other researchers examined the relationship between the D/H ratios and people's preference or perception of urban squares in quantitative ways [18][19][20]. Besides such discussions in the academia, this "ratio" theory has been broadly adopted in practice such as in design guidelines proposed by the public [21][22][23].…”

Toward Regeneration of Public Open Spaces within Large Housing Estates–A Case Study of Niš, Serbia

“…The quality of POSs can primarily be observed from the functional and the social perspective, whereby the two perspectives often overlap. Thus, the primary function of POSs involves providing space for every day or temporary use and the performance of necessary or optional leisure activities [46,50]. When residents spend their leisure time in the immediate surroundings of their home, it can help them identify with their residential surroundings and build stronger social relations [51,52].…”

“…Green areas inside of POSs are key issues for LHE microclimate improvement [53]. Previous studies [50,[54][55][56][57] concluded that POSs should have a hierarchic order, while the spatial organization and urban equipment need to be properly implemented, in keeping with the POS function. The variety of content offered by the aforementioned activities can motivate the residents to use POSs for social interactions.…”