Sailer, Kerstin; (2024) Learning from Sociology: Diversifying what we mean by space usage behaviours in space syntax. In: Charalambous, Nadia and Psathiti, Chrystala and Geddes, Ilaria, (eds.) Space Syntax Symposium 14. (pp. pp. 57-68). tab edizioni: Rome, Italy.

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Abstract

Space syntax is aiming to elaborate on the complex relationship between space and society, explaining how spatial structures lead to a patterning of behaviours and social outcomes. Some of the major theoretical breakthroughs in space syntax research – for example the understanding that movement flow corresponds to spatial configuration is based on aggregated patterns of use, collected by methods of observation. This picture of collective use has spawned a whole range of relevant and important research insights, however, can be critiqued for being agnostic towards social differences between users. It could be argued that the same spatial structures offer different opportunities for use depending on user characteristics. In this keynote I will argue that as a community we have a lot to learn from sociology, where the principle of social stratification, i.e., the classification of people into groups (by socioeconomic status, class, race, gender, age, religion, sexuality and so on) as well as the resulting hierarchies and inequalities are foundational to the discipline and bring forth elaborate and detailed insights into human nature. I will present several examples from my ongoing research into space usage behaviours in buildings that highlight how we can study diverse usage patterns in different ways, leading to a more nuanced understanding of the role that space plays inside a multitude of different buildings and building types.

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