Socio-spatial vulnerability assessment of heritage buildings through using space syntax

Area of Science:

• Urban Planning
• Heritage Conservation
• Spatial Analysis

Background:

• Heritage buildings face threats from socio-spatial properties and anthropogenic hazards.
• Understanding urban space and human behavior is crucial for heritage protection.
• Existing methods lack quantitative analysis of socio-spatial vulnerability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess socio-spatial properties of vulnerable spaces around heritage buildings.
• To explore the predictive relationship between these properties and anthropogenic hazards.
• To develop quantitative models for heritage vulnerability assessment.

Main Methods:

• Multi-methods approach applied to 28 heritage buildings in historic Cairo.
• Delphi technique and ICCROM-CCI-RCE for hazard assessment.
• Space syntax (axial and visual graph analyses via Depthmap 4) for socio-spatial analysis.
• Exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression for predictive modeling.

Main Results:

• Identified key socio-spatial vulnerability factors.
• Developed predictive models linking socio-spatial properties to anthropogenic hazards.
• Highlighted the importance of quantitative analysis for understanding human impact on heritage.

Conclusions:

• Socio-spatial properties significantly influence heritage building vulnerability.
• Quantitative methods, like space syntax, offer effective tools for heritage risk assessment.
• Findings support sustainable management strategies for heritage sites in historic urban areas.