Positive Effects of Morphological and Perceptual Boundary Factors on Vitality in the Static Activity Streets: Syntactic and Fractal Approaches

Street vitality is a concept that makes the city more liveable with its economic and sociological gains. Static activities on the street contribute to vitality by supporting social interaction. This study investigates the positive effects of the perceptual and morphological boundary characteristics of static activity streets on the user. Using Space Syntax and fractal method, this research consists of two phases and the use of two different scales. The first step involves analysing the connectivity and enclosure factors of 13 static activity streets in Balıkesir city center at the street scale. By correlating the analysis results with the number of users determined by the observation method, the effect of street-scale boundary factors on user behaviour was determined. As a result of the first step, Aygıt Street, which has the highest boundary factor value at the street scale, was selected for the second step of the research, which is the building-scale analysis. The surrounding and permeability factors that create boundary effects at the building scale were analysed through street facades and sections, and the value was evaluated together with the areas preferred by people engaged in static activities. As a result of the correlation analysis between the boundary factor value and user behaviour, it has been determined that the connectivity, which creates a morphological boundary effect at the street scale, and the enclosure factor, which creates a perceptual boundary effect, positively affect the users. It was determined that elements such as awnings, eaves, flower beds, and signboards, which determine the surrounding factor that creates a morphological boundary effect at the building scale, increase the number of users. It is concluded that the wall surfaces on the street facades, which determine the permeability factor that creates a perceptual boundary effect at the building scale, positively affect user behaviour. The model created in this study, which brings together two different approaches, namely urban and architectural scales and morphological and perceptual boundary factors, is intended to form a basis for the design processes of spaces and streets that support static activities in cities.