Analyzing of Pedestrian Connectivity of Privately Owned Public Spaces in Jung-gu, Seoul Using Space Syntax†

With the increasing interest in improving urban walking environments, systematic analysis of the role and locational strategies of pedestrian spaces in city centers has become essential. Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), supplied through private development, can function as nodes within pedestrian networks, yet their effectiveness has rarely been assessed quantitatively and managed at the parcel scale. This study applies space syntax to 129 POPS in Jung-gu, Seoul, to evaluate their contribution to pedestrian connectivity and propose strategic locational directions. The results show that 38.9% of POPS are situated along major streets, such as Sejong-daero, Cheonggyecheon-ro, and Euljiro, with high accessibility and activity potential, while 31.8% are on backstreets, functioning as isolated spaces. A matrix analysis of integration and choice classified POPS into four types: core nodes, destination-oriented spaces, through-spaces, and isolated spaces. An additional matrix combining integration and depth revealed that POPS near Sejong-daero and Euljiro, with both high accessibility and connectivity, serve as key pedestrian hubs, whereas peripheral POPS with weaker connectivity remain excluded from flows. These findings present a framework for quantitatively evaluating POPS in pedestrian-oriented planning and highlight that ensuring nodal connectivity with pedestrian axes, rather than dispersing spaces, is critical to enhancing connectivity and realizing their public value.