Urban Road Network and Location of Urban Services: An Evaluation Based on the Space Syntax Method

Abstract

Aims: The present study seeks to suggest suitable locations or spaces for various service and activity centres, prioritising their accessibility throughout the city and assessing the association between accessibility and service location. Although urban services may be available, questions remain about how accessible they are to residents. The answer can determine the ease of urban life. Study Area: The study was carried out in two emerging cities, Asansol and Durgapur, in eastern India. Methodology: Roads were considered in this study as the most important open spaces of a city, as they maintain a city's functionality and form its character. The locations of different service or activity centres and their integration values with the closest road segments were considered to calculate correlation and concentration indices. Results: The study outcome reveals a strong positive correlation, with a high concentration index, between integration and the location of service centres. The Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.886 (r^2 = 0.785) and 0.892 (r^2 = 0.796) in Asansol and Durgapur, respectively. Additionally, the study identifies 69.12 km and 112.27 km of high-potential zones for further service locations in Asansol and Durgapur, respectively. Contribution: This study contributes to the urban development process by providing insights into the pattern of service distribution and urban liveability. Finally, it enriches the literature on sustainable urban planning and management.