The Production of Urban Space. A Field Study on Visual Perception of Architectural Space

Abstract

The Image of a city is defined, amongst other things, by the city’s public space, its streets, and its open places. They play an important role in the social life of men, as they are the freely accessible areas, where people meet in their everyday life. The article describes an interdisciplinary approach and the findings of an empiric research project on the perception of laymen of a special urban open space in Vienna. The empiric study is dedicated to the investigation of the interdependence of perception and architecture: To what extend is architectural planning taking influence on the personal understanding of urban open spaces? For the carrying out of the project an innovative research design has been developed. Therefore the theme of the methodological approach is strongly emphasised in this article.