Syntactic Legibility of Image Elements: Eskisehir Case

Abstract

This study aims to measure the image perception and spatial legibility of Eskisehir city and to discuss the relationship between image elements and spatial legibility through comparative analysis. Methodologically, the study consists of three stages. (1) A questionnaire was prepared in line with Lynch, Nasar, and Rapoport's approaches to image and urban space perception. This questionnaire was applied to a group of 60 consisting of ordinary people and experts in the form of mutual interviews, and an image map of the city was created as a result of the answers received. (2) An axial map of the city was drawn and integration, connectivity, intelligibility, and synergy parameters were analysed at an urban scale with the axial analysis method using space syntax methodology. (3) Image elements were discussed comparatively in the context of determining numerical parameters. As a result, the perception of the path parameter was the highest; the landmark and node parameters were close to one another and came second, and the district parameter was the last. The study proposes a different methodological approach in order to categorise the image elements in detail, allowing each element to be evaluated numerically, and to discuss on which parameter the perception of the image element is numerically more important.