Undergraduate Dissertation  |  Fall 2015

Exploring Space Syntax as a tool for Shahjahanabad Old City

Location: Shahjahanabad, Old Delhi, India
Mentor: Sandeep Singh

The space syntax theory states that an urban area can be represented as a matrix of integrated spaces, and that the quantitative properties of this matrix can be measured using computer simulations such as Depthmap X. (Hillier et al., 1987) This study was done to investigate the evolution process of a traditional organic city, by taking a case study of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi.

Unlike capital cities with ideological grids, the spatial structure of this traditional commercial town is more organic and naturally determined by geographical conditions. Moreover, the historical fabric of the Old City has experienced dramatic changes during the social, political and economic upheaval it has faced in its lifetime of 377 years. In order to quantify spatial relations of historic areas and the changing urban contexts, space syntax was utilised in this study. The area was researched regarding its history and evolution, and then spatially analysed using their maps of three periods (1850, 1919, 2012) using syntactical models through which spatial configurations were scrutinised in order to observe any morphological changes within the urban fabric.

Explore more work on Shahjahanabad here.