ISF Workshop: Urban innovation through
walkability and spatial cognition
September 19-21, 2022, Tel Aviv University
Prof. Dafna Fisher-Gewirtzman
Dafna Fisher-Gewirtzman is an Associate Professor of Architecture and the head of the Architecture program at the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. She is the Academic Director of the VisLab, and head of the Architecture Visual Perception (AVP) Lab. She serves as a member of the Editorial advisory Board of the Journal Environment and Planning B – Urban Analytics and City Science. Over the years, she has been invited as a visiting scholar at several international universities including ETH in Zurich, the Future City Lab at the National University of Singapore, as well as a visiting professor at CUSP-NYU. Her research focus is on the field of visual analysis and simulation and development of novel, automated architecture design tools based on potential residents' perception of space, directed toward the development of sustainable built environments. She conducts Interdisciplinary research incorporating Architecture, urban design and Neuroscience aspiring for the wellbeing of urban dwellers under the conditions of densified environments through Experiments in virtual reality, Generative architecture design; Geometry optimization based on visibility and crowdsourcing evaluations. Currently, collaborating on an interdisciplinary Behavioral Research to Examine Environments Supporting Orientation and wayfinding for the elderly people. Her research is significantly financially supported by the Israel Science Foundation and JOY VENTURES. She is a UNESCO fellowship recipient and a laureate of the prestigious Yanai Prize for Excellence in Academic Education and the Henri Gutwirth Fund for the Promotion of Research. Her work has been published in leading professional journals and presented in numerous international conferences and universities around the world.
Can Analyses, simulating human visual perception, predict pedestrians’ well-being?
Abstract:
Inviting and welcoming places where people can walk around and spend time are more pleasing and vibrant environments that encourage well-being. (Gehl et al., 2006). The term walkability has been greatly addressed in recent decades by urban planners, architects, and researchers, with walkable environments showing a positive impact on people’s physical activity and health, reduced energy use, economic value, and social connections. However, walkability is an elusive concept, tied to numerous physical and social qualities. When addressing an urban fabric, conducting spatial assessments could shed light on urban attributes and their impact on urban settings and peoples’ perceptions and behaviors – and in turn, their wellbeing.
In this paper, we address subjective and objective parameters of the urban environment that are associated with having an impact on walkability: perceived density, visibility and proximity to greenery and other significant physical elements, potential Interaction, street section proportion and variety/diversity. The trio analyses presented are the DVA-D (the Dynamic Visibility Analysis predicting the perceived Density); the DVA-I (Dynamic Visibility Analysis predicting potential Interaction) and DESSA (Dynamic Enclosure Street Section Analysis) models, simulating a pedestrian perception of the urban scape.
All three models have been assessed through a VR experiment. Well-being indexes were measured in seven virtual urban environments that differ in morphology. Comparing participants’ preferences in the experiment, to measurements outcomes from the models indicates alignments between human preferences and analytical results regarding urban well-being. The results indicate the models’ strengths in predicting human experience.
These models could be used for evaluating proposals during the design process and assist decision makers based on reliable simulation results that indicate the potential well-being of pedestrians. In addition, contribute to the smart planning and design process of sustainable current and future cities, promoting new pedestrianism, well-being, and walkability.
(Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, 16:30-18:00 IL)
