The Space Syntax Symposium aims to bring together scholars, practitioners and students who are currently working on Space Syntax and related approaches all over the world to share knowledge, to discuss theoretical and methodological advances as well as practical applications, and to explore directions for further collaborations with other disciplines.
The symposium’s themes also aim to address concerns that many of us, involved in building and urban studies, share, enriching in parallel the development of an evidence-based or research-led design methodology. Urban planning and design, as well as management and governance, are called to respond to complex, urgent and multifaceted urban challenges, mitigating environmental burdens and risks and creating the conditions to enable a high quality of life through effective and just supply and distribution of resources and infrastructures. Addressing such challenges requires different kinds of data gathering, analytical approaches supported by multidisciplinary expertise, practical experience in implementing urban planning policies and design projects, as well as the ability to visualise and communicate research findings to local authorities, private stakeholders and civil society. Evidence-based approaches to urban design and planning are necessary tools to ensure that urban challenges are addressed effectively and sustainably, based on sound knowledge and understanding of the impact of design and planning decisions.