scholarly journals Exploring Challenges in Space Syntax Theory Building: The Use of Positivist and Hermeneutic Explanatory Models

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akkelies van Nes ◽  
Claudia Yamu
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Space Syntax ◽  
Explanatory Models ◽  
Theory Building ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Market Rationality ◽  
High Degree

The planning and building of sustainable cities and communities yields operational theories on urban space. The novelty of this paper is that it discusses and explores the challenges for space syntax theory building within two key research traditions: positivism and hermeneutics. Applying a theory of science perspective, we first discuss the explanatory power of space syntax and its applications. Next, we distinguish between theories that attempt to explain a phenomenon and theories that seek to understand it, based on Von Wright’s modal logics and Bhaskar’s critical realism models. We demonstrate that space syntax research that focuses on spatial configurative changes in built environments, movement and economic activities can explain changes in a built environment in terms of cause and effect (positivism), whereas historical research or research focusing on social rationality, space and crime or cognition seeks to develop an understanding of the inherent cultural meaning of the space under investigation (hermeneutics). Evidently, the effect of human intentions and behaviour on spatial structures depends on the type of rationality underlying these intentions, which is the focus of this study. Positivist explanatory models are appropriate for examining market rationality in cases that entail unambiguous intentionality and that are associated with a high degree of predictability. By contrast, other kinds of reasoning require a hermeneutic understanding.

Measuring pedestrian volume by land use mix: Presenting a new entropy-based index by weighting walking generation units

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 1219-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ha Na Im ◽  
Chang Gyu Choi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Studies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Estimation Model ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Land Use Mix ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Empirical Analysis

This study proposes an alternative to the conventional entropy-based land use mix index, which is generally used to measure the diversity of land use. Pedestrian volume was selected as the dependent variable as it represents the vitality of districts, which many recent urban studies now consider important. The study investigates an entropy-based weighted land use mix index, which is weighted by different land use types. For the index, different areas are needed to generate a unit of pedestrian volume, whose measure is m2/person/day. The study demonstrates that this alternative is more effective than the existing conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index for explaining pedestrian volume. The research confirms that the conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index can have a positive or negative impact depending on the land use characteristics of the survey points because the conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index has a non-linear relationship with pedestrian volume. By analysing 9727 surveyed locations of pedestrian volume in Seoul, Korea, the study demonstrates that the weighted land use mix index, rather than the conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index, can improve the explanatory power of the estimation model for the relationship between pedestrian volume and built environments, showing consistent results throughout the empirical analysis. In future built-environment studies, the utility of the weighted land use mix index is expected to improve if studies include how to find the accurate weighting of the land use in estimating the pedestrian volume.

Agency, Structure and Causality in Political Science: A Comment on Sibeon

Politics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Recent Contribution ◽  
Ontological Commitments ◽  
Political Analysis ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ontological Turn

Researchers in political science are devoting increasing attention to the ontological commitments of their theories – that is, to what those theories presuppose about the nature of the political world. This article focuses on a recent contribution to this ‘ontological turn’ in political science ( Sibeon, 1999 ). Tensions are identified in Sibeon's account of the causal interplay between agency and social structure. It is argued that these tensions can be resolved by reflecting explicitly on ontological issues, in particular the causal efficacy of social structure, using a particular approach to the philosophy of the social sciences known as critical realism. The value of such reflection for the explanatory power of political analysis is highlighted.

Owners, creditors and traders: Women in late colonial Calcutta

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-456
Author(s):  
Ishita Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Court Records ◽  
Domestic Servants ◽  
The Social ◽  
The First World War ◽  
Poor Women ◽  
Banking Business ◽  
The One

This article tries to reconstruct the world of the property-owning, mortgage-holding and money-lending women in late colonial Bengal and especially in Calcutta, the commercial capital of British India until the First World War. It argues that as all poor women occupying the urban space were not either sex workers or domestic servants, similarly all middle-class women in colonial Calcutta were not dependent housewives, teachers and doctors. At least a section of them engaged in other gainful economic activities. However, existing scholarship sheds very little light on those women who chose other means of survival than the bhadramahila: those who bought and sold houses, lent money for interest, acquired mortgages, speculated in jute trade and even managed indigenous banking business. Evidence of court records suggests that they, along with the lady teacher, the lady doctor, the midwife and the social worker or later members of political organisations, could be found in considerable numbers in late colonial Calcutta. Due to the enactment of stringent laws to control moneylending, on the one hand, and the commercial decline of Calcutta, on the other hand, these women were possibly driven out of the shrinking market of the 1940s and 1950s.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): Policy Response for Revival

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-228
Author(s):  
Minaketan Behera ◽  
Sanghamitra Mishra ◽  
Niharika Mohapatra ◽  
Alok Ranjan Behera
Keyword(s):  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Fiscal Stimulus ◽  
Indian Economy ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Market Linkage ◽  
The Government ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Relationship

The outburst of COVID-19 has not only distressed the economic and social activities of Indian economy but also the world economy as a whole. Out of different economic activities, the micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) affected a lot. This article attempts to measure the contribution of MSMEs towards Indian economy and also attempts to find out the challenges and problems in pre- and during COVID period. We have used different descriptive statistics to measure the impacts of MSMEs and also use of correlation and co-integration to measure the relationship among the variables such as number of MSMEs, investment amount, employment and output. This pandemic is an exceptional shock for MSMEs. It is evident that there is a high degree of significant positive correlation among the variables. Johansen’s co-integration analysis resulted in the rejection of the null hypothesis signifying the existence of long-run co-integrating relationship. Given the extensive COVID-19 chaos, the government needs to establish an ongoing monitoring system and declare urgent relief steps to improve the MSMEs sector’s confidence. E-market linkage for MSMEs should be promoted, and fiscal stimulus should increase for this sector. The Government of India should take various measures to improve Indian MSMEs and achieve the vision of Self-reliant India.

scholarly journals PLASTIC CARDS AS THE MAIN SECTOR OF CASHLESS PAYMENTS

2018 ◽  
pp. 76-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. Kushu ◽  
Y. A. Sobka
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Tax Base ◽  
Financial Condition ◽  
Motivational Aspect ◽  
Calculation Methodology ◽  
Single Strategy ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Impact

The article discusses the impact of plastic cards on minimizing the risks of the organization. Non-cash payments - is an integral part of the management of financial and economic activities of the banking sector within the framework of a single strategy of economic development, which is a process of systematic use of the optimal legal methods and methods to establish the desired future financial condition of the object in terms of limited resources and the possibility of their alternative use. The process of using plastic cards should be considered in a number of ways. The organizational aspect assesses the degree of formalization and regulation of the use of cashless payments. It is clear that the higher the degree of regulation of procedures, the higher the predictability and manageability of the process of cashless payments. Coordination is the degree of coordination among the participants. It is the result of a high degree of regulation of the process or effective operational work of the Department of non-cash payments. The methodology reflects the compliance of plastic cards calculation methodology adopted by the company, its production characteristics and financial and economic structure. The value of the motivational aspect of non-cash payments is that it makes it possible to stimulate the results of the work of the head, or the entire Department of non-cash payments. Stimulation is made by means of inclusion in the budget of division of the bonus Fund which can be used for payment of awards to employees of division and its head. The need to calculate Bank cards is inherent in the legislation itself, which provides for certain regimes for different situations, allows different methods for calculating the tax base and offers various benefits if they act in the desired directions to the authorities. In addition, the process of calculating plastic cards is due to the interest of the state in providing a number of advantages in order to stimulate any sphere of production, category, regulation of socio-economic development.

Space Syntax Approach for Articulating Space and Social Life

2019 ◽  
pp. 223-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelbaseer A. Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Space Syntax ◽  
Urban Models ◽  
Spatial Measures ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Way

This chapter sets out to provide a detailed description of the relationship between space and society. It begins by discussing how people co-live in spaces and how such spaces co-live as communities. Understanding the relationship between space and society requires shedding light on how (1) communities emerge and work and (2) people build their social network. The chapter's main premise is that spatial configuration is the container of activities and the way we construct our cities influences our social life. Therefore, the urban environment should be analyzed mathematically using urban models in order to evaluate and predict future urban policies. The chapter reviews a space-people paradigm, Space Syntax. It defines, elaborates, and interprets its main concepts and tools, showing how urban space is modelled and described in terms of various spatial measures including connectivity, integration, depth, choice, and isovist properties.

scholarly journals 3D Space Syntax Analysis: Attributes to be Applied in Landscape Architecture Projects

Urban Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
António Ascensão ◽  
Laura Costa ◽  
Cláudia Fernandes ◽  
Franklim Morais ◽  
Catarina Ruivo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Space Syntax ◽  
Growth Speed ◽  
Syntax Analysis ◽  
3D Space ◽  
Final Design ◽  
3D Software ◽  
Space Syntax Analysis

The article delves into the potential application of space syntax methodology to landscape architecture. Anticipating the complexity of the landscape architectural design process, the use of 3D space syntax analysis made it possible to better understand the relations between urban space shapes and their functions. The application of an iterative process of project improvement optimizes the fulfilment of the landscape architect vision, through changes in ground shaping, selection of tree species and their spatial distribution. This article explores the vegetation attributes of vegetation that are necessary to consider in landscape architecture projects in the context of the DepthSpace 3D software, using the case study of an urban park in Maia—Portugal. To achieve this, it was necessary to define the attributes to be inserted in the software. The main attributes of vegetation that can be employed in landscape architecture projects are form and dimension, growth speed, and visual permeability (opacity) of the crown in winter and summer. The software proved itself a useful tool, not only in studying and evaluating the effects of the final design, but also during project development.

scholarly journals Services Trade Policies and Economic Integration: New Evidence for Developing Countries

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Bernard Hoekman ◽  
Ben Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Services Trade ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Regulatory Data ◽  
High Degree ◽  
New Evidence

Abstract This paper applies machine learning to recreate to a high degree of accuracy the OECD's Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) to provide quantitative evidence on the restrictiveness of services policies in 2016 for a sample of developing countries, using regulatory data collected by the World Bank and WTO. Resulting estimates are used to extend the OECD STRI approach to 23 additional countries, producing what we term a Services Policy Index (SPI). Converting the SPI to ad valorem equivalent terms shows that services policies are typically much more restrictive than tariffs on imports of goods, in particular in professional services and telecommunications. The SPI has strong explanatory power for bilateral trade in services at the sectoral level, as well as for aggregate goods and services trade.

scholarly journals How Does Polycentric Urban Form Affect Urban Commuting? Quantitative Measurement Using Geographical Big Data of 100 Cities in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Li ◽  
Yanchuan Mou ◽  
Huiying Wang ◽  
Chaohui Yin ◽  
Qingsong He
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Spatial Form ◽  
Ct Number ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Impact

The relationship between polycentric urban form and urban commuting has been widely debated in Western academic circles. However, qualitative and quantitative studies have not reached a unified conclusion. The evolution of urban form in China is remarkably different from that of developed Western countries. Many Chinese cities have begun using polycentric structures as their future development strategies. This study quantitatively measures whether polycentric urban form can improve commuting efficiency in China by using traditional statistics and emerging geographic big data. We use the polycentric index (PI) as the dependent variable and the congestion delay index (CDI) and mean traffic speed (MTS) as the main independent variables. Control variables include urban morphological space compactness (CT), number of private cars per thousand people (PC), number of buses per thousand (PB), urban road area per capita (PUA) and urban population density (PD). Regression models are employed to detect the relationships among the variables. The main research conclusions are as follows: (1) A high degree of PI results in low CDI and fast MTS; (2) a compact spatial form increases the impact of polycentricity on commuting efficiency; (3) maturity road infrastructure is an important measure to promote urban commuting under a polycentric urban form; and (4) the order of effect magnitude of polycentricity on MTS is PD > PC > CT > PUA > PB; on CDI, PD > PC > PB > CT > PUA. The results can be used in examining whether the current polycentric urban pattern planning in China’s cities can effectively improve commuting efficiency. They also provide a reference for the healthy development of China’s urban space and policy formulation of subsequent urban planning.

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