The Complexity of Urban Public Space and Social Network Analysis: A Case Study of Barcelona

Public space is the component of the urban environment where spontaneous and unexpected social interactions take place. In this paper, the public space was explored as a complex system from the perspectives of environmental psychology and architectural and urban design. To this aim, systematic observation and Social Network Analysis were employed as an innovative empirical approach. The Three Chimneys Park, a characteristic location in the city of Barcelona, was used as a case study. Results showed that Social Network Analysis is an efficient and practical tool for describing, exploring, and understanding the socio-spatial dynamics of the urban public realm. The availability of structured data represented by visual patterns has important implications in support of architectural and urban design (מתוך המאמר)