The effects of spatial quality on social behaviour in Valletta : assessing urban design values within Valletta 2018 sites

Abstract

This research investigates the effects of spatial quality on social behaviour, through an assessment of urban design values, and it is motivated by a primary research question which is: what makes a good urban place? A secondary research question addresses the connection between spatial quality and behaviour. Urban design literature indicates that urban spaces have physical and non-physical elements, and previous studies show how these can be converted to indicators which can be assessed. As part of a larger study, this research aims to increase the understanding of the quality of urban design within four Valletta 2018 flagship projects: Pjazza Jean De Valette, ls-Suq tal-Belt, Strait Street, and il-Biccerija. This deductive study takes a mixed methods approach which is composed of two methods: the development of a pro-forma that is subsequently used within a survey; and on-site observations. The research illustrates how this analytical framework - composed of urban design criteria informed by a literature review - is an effective tool in obtaining comparable objective indications of the quality of urban design. Although the methodology cannot quantify the sense of place or community spirit, these less tangible elements composing urban spaces are identified through informal conversations with participants and through the observations themselves. Referring to the established theory, the results indicate that the physical and non-physical components of urban spaces influence each other. The overall scores suggest that the intersection between Ordinance Street and Strait Street ranks the highest of all the four sites, with an overall score of 3.72 out of 5. Following this is Pjazza Jean De Valette with a score of 3.60, ls-Suq ta I-Belt scoring 3.31, and finally il-Biccerija with a score of 2.75. Qualitative results from discussions and observations complement these quantitative results, and provide a clearer insight to the socio-spatial dynamics of the sites. In sum, the findings show that quality of urban places is dependent on three fundamental urban design themes which are: accessibility and permeability, perception and comfort, and vitality.