ITU A|Z
VOL: 5 NO: 1, 54-73, 2008-1
Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Architecture Istanbul TURKEY
Received: September 2007 Final Acceptance: January 2008
Abstract:
This paper examines the relationship
between complexities of urban space against the eco-aesthetic concept of visual
sustainability of the environment. It highlights the conceptual challenges in
defining urban and architectural sustainability; indicates relations between
sustainability and legibility of space and researches negative effects of
complexity on a sustainable urban development. The paper identifies two main
complexity elements of a city, which are streets and squares and indicates three
major subjects to be investigated as ‘general legibility easiness level’, ‘motor
complexity elements’ and ‘general legibility difficulty level’ on streets or
squares. The survey is carried out in one of the most important city centers of
Istanbul: Taksim Square and Istiklal Street. Main findings of our paper are that
people learn squares more easily than they do the streets, mobile elements such
as vehicles and pedestrians create more complexity than architectural diversity
and signs. Complex environments are defined to be less legible as the
familiarity decreases.