Quantitative Research on Street Interface Morphology Comparison Between Chinese and Western Cities

This book investigates the historical evolution, regional differences, and quantitative measurement on street interface, which forms the street space and plays a very important role in urban form. Empirical research reveals the street interface in Chinese cities are much more complicated than European and American cities. This book explores the reason and reveals the relationship between street interface and urban form in morphology. By constructing quantitative measurement method on street interface morphology, quantitative parameters can be used in urban planning guidelines in China. Both researchers and students working in architecture, urban design, urban planning and urban studies can benefit from this book.

Introduction.- Part 1: Street interface in historical and regional context.- Chapter 1: The historical evolution of street interface in Chinese cities.- Chapter 2: The historical evolution of street interface in European cities.- Chapter 3: The comparison of street interface between Chinese and Western Cities.- Part 2: Quantitative method of street interface morphology.- Chapter 4: Review of qualitative research on street morphology.- Chapter 5: Review of quantitative research on street morphology.- Chapter 6: Constructing quantitative method on street interface morphology.- Part 3: Empirical application of quantitative method.- Chapter 7: Street interface density.- Chapter 8: Build-to-line ratio and Near-line ratio.- Chapter 9: Integrated application.- Conclusion.

Yu Zhou, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in Faculty of Architecture, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). He got his Bachelor, Master and Doctor’s degree in architecture at Tianjin University and was a visiting scholar of Delft University of Technology, Netherlands and attended the research project of “Urban Knowledge of Network Asia (UKNA),” which was funded by the foundation of Maria Curie Action of European Union.

His research interests are mainly in urban form, and the focus is the quantitative research on street interface morphology, which is relative to the research domain of spatial cognition, environmental behavior, and urban design. He took charge of one research project financed by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and one research project financed by Humanities and Social Science Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China.