The cognition of space in outdoor context: Notes from an urban spacescape experimentation

Abstract

Spatial behaviours often shape spacescapes, but because of dynamic complexity they are hard to be simulated in AI-based environments. Thus, degrees of uncertainty often emerge in describing spaces, when trying to give shared significance to structural, fundamental, peculiar spacescape qualities.

This paper explores space ontologies built by human agents. Students of the Technical University of Bari have been invited to explore an urban commercial street using app features of personal smartphones. Relevant results achieved in the context of spatial cognition were then analysed and discussed for environment planning and management.