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Using immersive virtual reality (VR), this study examined the D/H ratio principle (where “D” means the depth or width of a public space and “H” means the height of its surrounding buildings.) that urban design theorists have suggested as an important design principle for public spaces. The authors built VR models of eight enclosed urban public squares with different D/H ratios ranging from 1/3 to 6/1. They then carried out an experiment in the form of a visual assessment survey using the VR models with 69 university students majoring in urban planning and compared the optimal D/H ratios from the experimental results with those proposed by urban design theorists. The statistical analysis of the experimental results revealed that the optimal D/H ratios for most qualities of public squares are larger than the optimal ratios claimed by theorists.
Jaecheol Kim; Seungnam Kim. Finding the Optimal D/H Ratio for an Enclosed Urban Square: Testing an Urban Design Principle Using Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Techniques. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 865 .
AMA StyleJaecheol Kim, Seungnam Kim. Finding the Optimal D/H Ratio for an Enclosed Urban Square: Testing an Urban Design Principle Using Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Techniques. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16 (5):865.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJaecheol Kim; Seungnam Kim. 2019. "Finding the Optimal D/H Ratio for an Enclosed Urban Square: Testing an Urban Design Principle Using Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Techniques." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 5: 865.
This study examines the dominance of the D/H ratio as a design element for an enclosed urban square, long claimed by numerous urban designers. It claims that like the D/H ratio, other design elements significantly affect the perceptual quality of an enclosed square, but their impacts differ according to the context in which they are applied. The study reviews the literature pertaining to enclosures as an urban design strategy and design elements for an enclosed urban square. Then it presents a comparative analysis of the impact of the D/H ratio and other design elements such as the size of the square and the facade design using a visual assessment survey with computer-simulated images of urban squares. Results of the analysis support the argument that like the D/H ratio, the square size and its facade design have a considerable but distinctly different influence on users’ perceptions of urban squares.
Jaecheol Kim. Comparing the Influences of the D/H Ratio, Size, and Facade Design of an Enclosed Square on Its Perceptual Qualities as a Sustainable Urban Space in South Korea. Sustainability 2017, 9, 675 .
AMA StyleJaecheol Kim. Comparing the Influences of the D/H Ratio, Size, and Facade Design of an Enclosed Square on Its Perceptual Qualities as a Sustainable Urban Space in South Korea. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (4):675.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJaecheol Kim. 2017. "Comparing the Influences of the D/H Ratio, Size, and Facade Design of an Enclosed Square on Its Perceptual Qualities as a Sustainable Urban Space in South Korea." Sustainability 9, no. 4: 675.