Efficiency evaluation of urban planning in Irkutsk using space syntax methods

The present work presents a topological analysis of Irkutsk, studying its city structure, identifying ways of improving the social efficiency of urban functional zoning and proposals for its spatial development. In order to determine the urban development controlled by an architect, as well as the available resources, the data on the sociology of architecture and the structure of architectural space were collected and analysed. The emergent properties of the axial map for the transport network were evaluated using the tools of spatial syntax. In order to determine trends in urban development, a comparative analysis of city integration maps in 1940 and 2021 was performed. It was concluded that functional areas with the most users are concentrated in the historical centre; however, the integration centre expanded over time and reached former suburbs. Daily labour migrations confirm the social inefficiency of this situation. The identified emergent properties allowed the axial spaces to be classified into streets in the foreground and palisade. The plans for spatial development published on the web page of the city administration were analysed for compliance with the integration map. As a result, forming the subcentres with high function concentration in the area of the city integration centre, having the Irkutsk subcentre in the Zhilkino microdistrict, was proposed. The research showed that the development concept adopted in the city fails to meet the integration resources.

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