The Design Evaluation of the Green Space Layout of Urban Squares Based on Fractal Theory

Many scholars have applied fractal geometry to analyze non–linear urban forms at the regional, city, and building levels. However, little attention has been given to the level of urban design. The aim of this paper is to test the validity of fractal analysis on the green space layout of urban squares. Four research cases – including one in USA, one in Argentina, and two in China – are analyzed usingBovill’s box–counting method. We find that continuous hierarchical scales are essential to the fractal nature of the built environment, and the scales derived from the human–scale theories of open space are used to develop the box sizes. The authors demonstrate the advantage of using calculation charts to provide direct visual insights into the fractal distribution of the layout, through lacunas and shadowed boxes. The significance of new lacunas is presented and discussed in particular. The proposed method allows for quantitative measures, convenient evaluation, and potential feedback to improve the fractal quality of the green space design.

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