Dafna Fisher-Gewirtzman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Dafna Fisher-Gewirtzman

Environment and planning. B, Urban analytics and city science/Environment & planning. B, Urban analytics and city science, Jun 18, 2024

This work covers the methodological approach that is used to gather information from the wisdom o... more This work covers the methodological approach that is used to gather information from the wisdom of crowd, to be utilized in a machine learning process for the automatic generation of minimal apartment units. The flexibility in the synthesis process enables the generation of apartment units that seem to be random and some are unsuitable for dwelling. Thus, the synthesis process is required to classify units based on their suitability. The classification is deduced from opinions of human participants on previously generated units. As the definition of`s uitability'' may be subjective, this work offers a crowdsourcing method in order to reach a large number of participants, that as a whole would allow to produce an objective classification. Gaming elements have been adopted to make the crowdsourcing process more intuitive and inviting for external participants.

Ecology and the Environment, Mar 26, 2010

Visibility analyses models and tools predicting human perception have been developed in past year... more Visibility analyses models and tools predicting human perception have been developed in past years. The Spatial Openness Index, a visibility analysis model defined as the volume of the visible part of a surrounding sphere: the potential of a view and exposure that can indicate the Perceived Density. Visual Openness is one of the main objectives in the development of dense urban areas. This can influence the resident's satisfaction and the real estate value. Visual Exposure, referring to privacy aspects, is also a major aspect influencing the human environmental quality. Visual openness to a view and Visual Exposure expressing visual privacy are two leading, contradicting, but also complementary visual attributes developed as visual analysis for sustainable urban systems. Since different internal functions and activities demand different levels of privacy and can enjoy differently openness to the view, studying the internal space layout and functionality and looking at alternative design in regard to external space analysis is demanded. All models refer to geometrical attributes measured from the external façade towards the surrounding environment and all have an impact on the perceived density and other human environmental comfort, and may contribute to the planning and design process. In this paper, the above models are introduced and a study of the relation between internal space layout and functionality and external visual analysis is suggested.

This paper reports on a comparative evaluation of four selected case studies using the 'Spatial O... more This paper reports on a comparative evaluation of four selected case studies using the 'Spatial Openness' tool in its present stage of development. The selected case studies are urban developments including public and private spaces in diferent spatial configurations, located in different landscapes having similar urban densities and similar ground area. They are surrounded by urban development and have at least one direction of attractive view (a view to the sea or to a green open space). This work demonstrates the use of the computerized 'SOI' tool for evaluating visibility in the urban area.

eCAADe proceedings, 2017

Teaching the process of design is a primary objective of the architectural studio. Due to the com... more Teaching the process of design is a primary objective of the architectural studio. Due to the complexity of the process, the studio encourages active learning and peer participation during crit sessions. This paper explores the potential of immersive virtual environments (IVEs) for enhancing architectural learning, and proposes a framework for evaluating its educational potential.We have developed a model for coding the three main activities of the architectural design process (analysis, synthesis and evaluation), along with their physical and social settings. The model comprises of units we call Knowledge Construction Activities (KCAs). We suggest that this model presents a detailed description of the environmental implications of each activity. Applying the KCA model to a studio course that used both a traditional classroom and an IVE revealed that the IVE increased the number of synthesis KCAs, and supported effective criticism. Though limited in scope, the results clearly indicate IVEs potential contribution to architecture pedagogy.

Networks and Spatial Economics, Jul 7, 2018

Performance of a range of urban amenities is influenced by their accessibility to pedestrians. Su... more Performance of a range of urban amenities is influenced by their accessibility to pedestrians. Success in attracting pedestrians to a particular location depends on how they project visuospatial information. In this paper, we propose an original method for analysing the visuospatial integration of particular locations within a street network. As a case study we analyse the distribution of one type of urban amenities-food and drink public facilities. We represent them in a form of visibility graph as objects of navigational decisions within the street network. To explore how urban facilities, streets and pedestrian visual cognition are interrelated, we create and compare three cases: a street network visibility graph and two visibility graphs of amenities. The first graph is based on the existing, Bnatural^distribution, while the second is an Bartificial^, fabricated version of the environment, where urban locations are redistributed evenly across the case study. We study the graphs' global network properties by the use of small-world, and scale-free models. Our results demonstrate that views available for an urban traveller in the existing, Bnatural^setting had a particular structure. It is built of numerous weakly connected locations coexisting with a small number of hubs with an exceptionally large number of visual connections. Such organisation of urban visibility shows that visuospatial network shares morphological similarities with other natural networks, suggesting that common organizational principles underlie network structure.

Journal of Architectural Engineering Technology, 2017

Buildings have been reused throughout history. The current discourse of diverse trends in preserv... more Buildings have been reused throughout history. The current discourse of diverse trends in preservation together with awareness for sustainable environments has led to a surge in adaptive reuse projects. The combination of new and old architecture ensures the retaining of authentic character while providing an appropriate new use and revitalizing the structure. Learning from precedents is one of the most important knowledge bases for architects. It has many layers of knowledge referring to the old building and its original use, the transformed building and its new use, and the transformation itself. The objective of this work is to propose a theoretical and practical background for a systematic process to support adaptive reuse architecture precedent E-learning. A procedure for the analysis has been developed to fit the specific nature of this architecture data. This paper is presenting the analysis principles and demonstrates the system as a powerful infrastructure for E-learning.

Journal of Environmental Psychology, Sep 1, 2023

This paper presents a VR experiment, conducted to assess two analytical models-Dynamic Visibility... more This paper presents a VR experiment, conducted to assess two analytical models-Dynamic Visibility Analysis (DVA) and Dynamic Enclosure Street Section Analysis (DESSA)-that predict human well-being in urban settings. Well-being was measured in seven VR urban environments that differ in morphology. Comparing participants' preferences in the experiment, measured through the Integrated Well-Being Index (IWI) Questionnaire, to measurements outcomes from the models indicates certain alignments between human preferences and analytical results regarding urban well-being. The results indicate the models' strengths in predicting human experience. Strong relations between participants' ranking in the experiment and the analysis results are seen in the highest and lowest rated well-being variables.

eCAADe proceedings, 2018

The objective of this research project is to simulate and evaluate the effect of movement velocit... more The objective of this research project is to simulate and evaluate the effect of movement velocity and cognitive abilities on the visual perception of three groups of urban users: pedestrians, cyclists and car drivers.The simulation and analysis is based on the 3D Dynamic Visual Analysis (DVA) (Fisher-Gewirtzman, 2017). This visibility analysis model was developed in the Rhinoceros and Grasshopper software environments and is based on the conceptual model presented in Fisher-Gewirtzman (2016): a 3D Line of Sight (LOS) visibility analysis, taking into account the integrated effect of the 3D geometry of the environment and the variant elements of the view (such as the sky, trees and vegetation, buildings and building types, roads, water etc.). In this paper, the current advancement of the existing model considers the visual perception of human users employing three types of movement in the urban environment-pedestrians, cyclists and drivers-is explored.We expect this research project to exemplify the contribution of such a quantification and evaluation model to evaluating existing urban structures, and for supporting future human perception-based urban design processes.

Journal of Urban Design, Jul 17, 2019

This paper presents a topography-sensitive cognitive model for analysis and prediction of pedestr... more This paper presents a topography-sensitive cognitive model for analysis and prediction of pedestrian movement in urban settings. Topography affects visibility and therefore the spatial awareness of pedestrians. It also accentuates the role of physical effort during travel and route selection. The existing models fall short in their reference to these issues. A thorough description of the proposed model is followed by a validation-the model was tested against two existing models in three case studies in Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel. The proposed model outperformed the others in the steeper parts of the case studies. Future model development is discussed.

The objective of this work is to develop an integrated visual analysis and modelling for environm... more The objective of this work is to develop an integrated visual analysis and modelling for environmental and urban systems in respect to interior space layout and functionality. This work involves interdisciplinary research efforts that focus primarily on architecture design discipline, yet incorporates experts from other and different disciplines, such as Geoinformatics, computer sciences and environmentbehavior studies. This work integrates an advanced Spatial Openness Index (SOI) model within realistic geovisualized Geographical Information System (GIS) environment and assessment using subjective residents' evaluation. The advanced SOI model measures the volume of visible space at any required view point practically, for every room or function. This model enables accurate 3D simulation of the built environment regarding built structure and surrounding vegetation. This paper demonstrates the work on a case study. A 3D model of Neve-Shaanan neighbourhood in Haifa was developed. Students that live in this neighbourhood had participated in this research. Their apartments were modelled in details and inserted into a general model, representing topography and the volumes of buildings. The visual space for each room in every apartment was documented and measured and at the same time the students were asked to answer questions regarding their perception of space and view from their residence. The results of this research work had shown potential contribution to professional users, such as researchers, designers and city planners. This model can be easily used by professionals and by non-professionals such as city dwellers, contractors and developers. This work continues with additional case studies having different building typologies and functions variety, using virtual reality tools. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Environment And Planning B: Urban Analytics And City Science, Apr 28, 2023

To improve pedestrians’ wellbeing and walkability in urban environments, designs must address a r... more To improve pedestrians’ wellbeing and walkability in urban environments, designs must address a range of factors. To enhance such designs, spatial assessments of urban attributes are important, as they may contribute to our understanding of the impact of the urban setting on peoples’ perceptions when traversing these areas. This research proposes a novel hybrid tool for conducting mesoscale analyses that enables the capturing of parameters that influence pedestrians’ visual perceptions, and in turn, generates opportunities for examining specific urban attributes. Such analysis is based on empirical, data-driven methodologies, bridging the gap between microscale and macroscale evaluations. A comparative analysis of three walkable New York City case studies is conducted to demonstrate the hybrid analysis tool, that is comprised of three models: dynamic visibility analysis for predicting perceived density (DVA-D); dynamic visibility analysis for predicting potential interactions with the defining street facades (DVA-I); and dynamic enclosure street section analysis (DESSA). Combined, these models simulate the pedestrians’ perceptions of the urban scape. While all three environments are similarly ranked in Walk Score®, they inherently differ in their perceived density, potential interactions, and enclosure. The hybrid assessment highlights the physical urban attributes of each case study with regards to pedestrians’ visual perception. The readability and visibility of this analysis results may provide architects, urban planners, and stakeholders with a valuable tool for urban decision-making.

Survey Review, Apr 1, 2012

Journal of Urban Design, Mar 21, 2018

This paper presents a virtual reality experiment in a controlled visualization laboratory. The st... more This paper presents a virtual reality experiment in a controlled visualization laboratory. The study explores the impact of morphology on the perceived density by participants along pedestrian paths. The issue addressed is the intensification of existing urban centres, where overcrowding may diminish their viability. The basic hypothesis is that increased visibility in a given urban space will be evaluated with a lower perceived density, and in some cases, a preferred view will decrease the participant's perceived density. This research can contribute to future research and practice for the planning and design of sustainable urban environments for the benefit of pedestrian users. Introduction: movement along pedestrian paths and the phenomenon of urban intensification This paper focuses on perceived density, as influenced by the built form in the city, while in movement on a pedestrian urban path. The intensification of the existing urban fabric is an accepted strategy for preventing urban sprawl and creating compact accessible city centres. Vibrant existing historical urban centres tend to attract pedestrians, not only for their diverse and colourful activities, but also for their attractive physical environment. Thus, changing or adding structures, reducing unbuilt space or demolishing small buildings and replacing them with high-rise structures, should be considered carefully and be implemented with foresight and discretion. Intensification is synonymous with the addition of storeys and the construction of towers, actions likely to both change the visual setting for the urban user and influence the perception of space and perceived density. Most intensification processes are governed by strict rules, including setbacks from existing street facades, and the creation of defined low-built mass to fit the human scale, setting back the tall-built mass. Nevertheless, the results of these intensification initiatives may still block visibility to the sky and distant view perspectives, and can alter the sense of scale for pedestrians, changing their perception of space. This, in turn, could negatively influence the attractiveness of these environments. In this paper, whilst the virtual reality variations refer to a single realistic environment going through such a process of intensification, they can significantly reflect on many such environments around the world.

Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, Jul 1, 2016

Patterns of pedestrian movement in cities are influenced by visibility of urban activities, among... more Patterns of pedestrian movement in cities are influenced by visibility of urban activities, among other factors. This paper describes a behavioral experiment in an immersive virtual reality, where individuals are exposed to visual stimuli and their route decisions are recorded. To evaluate the effect of urban visibility on the pedestrian route choices, we introduce visibility scores, such as a graph theoretical centrality measure, to represent the urban environment. Participants in the experiment select routes and the chains of their navigational decisions are then associated with the visibility scores. The selected routes in the virtual reality are compared with all possible routes, which are generated by computational random walk simulations. Statistical analysis suggests that pedestrian navigation choices are purposive and that they are influenced by the specific visibility attributes of the urban environment. Therefore, the research contributes toward development of a unified framework that incorporates the interaction of urban morphology and human spatial behavior. In addition, our experimental procedure and our results highlight the potential of a virtual reality laboratory as a research environment for complex urban situations.

International journal of design creativity and innovation, Jan 8, 2016

Abstract Human spatial behavior, navigation and activity in cities are affected by the visibility... more Abstract Human spatial behavior, navigation and activity in cities are affected by the visibility of urban environment. In this paper pedestrian visual search for urban locations is conceptualized as a stochastic process and modelled by random walks (a succession of random steps). Urban environments are represented as a chain of navigational decisions forming a mathematical graph of visual connectivity. Random walkers wandering on the graph imitate aggregated visual search for urban activities in the case study, which is the historical district of Tel Aviv-Yafo. The study is then compared to a set of systematically generated computational patterns represented by various visibility graph models. The main result discloses a strong positive relation between local and global visibility properties. A positive global–local relationship of spatial networks is termed intelligibility in space syntax theory and is deemed a key determinant in human navigation and wayfinding. Additionally, we compare the first passage time, an outcome of stochastic simulation, with deterministic graph theoretic measures of centrality, namely closeness and betweenness centralities. Comparison of distinct visibility types aims to identify a navigational signature of the case study and allows measurement of visual distinction between different locations in the city.

Architectural Science Review, May 2, 2019

This paper presents a learning model for the automated generation of built environments, demonstr... more This paper presents a learning model for the automated generation of built environments, demonstrated by the creation of minimal apartments situated in dense urban settings. The research utilizes the techniques of parametric modelling, multi-criteria optimization and supervised machine learning to provide 3D configurations of minimal apartments with improved visibility from significant viewpoints, and with a functional layout defined by 'the wisdom of the crowd'. The model seeks to maximize the measured 3D visibility in generated units-an attribute associated with low perceived density, recognized as having a positive effect on the well-being of dwellers. Simultaneously, the model engages a learning process, through which the classification of the suitability of each apartment is refined through 'the wisdom of the crowd', collected through an open web-simulation. This automated design model, regarding both perceptual and physical needs, demonstrates its potential for future use in the development of larger-scale densified urban environments.