Transformations of ground floor interfaces, use and perception of security in a coastal city

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the impacts of transformations of buildings’ ground floor interfaces, resulting from the urban expansion of a coastal city, on the use of public open spaces, and on the user’s perception of security against crimes in such public spaces and in neighbouring residential units. We selected nine blocks divided into three groups in the city of Capão da Canoa, according to the predominance of the following characteristics: residential buildings with doors and windows facing the street; buildings with shops and services on the ground floor; buildings with blind walls and garages on the ground floor. Data were collected through counting of pedestrian and vehicle traffic; and the application of questionnaires and interviews with people who live, work or spend their holidays in the selected blocks. The integration values of such blocks were obtained through the syntactic analysis of the Capão da Canoa segment map. The results indicate a greater traffic of pedestrians and greater perception of security in the blocks, with greater functional and visual connection between the ground floor interfaces of the buildings and the open public space, and with predominance of shops and services on ground floors.

Keywords:
Ground floor interfaces; Use of public open space; Perception of security; Occurrence of crimes; Coastal city