A Dual-Method Validation Framework for Assessing Urban Design Qualities (UDQs) in Public Spaces: A Case Study of Misr Plaza, Port Said | ||
| JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 September 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Research Paper | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jesaun.2025.396549.1564 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Mona Andy Kamalo* 1; Ashraf A. ElMokadem2; Mostafa M. Elzeni3; Heba Adel Ahmed Hussein4 | ||
| 1Architectural Engineering & Urban Planning Department, Faculty of Engineering, Port-Said University, Port-Said, Egypt | ||
| 2Professor, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning Department, Faculty of Engineering, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt | ||
| 3Assistant Professor, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning Department, Faculty of Engineering, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt | ||
| 4Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning Department, Faculty of Engineering, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Urban design qualities (UDQs) play a critical role in shaping the character, functionality, and appeal of public spaces, influencing how people move through, interact with, and perceive the built environment. Ewing and colleagues developed an approach to operationalize five key UDQs: imageability, enclosure, human scale, transparency, and complexity. While pioneering, this approach faces two key limitations. First, it relies on expert-based ratings that may not align with users’ perceptions. Second, these ratings were generated in controlled lab settings using video footage, potentially missing the nuances of in-field experience. Additionally, the approach has been predominantly applied to streets, with limited exploration of its applicability to other urban typologies, particularly plazas. This study addresses these gaps by introducing a validation framework combining objective field-based assessments—via a structured scoring sheet—with subjective user perceptions gathered through a questionnaire. The framework was tested in Misr Plaza, Port Said, to evaluate its effectiveness within a real-world plaza setting. The findings reveal no statistically significant discrepancy between the scoring sheet results and questionnaire responses. This supports the applicability of Ewing’s approach in plaza contexts and emphasizes the value of integrating user perceptions into urban design evaluation. Additionally, AI-aided design proposals were incorporated to visualize potential interventions that enhance underperforming UDQs. The study demonstrates that the proposed framework offers a practical tool for assessing urban design qualities in complex public settings. Its broader application across diverse urban and cultural contexts could deepen understanding of UDQs perceptual differences, contributing to more inclusive and evidence-based public space evaluation. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Urban design qualities (UDQs); Walkability; Public spaces; User perception | ||
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