ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses user perception and evaluation of commercial streets in terms of the aesthetic dimensions of beauty and interest, and the physical aspects of order, colour variation, and complexity. It shows that different chromatic combinations in commercial street facades influence user perception and evaluation of the appearance of these places in different ways. The chapter presents the level of colour variation and complexity needs to be controlled according to the physical characteristics of each particular place. This control can preserve the individual historic character of places, and promote city centres seen as interesting and ordered by users. This general approach needs to take into account that users can perceive similarity' as simplicity' when the level of complexity of commercial street facades is evaluated. On the other hand, there is no relationship between user perception and evaluation of the number of commercial signs and user satisfaction with the appearance of commercial streets.
