ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to analyse the concept from a human-geographical and social-theoretical perspective, in order to discover its strengths and weaknesses. Space syntax is an analytic theory. The theory and method of space syntax was launched by Julienne Hanson and Bill Hillier in The Social Logic of Space and was developed by Hillier in Space is the Machine. The focus of the machine paradigm was the building. Space syntax analysis of the built environment is intended to provide a realistic description of how people move in urban environments. Numeric language is the instrument of measurement, and it plays a fundamental role in the rationalisation efforts of planning because it is well suited for predictions. Instrumental rationality means that actions are aimed at a goal so that this goal is reached in the most efficient and economical way. To social-scientific urban studies, space syntaxs theoretical contribution includes a focusing on the citys material dimension.
