ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the extent to which GIS and mapping can be effectively applied in the architecture discipline and the built environment, including the property discipline. It examines three existing methodologies in relation to the growth and change of urban systems in contemporary cities, then it investigates if they provide an adequate framework and also if they could be woven together to provide a more robust model relevant to architecture. The chapter then examines methodologies to explore the potential role of voids in an urban area as a result of growth and change in more complex conditions. Owners of retail destinations continually take exhaustive steps to maximise both asset value and consumer attraction of their centres, but GIS also has the potential to enhance the mapping of consumer demand. For this chapter the research question is as follows: To what extent can GIS and mapping enhance the application of architecture in an urban context? This chapter utilises case studies to examine the practical implications with the application of GIS in an urban environment such as a city centre. The applied examples of (a) observation, (b) simulation and (c) speculation highlight the three threads of methods of operating on urban conditions when focused on voids. With reference to the stated research question for this chapter, all three methods confirm that architecture can be enhanced by the use of mapping and GIS.
