ABSTRACT
GIS behaviour mapping is an analytical tool which draws on a combination of behaviour mapping and GIS techniques to reveal common patterns of behaviour that appear to be correlated with particular layouts and details. This study was devised to assist designers in creating urban squares or parks for contemporary use. It concentrates on the relationship between the spatial characteristics of a place and the dynamic of its use, which is a field where the empirical basis for the design decision-making process is lacking and new techniques offering more reliable ways of predicting and understanding use are therefore valuable tools. The approach described in this chapter is an attempt to fill some of this gap. It draws on research methods that combine wellestablished techniques such as environmentbehaviour observations and behaviour mapping but combines them with technologies such as GIS to take advantage of emerging ICTs, thereby linking users and their behaviour to places using a medium with which designers and planners are familiar.
