ABSTRACT
In a densely populated city such as Tokyo, open space is very precious; people feel as if open space is an oasis in a crowded, built-up environment. With no budget constraints, it is thus desirable for people to have a large open space. In practice, however, land price in a densely populated city is so high that it is often difficult to have a large open space. When the physical area of an open space is fixed, maximizing the perceived area of the space is one of the feasible ways to provide people with a feeling of comfort or spaciousness. It is hypothesized that the perceived area of an open space would vary according to the shape and location of the space even if its physical area remains the same. The objective of this chapter is to find the best shape/location of an open space, that is, the shape/location that gives the largest perceived area.
