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Abstract: The complex interactions between spatial structures and cultural elements shape the identity and image of a city or community. However, there is limited literature that quantifies both the spatial and cultural properties of ethnic communities. To bridge this gap, this study introduces a combined computational approach, integrating Space Syntax (syntactic) and image segmentation (semantic). This new methodology allows researchers to rigorously analyse the interaction between the syntactic structures of ethnic communities’ street networks and the semantic patterns of cultural-visual elements in local street facades. Specifically, syntactic properties, such as accessibility and connectivity, are measured using three Space Syntax techniques: axial line maps, segment line maps, and convex maps. In parallel, semantic data is collected using image segmentation analysis, which quantifies the proportion of cultural elements on building facades. Correlation and regression analyses are conducted to examine these syntactic and semantic data sets over an ArcGIS fishnet layer. This paper describes a quantitative analytical approach that can reveal the relationship between syntactic properties and cultural metrics, providing insights into the spatio-cultural dynamics of ethnic communities. In addition to its methodological contributions, the paper offers new perspectives on the spatio-cultural characteristics of urban settings.

Keywords: Space Syntax; image segmentation; ethnic community; street network.

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