Byromsanalyse
A byromsanalyse (public-space analysis) is a systematic assessment of the public outdoor spaces in an area: streets, squares, parks, pedestrian links and meeting places. It maps how the spaces between buildings are used, how they connect and how well they work for people, and it serves as a basis when an area is to be planned, densified or transformed. The public-space analysis shifts attention from the individual buildings to the spaces in between, based on the recognition that the quality of the outdoor spaces largely decides whether an area feels good to be in.
In a planning process, the public-space analysis is typically part of the knowledge base for a zoning plan or a larger development project, often in cases of densification or within a transformation area. The analysis looks at factors such as sun and shade, wind conditions, walking distances and connections, safety, accessibility, green structure and where people actually spend time. The results are used to place buildings, heights and functions so that the outdoor spaces get good qualities, and to justify requirements in the planning provisions on, for example, outdoor living space, sightlines and public passages.
Public-space analysis is closely linked to the requirements that the Planning and Building Act sets for outdoor areas and living quality. The Municipality plan can set general requirements for outdoor spaces and green structure, see the Planning and Building Act section 11-9, which are then made concrete in the provisions of the zoning plan. For a developer, the public-space analysis is therefore not only a professional ideal, but a tool for showing that a project meets the requirements for good outdoor areas, and for negotiating degree of utilisation and heights against what the outdoor spaces can take. A good analysis can defend higher density by showing that the outdoor spaces will still be good.
Methodologically, a public-space analysis combines on-site observation with map data. Sun conditions are calculated in 3D models, walking distances and connections are analysed on maps, and patterns of use are recorded through site visits and counts. The analysis often looks beyond the individual plot and assesses how a project affects, and is affected by, the surrounding public spaces. That makes public-space analysis a link between overall urban planning and the specific building project.
Public-space analyses are usually carried out by architects, landscape architects and urban planners, and often form part of the impact assessment and illustration material for a planning proposal. Participation from neighbours and users is part of the process, because the perceived quality and use of a public space cannot always be read from maps alone. The results are used not only to justify a single project, but also to assess the combined load when several developments in an area are seen together.
In Placepoint you can examine the area around a property as a starting point for a public-space analysis: surrounding buildings and plots, the applicable zoning plan and land-use purpose, and sun and shade conditions in a 3D volume study.
From Placepoint's dictionary: Byromsanalyse
More information: The Planning and Building Act section 11-9, The Government: the Planning and Building Act
English: Public-space analysis (byromsanalyse; a systematic assessment of the public outdoor spaces in an area as a basis for planning).
Frequently asked questions
What is a byromsanalyse?
A byromsanalyse is a systematic assessment of the public outdoor spaces in an area, such as streets, squares, parks and pedestrian links, and of how they are used and how they connect. It is the basis when an area is to be planned or densified.
When is a public-space analysis used?
As part of the knowledge base for a zoning plan or a development project, often in cases of densification or within a transformation area.
What does a public-space analysis look at?
Sun and shade, wind, walking distances and connections, safety, accessibility, green structure and where people actually spend time.
How does public-space analysis relate to degree of utilisation?
It is used to show that the outdoor spaces will be good, and can therefore defend a higher degree of utilisation and greater building heights by documenting that the density does not come at the cost of living quality.
Which requirements does public-space analysis build on?
Requirements for outdoor areas and living quality in the Planning and Building Act, including general provisions in the Municipality plan under section 11-9, which are made concrete in the provisions of the zoning plan.