Spatial Planning and Urban Studies

The spatial planning and urban studies research group examines the built environment through a multidisciplinary lens. Our work includes:

• Sustainable spatial planning, urban and rural planning
• Analyses of built environments, Space Syntax, urban morphology, and street-network analysis
• Land-use planning and planning law
• Urban densification, transformation processes, and homes for everyone
• Aesthetics, architectural traditions, and design quality
• Cultural heritage management and landscape architecture
• Infrastructure, mobility, and walkable urban environments
• Livable and safe neighborhoods
• Health and universal design in urban planning
• Land-use conflicts and conflict resolution
• Management of surface water, water supply, and wastewater systems

To understand and analyse complex spatial and societal relationships, we often break down research questions into concrete, observable phenomena at local or regional scales, viewed from multiple perspectives.

Examples include studying how street design influences safety and residential quality, examining the relationship between planning implementation and property structures, and assessing how national and international sustainability goals shape local land-use planning. We also investigate how geographic information systems influence decision-making in planning and building processes.

Our work is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach to issues concerning both built and unbuilt environments, employing diverse methods to illuminate contemporary challenges.

Our expertise includes developing and applying site analysis methods, analyzing planning processes and tools, advancing theories of urban form and development, and generating new knowledge about historical and future trajectories of urban environments.

• Newly developed and empirically tested analytical methods, theories, and knowledge relevant to current and future planning practice
• Analytical tools for diagnosing poorly functioning neighborhoods and developing strategies to counteract crime, vandalism, and antisocial behavior
• Advice and recommendations for neighborhood transformation, including identification of legal and procedural barriers to desired development
• Research grounded in contemporary planning practice and societal challenges identified by municipalities, counties, national authorities, interest organizations, and the consulting sector

• Our research is widely integrated into teaching at both bachelor’s and master’s levels
• We emphasize research-based teaching and problem-based learning
• We disseminate our knowledge and newly developed methods to universities in Norway and internationally
• Municipalities, consulting firms, ministries, and professional planners apply our research in practice

• We provide empirically validated and operationalizable methods for conducting site analyses that support the planning of safe, vibrant, and sustainable built environments
• We contribute new knowledge and methodologies for identifying opportunities and constraints within current planning processes, legislation, and regulatory frameworks
• We offer critical, research-based reflections on contemporary planning practice

Safe, Vibrant, and Healthy Built Environments

• CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)
• Aesthetics in planning and building cases
• Public health in planning
• Physical conditions for urban and street life
• Conflict in planning
• Artificial intelligence in planning
• Risk & vulnerability analyses, and fire safety
• Social sustainability and community planning
• Safe neighborhoods and crime prevention through physical planning
• Universal design

Integrated Land-Use and Transport Planning

• Urban and regional planning
• Urban form and energy use in transport
• Densification challenges in cities and towns
• Transit-oriented development
• Urban transformations
• Sustainable mobility
• Use of AI in planning
• Walkability in urban and rural settlements

Development and Application of Analytical Methods

• Development and application of Space Syntax methods and theory. Norway’s leading space syntax centre
• Micro-scale analyses (interactions between private and public spaces)
• Development and use of urban theories
• Integration of various site analysis methods (network analysis, urban morphology, phenomenology of place)
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS and QGIS)
• Use of AI in developing physica and spatial analyses of built environments

• JUST STREETS Mobility justice for all: framing safer, healthier and happier streets (2024 - 2027)
  
  
• BUILDER (2020-2024)
  
  
• MOBILE WORLDS: Empowering third cultures for sustainable and inclusive mobility (2023 - 2025)
  
  
• Building design for At-risk groups (2020-2024)
  WP2: Design of homes and buildings for at risk groups.
  Contakt: Carolyn Ahmer. 

• SPACERGY (2016-2020) 
  EU Urban. Contact: Akkelies van Nes.
  
  
• Seashore under pressure: Regional Conflicts and Wind Power Technology in Western Norway
  
  
• Density in Bergen: Quality and Values in The Compact City of Bergen. (2020 – 2023)
  
  
• Urbane barn (2021)

Projects financed by Husbanken:

• Boliger for alle (2020 - 2021) 
  Contact: C. Reksten, Hans Jakob Roald
  
  
• Fortetting Bergen Kommune (2016)
  Contact: Remco E de Koning, Hans Jakob Roald

Ahmer, C.  2023, Striving for a new monumentality: the non-classical influence on Gunnar Asplund’s architecture. Journal of Architecture 2023, Volume 28,  Issue 4, pp. 635-669

Istiani N.F.F, Alkadri, M.F., van Nes, A. &, Susanto D. 2023, “Investigating the spatial network of playgrounds during covid-19 based on a space syntax analysis case study: 10 playgrounds in Delft, the Netherlands,” Cogent Social Sciences, 9:1, 2163754

Eilaki, N.K., Nordvik, T., Ahmer, C., Heldal, I., Frantzich, H., Hagen B.C. (2026). Enhancing Fire Safety of Buildings’ Occupants: An Integrated Fire Risk Concept into Reliability-Based Evacuation Design Optimization Method Focused on At-Risk Groups. Fire Technol 62, 12 (2026).  

Eilaki, N.K., Nordvik, T., Ahmer, C., Heldal, I., Frantzich, H., Hagen B.C. (2026). The impact of data censorship on pre-movement time prediction in building fire evacuation: focusing on people with learning disabilities, Safety Science, 196, 107103.

Handal Bjelland, A.S., &, Almås, A-J. (2024) Muligheter og utfordringer for en bærekraftig boligmasse frem mot 2050 sett I lys av arealknapphet, Kart og Plan, Schandinavian University Press, 117, 1.

Kapstad Reksten, C.H. & van Nes, A. (2024) Et hjem for oss, et hjem for deg: Boligpolitikkens grunnleggende forutsetninger, Leder, Kart og Plan, Schandinavian University Press, 117, 1.

Kapstad Reksten, C.H., Nyheim, I.L., & Roald, H-J. (2024) Boligplanlegging på bergensk: forsøket på å bli en rettferdig by, Kart og Plan, Schandinavian University Press, 117, 1.

Roald, H-J. Andresen, T., de Koning R.E., &, van Nes, A. (2023) Hvordan GIS-baserte analyser kan gi nyttig kunnskap til krevende planprosesser for fortetting, Kart og Plan, Schandinavian University Press, 116, 4. 

Djenaihi, W-M., Zemmouri, N., Djenane, M., and Van Nes, A. 2021, “Noise and spatial configuration – An approach to understand spatial accessibility for visually impaired people in Biskra, Algeria”, Sustainability 2021, 13(19) 1009.

Van Nes, A. 2021, “Spatial configurations and walkability potentials. Measuring urban compactness with space syntax”, Sustainability 2021, 13, 5785.

Yamu C., Van Nes, A., and Garau, C. 2021, “Bill Hillier’s Legacy: Space Syntax – A Synopsis of Basic Concepts, Measures, and Empirical Application”, Sustainability 2021, 13 (6), 3394. 

Van Nes, A. 2021, “The Impact of Ring Roads on the Location Pattern of Shops in Town and City Centres. A Space Syntax Approach”, Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3927. 

Van Nes, A., and Yamu C., 2021, “Introduction to Space Syntax in Urban Studies”, Springer Nature. eBook ISBN 978-3-030-59140-3, Hardcover ISBN 978-3-030-59139-7

Van Nes, A., 2021, “Measuring the degree of permeability of the main route network with angular step depth analyses.” In: Gervasi O, et,al. Computational Science and its applications – ICCSA 2021, Springer Nature, pp 323-338, ISBN 978-3-030-87015-7, 

Van Nes, A. and de Koning R.E. (eds), 2022, “Proceedings Space Syntax. 13th International Symposium," Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway. ISBN: 978-82-93677-67-3 

Ahmer, C., 2020, Riegl's 'Modern Cult of Monuments' as a theory underpinning practical conservation and restoration work. Journal of Architectural Conservation 2020.

Van Nes, A. 2021, “Spatial configurations and walkability potentials. Measuring urban compactness with space syntax”, Sustainability 2021, 13, 5785.

Yamu C., Van Nes, A., and Garau, C. 2021, “Bill Hillier’s Legacy: Space Syntax – A Synopsis of Basic Concepts, Measures, and Empirical Application”, Sustainability 2021, 13 (6), 3394. 

Van Nes, A. 2021, “The Impact of Ring Roads on the Location Pattern of Shops in Town and City Centres. A Space Syntax Approach”, Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3927. 

Van Nes, A., and Yamu C., 2021, “Introduction to Space Syntax in Urban Studies”, Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-59140-3

Van Nes, A., 2021, “Measuring the degree of permeability of the main route network with angular step depth analyses.” In: Gervasi O, et,al. Computational Science and its applications – ICCSA 2021, Springer Nature, pp 323-338, ISBN 978-3-030-87015-7, 

Van Nes, A. and de Koning R.E. (eds), 2022, “Proceedings Space Syntax. 13th International Symposium," Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway. ISBN: 978-82-93677-67-3 

Ahmer, C., 2020, Riegl's 'Modern Cult of Monuments' as a theory underpinning practical conservation and restoration work. Journal of Architectural Conservation 2020.

Koning, R.; Roald, H.J.; and van Nes, A. 2020, A Scientific Approach to the Densification Debate in Bergen Centre in Norway. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9178. 

Koning. R.E., Tan, W.G.Z., and van Nes, A., 2020, Assessing Spatial Configurations and Transport Energy Usage for Planning Sustainable Communities, Sustainability 2020, 12, 8146. 

Miranda, J.V., and van Nes, A., 2020, Sexual violence in the city. Space, gender and occurrence of sexual violence in Rotterdam, Sustainability 2020, 12, 7609. 

van Nes, A., and Yamu C., 2021, Introduction to Space Syntax in Urban Studies, Springer Nature. 

van Nes, A., and Yamu C., 2020, Exploring challenges in Space Syntax theory building: The use of positivist and hermeneutic explanation models, Sustainability 2020, 12, 7133. 

van Nes, A., 2019, Applied mathematics on urban space. In: D’Acci L. (ed) Mathematics of urban morphology, Springer Nature, Birkhäuser Basel, eBook ISBN 978-3-030-12381-9, Hardcover ISBN 978-3-030-12380-2

Ye, Y., and Van Nes, A., 2014, Quantitative tools in urban morphology: Combining space syntax, spacematrix and mixed-use index in a GIS framework, in: Journal of Urban Morphology, Vol 18, number 2, pp 97-118.

• 13th international space syntax symposium 20-24 juni 2022
• The online space syntax PhD symposium 21 juni 2021
• REHABEND 2020 construction pathology, rehabilitation technology and heritage management (8th REHABEND Congress) Granada (Spain). 
• UD2021 International conference on Universal Design, Aalto University, Finland
• AESOP (Association of European Schools of Planning) 
• ERSA (European Regional Science Association)
• FIG (International Federation of Surveyors)
• ISUF (International seminar of urban form) 
• SIEF (Société Internationale d´Ethnologie et de Folklore) 
• Space Syntax Network