Axial line analysis revisited: reconsidering its value for architecture

Developed in the late 1970s and refined over the following two decades, the Axial Line method is part of the Space Syntax suite of tools and associated theories that sought to apply mathematics to architectural and urban plans to uncover the relationship between social structure and spatial configuration. The aim of this paper is to consistently and critically demonstrate the Axial Line method. This paper is a response to repeated propositions that this approach is largely impenetrable to the average built environment professional. In response to these calls for clarity and consistency, this paper offers a series of worked examples, based on hypothetical architectural settings, of the three main stages in the process. The first stage involves the construction of an Axial Line map, the second applies a series of mathematical formulas to the data contained in the map, and the third suggests how the mathematical results might be interpreted and represented graphically. In presenting a critical interpretation of the Axial Line approach, the paper offers several original contributions to the method.