Walkability and Mobility in the Historic District of Nizwa, Oman: A Space Syntax and Multi-Indicator Assessment for Heritage-Led Urban Regeneration
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70917/fce-2026-025Keywords:
space syntax, walkability, historic urban cores, DepthmapX, universal accessibility, heritage regeneration, thermal mobility, Vision 2040Abstract
The issue of walkability in hot, arid heritage cities is still very much under-theorized, as the traditional configurational frameworks have been developed in temperate environments where the thermal barrier and vehicular encroachment do not dominate spatial network logic. This study aims at filling this gap by performing the first quantitative configuration experience coupling test for an Omani historic city, Nizwa. We combine DepthmapX v0.8 Space Syntax analysis of an axial map (428 lines, 612 nodes; eight configurational indicators) of a 1.32 km² area with a validated MAPS-Global/Gehl perceptual audit of 11 purposively sampled streets in four functional zones and 42 semi-structured stakeholder interviews using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. The statistical coupling uses Pearson correlation and OLS regression (Bonferroni corrected α = 0.0009) and a weighted Composite Walkability Index (CWI, max 50). The organic historic fabric shows good syntactic coherence (Connectivity–Integration r = 0.91, p < 0.001; configurational family r = 0.80–0.91), which indicates a well-developed pedestrian network. However, only 19% of the variance in Safety can be accounted for by Global Integration, and 2% of the variance in Accessibility (R² = 0.19 and 0.02 respectively); given the small street sample (n = 11), these associations are exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory and show a critical configuration-experience decoupling (Decoupling Index DI = 0.81) fueled by thermal exclusion, vehicular encroachment, and universal-design deficits. CWI scores range from S2 (Excellent) to S10 (Critical) and the paradigmatic S1 anomaly (second-highest Integration and second-lowest CWI) directly illustrates the decoupling phenomenon. Five evidence-based, heritage-sensitive, costed interventions are proposed in line with Oman Vision 2040 and UN SDG 11.2/11.4; a scenario-based projection suggests a potential 40-74% increase in CWI in the poorest performing streets, at less than 8% of the cost of the conventional masterplan, though this range should be read as an illustrative planning estimate pending simulation-based or post-occupancy validation rather than a guaranteed outcome. The resulting Decoupling Index is a transferable diagnostic tool for hot-arid heritage cores outside of Nizwa.
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