Cognitive and Structural Perspectives on a Traditional Terraced Rice Field Village: An Integrated Spatial Syntax Approach

Gacheon Village, a traditional rice-terrace community in Korea, possesses ecological, cultural, and anthropological significance but is confronted by population decline and loss of ecological function. This study investigates the interrelationship between space and human activities in a traditional village through an integrated approach involving a cognitive perspective and spatial syntax analysis. Using Lynch’s five image elements, we analyzed social and cultural meanings through cognitive maps and interviews with 25 indigenous people. We applied detailed tools of spatial syntax analysis to analyze quantitative structures associated with cognitive representations and confirmed that cognitive space and syntax analysis are mutually complementary. In particular, segment analysis revealed symbolic places that were not identified in the general axis analysis, and we confirmed that these places were based on sociocultural contexts. By encompassing the complex functions of cognitive space and the quantitative elements of syntax analysis, we hypothesize that meaningful insights into spatial characteristics and taking an integrated approach to qualitative and quantitative data can enable spatial interpretation beyond the limitations of existing studies. The results of this study can be used to establish sustainable urban planning and preservation measures that consider the cultural and environmental contexts of traditional villages.