Using Space Syntax to Observe the Real Estate Land

Value of Government Housing

In Kuwait

Abstract— This paper will be exploring the connection

between the real estate market in Kuwait, and its urban

morphology. Urban morphology of neighborhood

configurations, with all accessibility of residents around the

land location, will be studied in depth. With an angular

segment analysis of metric distance, which belongs to the

theoretical and methodological field of space syntax, its impact

on land value will be understood. Space syntax

methodology investigates relationships between urban

planning and land value. Through that theory, analysis of the

"spatial configuration" of street networks will be done, and

focus will be placed on the role of spatial networks in

shaping patterns of distance with time, observing their

effect on the real estate market in Kuwait.

From a land value perspective, urban morphology appears

to be an important determinant of housing prices, since

morphology affects accessibility. Access accounts for the

distance from a particular location to all other locations in the

study area, and the time it costs to travel from a location to the

relevant facilities. Therefore, I will review urban locations,

neighborhoods, street patterns, cultural dimensions and the

social dynamics, by using the mechanism of space syntax, to

measure the distance between a neighborhood, the main

accessibility factors of services and amenities, and the strength

of relationships between all elements that impact housing

prices. So, I will measure the accessibility to understand its

impact on the housing market in Kuwait, and as a factor in

price determination.

This research aims to find the relationship between

accessibility and housing prices by using the space syntax

method. Space syntax can be a guideline for people who want

to choose their land from the Public Authority for

Housing Welfare. Overall, this paper looks at the real estate

market in the Government Housing areas of Sabah Al-

Ahmad city and Saad Al-Abdullah city, in Kuwait. These

were designed by the Public Authority for Housing Welfare

in the last 3 years. As case studies, I will analyze one

neighborhood from each area by using the space syntax

method. To form the data infrastructure surveys are

conducted and observations are collected. This survey

incorporates street networks and areas of activity from

people who live there to understand which aspects affect the

urban morphology and translate into changes in land value. The

results confirm that accessibility factors affect the land value in

Kuwait.

Key words- Space syntax; Accessibility; land value; Public Authority

for Housing Welfare (PAHW); Sabah Al-Ahmad city; Saad AL

Abdullah city.

I. INTRODUCTION

This thesis investigates how urban morphology is valued

through an observed study of Sabah Al-Ahmad city and Saad

Al-Abdullah city. The Public Authority for Housing Welfare

can use the methodology of space syntax, with the key

accessibility factors of services and amenities, while

referencing case studies, to explore how the land value is

affected. Likewise, this research studies the connection between

architecture and land value in Kuwait, in relation to distance

and accessibility factors of services and amenities, with

reference to the case studies of Sabah Al-Ahmad and Saad Al-

Abdullah cities. Statistical analysis was used to understand the

spatial configuration of spaces and how they will affect land

prices. Distance from the city center is a primary factor in

urban land values, especially in residential areas [1]. I studied

the network spaces, which I can use to calculate the distances

from basic elements such as; health, educational, regional,

recreation and cultural facilities, as well as the main pedestrian

paths and nodes to the house, to understand their impact on the

house's price or land value. Space syntax is used to calculate an

angular segment analysis, by metric distance, to understand its

impact on land value.

Accessibility is defined as a measure of an aspect of

freedom of action of individuals, and it is related to the concepts

of nearness, ease of spatial interaction, and the potential of

opportunities for interaction [2]. In this research I will focus on

attraction-accessibility measures [3], but I will show that

integration measures, as used in the space syntax method,

cannot, technically speaking, be viewed as an attraction-

accessibility measures. Accessibility networks contain spatial

Zainab Al-Saadi Department of Architecture

College of Architecture Kuwait University

6th Annual International Conference onArchitecture and Civil Engineering (ACE 2018)Copyright © GSTF 2018ISSN 2301-394Xdoi: 10.5176/2301-394X_ACE18.129

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GSTF © 2018103

information on the arrangement of spaces and patterns of

distance and movement. The accessibility factor controls the

prices of houses in Kuwait. The street segmentation of a plot

has its value as a point of access to other places. The space

syntax theory allows for the measuring of housing prices in this

way.

In this research, space syntax deals with ’spaces’, i.e.

featureless spaces, in that their attractions are set of units, and

it is natural that geographical accessibility deals with ‘places’

that are not featureless, but differ in terms of their content,

embodied in their attraction [4].

Space syntax focuses on the arrangement of spaces, possibilities

and patterns of movement through ‘spatial configuration’ [5]. It

has attempted to define the elements of urban form by

measuring geometric accessibility; evaluating the relationships

between street segments with a series of measurements, such as

connectivity, control, closeness and betweenness [6], taking on

spatial position to understand all connections and relations

together. People use space in different ways for many activities,

we want to study the configuration of the neighborhood's street

topology to understand how these elements can affect land

prices by increasing or decreasing the value of the real estate

market in Kuwait.

Based on the case study of Sabah Al-Ahmad and Saad Al-

Abdullah cities, this research, in particular, aims to find out whether

applying space syntax theory in housing prices in Kuwait helps

to observe the effect of 'spatial configuration' on land value.

Also, this research examines the impact of waiting 15-20 years

for a house in Kuwait for the Kuwaiti families. In the following

texts, the analysis methods, and their theoretical underpinnings, will be

introduced before explaining the specific methods of this study. The results of

the case study, and its implications for urban design, will then be presented and

discussed respectively.

II. METHODOLOGY

This methodology is systematized according to a literature

review and case studies in Kuwait in order to understand the

land value by using space syntax method. space syntax is an

attempt to constitute a configurational theory in architecture by

generating a theoretical understanding of how people make and

use spatial configurations, in other words, it is an attempt to

identify how spatial configurations express a social or cultural

meaning, and how spatial configurations generate the social

interactions in constructed environments [7].

Space syntax is used as a creative vision in understanding the

pattern of movement between accessibility of the housing unit

and its price. Applying space syntax theory in housing prices in

Kuwait allows one to observe the effect of 'spatial

configuration' on land value. By making a case study of two

different areas I can view the average house prices and the

lowest price in Kuwait.

By taking two neighborhoods, designed by the PAHW, to

analyze and do a comparison between, I compare

neighborhoods which had a similar land value in last three

years, but one has more accessibility and the other less

accessibility, according to the Kuwait Real Estate Guide (''sell

and buy,'' 2017). Graphics (depth mapping application)

software or manual equations of space syntax theory help in

understanding the lines between all elements which impact the

of house or land value.

The graphic displays that the accessibility measures

associated with axial lines and their intersections are quite

different from those which result from measuring the physical

distance between such points and lines.

Space syntax is used in order to eventually obtain the

relationship between road width and integration degree [8].

Suppose that this the total node number in a connection graph.

The movement of people from one point to another point will

most often take the easiest route. For example, if a main street

connects to back streets, people are more likely to pass through

the main street than the back streets. Which means the main

street will be more accessible. This is what, in space syntax, is

commonly known as a to-movement and through-movement in

the configuration of space [9].

From all of the above, I can theoretically use the techniques

of space syntax to identify the configuration and structure of the

urban street network through manual calculation or a computer

model called 'UCL depthmap' [10], to compare each street

segment and examine how accessible that segment is to other

spaces in the system. There are three types of distance between

each street segment and its neighbors [11]:

1. Topology: the value of every change of direction or

turn between a segment and its neighboring

segments.

2. Metric: the distance in meters between the center of

a segment and the center of neighboring segments.

3. Geometry: the value of the degree of an angular

change of direction between a segment and its

neighbor.

By taking those three concepts of distance, we calculate the

measures of [11] integration (closeness), which captures how

close one street segment is in relation to all others under each

definition of distance, and choice (betweenness), which

calculates the distance of the shortest path between every pair

of segments that each segment lies on, under each definition of

distance. Therefore, the metric definition of distance will give

the shortest paths for integration and choice. The topological

definition will show a systemic Map of Fewest Turns. Also, the

geometric definition will show a system with the Least Angle

of Change map [11]. Choice and integration are used as a

measure by calculating the degree of centrality of a point in the

spatial configuration.

The Depthmap is used to analyze the street segments

according to the distribution of accessibility to the urban system

with time cost to that accessibility factors [12]. It classifies

accessibility from the most accessible, or 'integrated,' to the

least accessible, or 'segregated' as Hillier and Vaughan, 2007.

In formulaic terms "'RA (x) = 2 (MDF) k-2' wherein 'MD =

Mean Depth' or the mean number of spaces away from all other

spaces the selected space is; or '(x) k' is the total number of

spaces or cells in the system"[13]. Similarly, in the study

entitled 'Using Space Syntax Analysis in Determining Level of

Functional Efficiency: A Comparative Study of Traditional and

Modern House Layouts in Erbil City, Iraq' [14] he examines

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how the spatial morphology for traditional and modern house

layouts of Erbil City changes with space syntax theory when

using privacy as a factor. So, I used and studied depthmap

(accessibility factors) with the shortest paths for integration and

choice for a distance and time to gather (metric). Like Huda al-

Bahar (1989), she used space syntax theory to analyze the

relationship between physical space and social life in Kuwait

society.

III. Literature Review

In the dissertation of the "The Evolution of Kuwait's

Domestic Architecture: An Empirical and a Theoretical Study"

by Huda al-Bahar (1989), she studied the relationship between

physical space and social life in Kuwait society with the factor

of time. She explains the idea of space organization with the

spatial concept of the traditional courtyard house in Kuwait, and

how it divided the interior from the inside. Also studied was the

way in which Kuwaiti houses have developed through time

terms of their interior space. From this point I can study the

spaces at a distance between two areas from any neighborhood

area to any active point (accessibility services), as she did.

Huda's use of this method, as informed by Hillier (1984), is the

syntactic method for spatial analysis, giving us an experimental

study in which a relativistic study of the planned layouts of two

traditional and two modern houses is compared in detail. The

spatial patterns of the two building types will be analytically

described to determine whether the differences between them

are morphological differences, or whether they are merely

formal differences. Also, she examined the organizing

principles of Kuwait's plan layouts in relation to time, in the

context of socio-cultural changes. An examination is made of

the organizing principles of Kuwait's representational forms

over time, in relation to spatial changes, and in the context of

the socio-cultural transformations. The space syntax theory was

used for her to understand the subject matter. Also, spaces can

be described as being deep or shallow with respect to other

spaces and in terms of spatial interconnectivity through various

routes of accessibility. I can use the same method of space

syntax to understand relationships between spaces and their

impact on the land value but from an exterior perspective.

To explain what I mean by space syntax theory; based on the book

of "the Social Logic of Space" [15], presented is a new theory

of the relationship between physical space and social life, or,

more precisely, "the social content of spatial patterning and the

spatial content of social patterning" [15]. Hillier uses this theory

to analyze patterns of architectural space. Also, the theory

examines how spaces are connected, and how spaces are

integrated with whole spaces, which can affect society. It also

informs of how unintelligible systems are ones in which well-

connected spaces are not well integrated, so that what can be

seen of their connections misleads us about the status of that

space in the system as whole [11].

The space syntax method calculates the street network of a

space by measuring the accessibility of its spatial configuration

[5] and is valuable in relating and analyzing patterns of

architectural space. It is valuable in relating and analyzing

patterns of architectural space.

Huda al-Bahar (1989) explains how to account for the

various forms of spatial patterns, and of the relations which

arise between the different types of spaces, and can be

understood by the concept of spatial configuration. Also, her

arrangement of graphs acts as suitable graphical tools, that can

describe the "two configuration properties of spatial layouts

which seem most important in articulating cultural ideas and

social relations"; one is the property of depth, and the other is

the property of choice [5].

For example, if a space 'A' is directly connected to space

'B', space 'A' is at depth one from space 'B'. Differently, if one

must pass through a third space 'C' that lies between spaces 'A'

and 'B' to get from 'A' to 'B', thus 'A' is at a depth two from 'B'.

Likewise, if the point 'A' and 'B' are separated by two spaces,

'A' will be at depth three from 'B' and the pattern continues

accordingly. The property of depth can therefore be represented

on the justified graph as a level or a graphic height, originating

from the space chosen to be the root vertex in the permeability

plot of a particular spatial arrangement.

Which means, I can connect two areas of study an

accessibility factor; according to Hansen (1959) and Wilson

[16], the idea of accessibility is to measure the relation between

proximity of one place or person to all others. Through this, any

active movement in the residential areas can be observed. This

measures the easiest route and the best travel time from one

point to another location. Often, this accessibility affects the

price of houses in Kuwait. I can systemize the accessibility of

each house against the others in the neighborhood to link how

much all of the elements affect the real estate market in Kuwait

via space syntax theory. More accessibility will add more value

to the price of the house, which creates more axial lines to more

accurately understand pricing.

The accessibility theory concept is a measurement of ‘the

spatial distribution of activities about a point, adjusted to the

ability and the desire of people or firms to overcome spatial

separation’. Also, Hansen (1959) defined accessibility as: ‘the

potential of opportunities for interaction’. Accessibility can be

defined as ‘the ability of individuals to travel and to participate

in activities at different locations in an environment’[17] . In a

transportation model, accessibility is defined as ‘… the

distribution of some defined activity measure versus the travel

impedance (time, cost and distance) to reach that activity from

the selected zones...'[18]. Accessibility theory, as Batty (2009)

[19] summarized it can be divided into three types of

accessibility theory. Firstly, type one accessibility defines how

near an individual is to ̀ opportunities', measuring the size of the

opportunity at some other place or position and inversely

moderating the cost of accessing the opportunity by distance or

time. The other two types of accessibility are based on a

network. Type two accessibility is more focused on the

Euclidean distance between one location and another,

measuring this as the sum of the shortest routes in a planar

graph. This measurement is popular in traffic models, and high

accessibility normally is associated with the minimum distance,

travel time and travel cost. Thirdly, accessibility is also defined

as the simplicity with which activities in the society can be

reached, including jobs and public services that reflect the

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needs of the community. Accessibility is seen as a measure of

the cost of getting from one destination to another, a tradeoff of

benefits received once the destination is reached [20].

Architecture uses accessibility as a measure of distance.

Many investigators have explored the relationship between

specific measures of accessibility and property value, as shown

in Accessibility [21]. In his study, he reviews the aggregate

(Zonal index) against the individual; the distance/time involved

to move from a house with specified facilities, and access to

employment centers, public services, such as schools, shopping

centers, public transportation and general practitioners in

China.

A good example for accessibility and land values is

Levittown [22], Pennsylvania, a perfect suburb constructed

after World War 2. Beginning in 1947, Levitt and Sons started

mass creating planned communities as a potential business

opportunity. When people come back from World War 2, lots

of veterans would want a home to start a family. After Levitt

and Sons first successful planned community in Long Island,

Levitt brought his mass-producing building formula to Lower

Bucks County. The site of Levittown was selected because of

the area’s industrial industry. The U.S. Steel Company’s

Fairless Works Plant chose to construct their plant in this area,

meaning this was an opportunity for Levitt and Son’s

developers. Levittown was built as a development of over

15,000 homes, arranged in 4 master blocks, which then were

divided into smaller sections (Ibid). The residential subdivision

is a critical element in suburban development, with green area

for children to play outside, landscapes with security, and all

accessibility factors needed such as; parks, schools, jobs

nearby, open floor design plans, natural lighting, carports,

garages, and indoor/outdoor living options with common

spaces (Ibid). Which means, accessibility is measured at the

aggregate level and the individual level. At the individual level,

accessibility accounts for the distance or time it costs to travel

from a location to facilities, such as schools, transit stations,

employment centers, shopping centers etc. [23]. So, from an

accessibility factor, it will be an attractive house, this will in

turn affect the land value.

From the land value perspective, the movement of the real

estate market in Kuwait is measured by the price of land in

Kuwait. Together, land and house prices vary considerably

between jurisdictions and locations, and may have dissimilar

dynamics in different locations, however, this does not change

the overall situation: if land for housing is too expensive then

high land and house prices produce an affordability problem, or

the perception of a problem, for certain groups of potential

Kuwaiti homebuyers [24].

A primary factor in this is the policy of the Kuwait Oil

Company, which owns 90% of Kuwaiti national land, as well

as the limited land available; only 7% of Kuwait's land is

currently utilized for urban development [25]. The real estate

companies have a limited role in solving the housing problem

and the responsibility falls on the government to accelerate land

development and reduce the monopoly of power of the large

landowners [26].

Cost is usually an important factor in building

procurement, and higher construction prices may well preclude

the pursuit of sustainability during design [27]. Kuwait is the

only country in the world where the real estate value reaches

80% of the total value of a housing project, and the value of

property development bank loans is up to 45% of the total bank

loan market in Kuwait [28].

Both land and single-family house prices vary substantially

among jurisdictions and locations, and may have different

dynamics in different locations, but this does not change the

overall situation: land for housing is too expensive [24]. If one

is using a standard of new construction in Kuwait, a 400-sq.

meter house on a 400-sq. meter real estate plot, the land price

contributes about 65%–72% to the price of the final product

[24].

IV. Overview of the Public Authority for Housing

Welfare (PAHW):

In 1954 the problem of housing in Kuwait was broached;

as such the Kuwaiti government started to produce house units.

This was started through the Construction Council and included

the Ministry of Housing. In 1986 these were merged with the

General Authority for Housing to plan, implement, design and

distribute government houses.

The PAHW offers each Kuwaiti family residential care, for

eligible citizens, by preparing the designs for the rehabilitation

of housing units, the construction of houses and apartments, and

by providing temporary alternatives. Also, they developed the

distinctive designs for residential care, as well as adequate

housing, to achieve solidarity for a promising future. The

PAHW responsibilities are to design, plan and construct the

residential areas with their attached services and infrastructure.

Also, they are responsible for the construction of public

buildings (accessibility) such as mosques, schools, markets,

clinics, police stations, kindergartens and multi-use halls [29].

V. Case study analysis:

want to do a comparison between two neighborhoods

designed by the PAHW. These neighborhoods have varied

levels of availability in their accessibility factors such as

hospitals, citizen's service centers, schools with special needs,

bakeries, parks, malls and colleges, so they have different land

values in 2017, according to the Kuwait Real Estate Guide

(''Sell and Buy,'' 2017). To measure the distance between the

accessibility factors of the house and the house plot I will use

space syntax (metric) to measure the distance in meters between

the center of a segment and the center of neighboring with a

Depthmap (as a time) to plot the shortest paths for integration

and choice for a distance and time to gather.

"RA (x) = 2 (MDF) k-2 where MD = Mean Depth' or the mean

number of spaces away, of all other spaces from the selected

space (x) k = Total number of spaces or cells in the system [13]

VI. Case study location:Table 1.0

The table shows the average house price between two neighborhoods (4

SALE, 2017)

Location Price

1. Sabah Al-Ahmad city

(typical housing units)

160.000 to 240.000 (K.D)

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2. Saad A-Abdullah city (typical housing units)

190.000 to 320.000 (K.D)

Case study analysis 1: single family house (Sabah Al –

Ahmad):

Sabah Al-Ahmad City is a city of the Al-Ahmadi

Governorate is located in Arifjan, south of the State of Kuwait,

76 kilometers from Kuwait City. It covers an area of 4,000

hectares, and the number of housing units it contains is 11,794,

including 2,201 government houses and 7,373 government

vouchers. The city's facilities include 78 schools with primary,

intermediate, secondary and kindergarten care. Sabah Al-

Ahmad is divided into six zones. Zone A, B, C, D, E and F.

Sabah Al-Ahmad has an investment zone, industrial area and

information area, entertainment area, sports area, an area of

resorts, 28 shops in the center, 6 police stations, 6 health

centers, a clinic and 6 petrol filling stations, in addition to

educational services [29].

According to a survey I did (Accessibility Factors Next to

Your Home, December 2017), with people who are already

living in Sabah Al-Ahmad city and Saad Al-Abdullah city,

there are a few key accessibility factors which are most

important to citizens. I filtered the survey and chose the most

similar accessibility factors between Sabah Al-Ahmad city and

Saad A-Abdullah city, with the time it costs to reach each

location. Also included was an Instagram text message with Mr.

Fahad Al-Anizi (Instagram, Subah_City). I infer from this

information that what people need most are hospitals, citizen's

service centers, schools with special needs services, bakeries,

parks, malls and colleges. I measured the accessibility factors

by using space syntax (metric) and Depthmaps for the time

comparisons between the two cities as shown in the following

tables, charts and figures.

Table 2.0

The table shows the accessibility factors according to the

survey I did (December 2017) with time cost to reach the

accessibility point in Sabah Al-Ahmad city. (source: author) Location Nearest location Space syntax

(metric)

Depthmap

(time)

1-Hospital (Fig

6)

Al-Adan Hospital 44.2 km 35 min.

2-Kuwait

University (Fig 7)

College of

Engineering & Petroleum

75 km 1 hour 5 min.

3-Citizen

Service Center

(Fig 8)

Assabahiyah

Services Center,

Assabahiyah, Kuwait

41.5 km 34 min

4-Kuwait Flour

Mills & Bakeries Com.

(Fig 9)

Ahmedi Bakery 41.4 km 37 min

5-Park (Fig 10) Ali Sabah Al

Salem (Park)

28.1 km 27 min.

6-Malls (Fig

11)

Al Kout Mall,

Fahaheel

41.6 km 37 min

Figure 12 Space syntax (metric) Sabah Al-Ahmad city. (source: author)

Space syntax (metric) in Sabah Al-Ahmad city, Average =45.3

km

Figure 13 Depthmap (Time) Sabah Al-Ahmad city (source:

author)

Depthmap (Time) in Sabah Al-Ahmad city, Average =39 min.

Case study analysis 2: single family house (Saad Al-

Abdullah City)

Saad Al-Abdullah city is one of the most modern and

integrated cities in Kuwait. It provides for all the needs of its

citizens, in terms of public utilities and services, noting that the

Saad Al-Abdullah residential project is located in the western

44.2

75

41.5 41.4

28.1

41.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

AC

CE

SS

IBIL

ITY

FA

CT

OR

S

S p a c e s y n t a x ( m a t r i c ) i n S a b a h A l -A h m a d c i t y

35

65

34 37

27

37

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Depthmap (Time) In Sabah Al -

ahmad City

depthmap (time)

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part of Kuwait City. It is between Amghara, the area from the

south of the Sixth ring road and west of the Jahra. The city

consists of eleven blocks, of which 9 blocks of housing units

were disseminated through vouchers for government loaned

land. These were fully distributed. The other two blocks, 8 and

10, consist of typical government housing units [30]. I studied

the nearest accessibility factors such as hospitals, citizen's

service centers, schools with special needs services, bakeries,

parks, malls and colleges as needed by the people, to compare

the space syntax and time Depthmap with Sabah Al-Ahmad city

to understand its impact on land value.

Table 3.0

The table shows the accessibility factors with time in the Saad

AL Abdullah city. (source: author) Location Nearest

location

Space syntax

(metric)

depthmap

(time)

1-Hospital (Fig

15)

Jahra Hospital 5.8 km 9 min.

2-Kuwait

University (Fig

16)

College of

Engineering &

Petroleum

28.4 km 29 min.

3-Citizen

Service Center(Fig 17)

Saad Al

Abdullah, Al Jahra

3 km 5 min

4-Kuwait Flour

Mills &

Bakeries Com.(Fig 18)

Kuwait Flour

Mills &

Bakeries Co., Daabal Al

Khuzaei St, Al

Jahra

11.7 km 15 min

5-Park (Fig 19) Ali Sabah Al

Salem (Park)

11.1 km 14 min.

6-Malls (Fig 20) Awtad Mall, Ain

Jalut St, Al Jahra

7.6 km 12 min

Figure 21, Space syntax (metric) km., In Saad AL Abdullah

city. (source: author)

Space syntax (metric) in Saad AL Abdullah city, Average

=11.2 km

Figure 22, depthmap (time) min., In Saad AL Abdullah

city. (source: author)

Depthmap (Time) in Saad AL Abdullah city, Average =14

min.

Comparison between the two-case study 1 and case study 2 for

accessibility factors and time to cost.

Figure 23, Average space syntax (metric) in Saad AL

Abdullah city and Sabah Al-Ahmad city. (source: author)

Figure 24, Average Depthmap (Time) in Saad AL Abdullah

city and Sabah Al-Ahmad city. (source: author)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Space syntax (matric) km. in Saad AL Abdullah city

Space syntax (matric)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

depthmap (time) min.

20%

80%

Average Space syntax (matric) between two case studies

Space syntaxSabah Al-Ahmadcity, Average

26%

74%

Average Depthmap (Time) between two case studies

Depthmap (Time)in Saad ALAbdullah city,Average

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Figure 25, land value in Saad AL Abdullah city and Sabah Al-

Ahmad city. (source: author)

VII. Limitations:

Though the study has reached its aims, there are some

limitations and shortcomings which need to be addressed. First,

because of the time limit, the research was conducted based on

only two case studies in Kuwait. Therefore, to improve the

result's validity the study should have involved a larger number

of case studies. Second, based on the literature review, this

paper shows in detail how space syntax (metric) and Depthmap

(time) are affecting the land value by increasing or decreasing

it depending on space syntax, but no decisive effect on the real

estate market inside of Kuwait is included.

VIII. Contribution

Based in the literature review and the two case studies

using space syntax theory; the contribution of This paper is to

explores the relationship between architecture and land value.

So, before selecting land from the Authority for Housing

Welfare, one must understand all locations of the land available,

and compare which is better by applying the space syntax

theory to choose the best land location. Thus, I have discovered

that urban network morphology features can have both positive

and negative impacts on housing prices. Also, we can integrate

banks into this process to better understand the impact of

housing prices on real estate based financial planning, and the

use of mortgage laws in Kuwait. In conclusion, land value in

the Kuwait real estate market is raised according to how many

accessibility factors are near the property, furthermore I will

study the real estate market in Kuwait in general in comparison

to the rest of the Gulf countries.

IX. Conclusion:

In my opinion, the current stage of the real estate market

development in Kuwait is transitional. Outcomes show that the

spatial accessibility of space syntax defines land value in

relation to the street distance layout with time. The findings of

this thesis will inform planners and economists, who benefit

from an empirically-based consideration of how distance and

time affect local land values, also architects and urban

designers, about how the spatial configuration affects land use.

The impact of physical layout on the social aspect of the city is also studied.

The higher the accessibility to distance ratio; the more accessibility with less

time to reach the destination, adds more land value. Less accessibility, as with

Sabah Al-Ahmad, insures less value comparable to Saad Al-Abdullah,

which has more accessibility, assuring it a higher land value.

Finally, according to the literature review and the two case

studies using space syntax theory; the space syntax (metric)

used to measure the accessibility factors and Depthmap of time

as a factor in price determination on land value in Kuwait, if the

accessibility factors are close to the house and take less time to

reach than other areas the land value will be higher than the area

with less accessibility factors. This means that if it will cost

more time for people to reach their accessibility factors, the land

value will be less than that of other areas. Therefore, the land

value can be measured by using accessibility factors and the

travel time cost, as professed in the Space Syntax methodology,

in Kuwait.

From the governmental side, which is responsible for

offering a better quality of life for people [29], it is important to

understand why prices are high and discuss what the

government could and should do to create conditions for

changing the price dynamics. Therefore, there is a clear need

for land management reform, which would aim to resolve a

number of land-related issues. Also, the policymakers and

mortgage law should not be ignored (F. Al-Sultan, 2005).

References

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factors on land values in the CBD of Izmir. London, The

Bartlett School of Architecture, 2015.

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[3] H. Miller, Place‐based versus people‐based geographic

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2007.

[8] B. Hillier and C. Stutz, New methods in space syntax. Urban

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[9] B. Hillier and L. Vaughan, The city as one thing. Progress

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320

160

240

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

house price(4sall, 2017)

house price (DK).

Saad A-Abdullah city Sabah Al-Ahmad

6th Annual International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE 2018)

GSTF © 2018109

landscape research in the Netherlands (Vol. 2). TU Delft.,

2011.

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(Doctoral dissertation, University College London

(University of London), 1990.

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Layouts In Erbil City, Iraq.

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Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of

Cambridge, 1984.

[16] W.G. Hansen, How accessibility shapes land use. Journal

of the American Institute of planners, 25 (2), pp. 73-76,

1959.

[17] F. Des Rosiers and M. Thériault, House prices and spatial

dependence: towards an integrated procedure to model

neighborhood dynamics. Faculté des sciences de

l'administration, Université Laval, 1999.

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within the Belfast urban area. Housing studies, 15 (5), pp.

699-716, 2000.

[19] M. Batty, Urban modeling. International Encyclopedia of

Human Geography. Oxford, UK: Elsevier, 2009.

[20] L. Narvaez, A. Penn, and S. Griffiths, SPACE SYNTAX

ECONOMICS: decoding accessibility using property

value and housing price in Cardiff, Wales. In Proceedings

of the Eighth International Space Syntax Symposium,

Santiago de Chile pp. 1-19, 2012.

[21] Y. Xiao and C. Webster, Urban morphology and housing

market. Springer Singapore, 2017.

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American Institute of Planners, 37(6), pp. 379-385, 1971.

[23] H. J. Miller, Modelling accessibility using space-time

prism concepts within geographical information systems.

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[24] O. Kaganova, F. Al-Sultan, and J. Speakman, Overview of

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Literature, 13 (3), pp. 287-302, 2005.

[25] National Assembly of Kuwait, Housing issue (Report No.

1). Retrieved from http://www.kna.kw/clt-

html5/index.asp, 2013.

[26] R. Mohammad, The Role of Commercial Banks in

Financing, Private Housing in The State Of Kuwait, p. 4,

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[27] C. Langston, Measuring Good Architecture: Longlife,

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Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.net, August 13, 2015.

[29] The Public Authority for Housing Welfare, Public

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Bibliography (Figures)

Case study location:

Location Price

1. Sabah Al-Ahmad city (typical housing units)

160.000 to 240.000 (K.D)

2. Saad A-Abdullah city (typical

housing units)

190.000 to 320.000 (K.D)

Figure 1. Axial map for traditional house (Al-Bahar, 1989, p. 220).

6th Annual International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE 2018)

GSTF © 2018110

Figure 14. Saad AL Abdullah city neighborhood area.

Adapted from https://www.google.com/earth/.copyright2017

Table 2.0

The table shows the accessibility factors according to the survey I did (December 2017) with time cost to reach the accessibility point in Sabah Al-

Ahmad city. (source: author)

Case study analysis 2: single family house (Saad Al-Abdullah City)

Table 3.0

The table shows the accessibility factors with time in the Saad AL Abdullah city. (source: author)

Location Nearest

location

Space syntax

(metric)

depthmap

(time)

1-Hospital (Fig 15)

Jahra Hospital 5.8 km 9 min.

2-Kuwait

University (Fig

16)

College of

Engineering &

Petroleum

28.4 km 29 min.

3-Citizen

Service Center(Fig 17)

Saad Al

Abdullah, Al Jahra

3 km 5 min

4-Kuwait Flour

Mills & Bakeries Com.

(Fig 18)

Kuwait Flour

Mills & Bakeries Co.,

Daabal Al

Khuzaei St, Al Jahra

11.7 km 15 min

5-Park (Fig 19) Ali Sabah Al

Salem (Park)

11.1 km 14 min.

6-Malls (Fig 20) Awtad Mall, Ain Jalut St, Al Jahra

7.6 km 12 min

Location Nearest

location

Space

syntax

(metric)

Depthmap

(time)

1-Hospital

(Fig 6)

Al-Adan

Hospital

44.2 km 35 min.

2-Kuwait

University (Fig 7)

College of

Engineering & Petroleum

75 km 1 hour 5 min.

3-CitizenService Center

(Fig 8)

Assabahiyah Services Center,

Assabahiyah,

Kuwait

41.5 km 34 min

4-Kuwait

Flour Mills &

Bakeries Com.(Fig 9)

Ahmedi Bakery 41.4 km 37 min

5-Park (Fig

10)

Ali Sabah Al

Salem (Park)

28.1 km 27 min.

6-Malls (Fig 11)

Al Kout Mall, Fahaheel

41.6 km 37 min Figure 4 Sabah Al-Ahmad neighborhood area.

Adapted from

https://www.google.com/earth/.copyright2017

Figure 5 Sabah Al-Ahmad neighborhood area.

Adapted from https://www.housing.gov.kw

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GSTF © 2018111

A.

Figure 6, from Sabah Al-Ahmad

city to Adan hospital Adapted from

https://www.google.com/earth/.

copyright2017

Figure 7, from Sabah Al-

Ahmad city to College of Engineering and Petroleum

Adapted from

https://www.google.com/ea

rth/.copyright2017

Figure 8, from Sabah Al-Ahmad city to Assabahiyah

Services Center, Adapted

from https://www.google.com/earth/.copyright2017

Figure 9, from Sabah Al-Ahmad city to Ahmedi

Bakery

Adapted from https://www.google.com/eart

h/.copyright2017

Figure 10, from Sabah Al-Ahmad city to Ali Sabah Al Salem (Park)

Adapted from

https://www.google.com/earth/.copyright2017

Figure 11, from Sabah Al-

Ahmad city to Al Kout Mall,

Fahaheel

Adapted from https://www.google.com/earth/.copyright2017

Figure 15, from Saad Al Abdullah city to Al- Jahra

Hospital

Adapted from https://www.google.com/earth/.

copyright2017

Figure 16, from Saad Al Abdullah city to College of

Engineering & Petroleum

Adapted from https://www.google.com/earth/.copyright2017

Figure 17, from Saad Al Abdullah city to Saad Al Abdullah, Al Jahra, Citizen

Service

Adapted from https://www.google.com/earth/.copyright2017Figure 18, from Saad Al

Abdullah city Kuwait Flour Mills

& Bakeries Co., Daabal Al Khuzaei St, Al Jahra

Adapted from

https://www.google.com/earth/.co

pyright2017

Figure 20, from Saad Al

Abdullah city to Awtad

Mall, Ain Jalut St, Al

Jahra Adapted from

https://www.google.com/e

arth/.copyright2017

Figure 19, from Saad Al Abdullah city to Ali Sabah Al Salem (Park)

Adapted from https://www.google.com/earth/.copy

right2017

6th Annual International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE 2018)

GSTF © 2018112