MAREMonday 17

On 05.12.2022 we present the 17th session of our online lecture series with a contribution by

Katharina Zerzeropulos
(ROOTS Cluster of Excellence – CAU Kiel)

 A space syntax approach to Ostia’s port

Abstract:

The city of Ostia is mostly known as the port city of Rome, which elevates the significance of the actual port and its location in the city to probably the most important feature of Ostia. Yet it is not known whether the city has been catered for by a river port, a basin, or both.
Due to the special character of the city and its location on the river mouth of the Tiber, it is to be assumed that the city evolved around the port, which must have had consequences for city’s development. Using this theory, this paper will investigate the configuration of the city as it is seen today by comparing a mapping of the buildings’ functions with the Space Syntax method. In order to get a side-by-side comparison of the plausibility of the city’s configuration for different scenarios of the location of the port, Space Syntax Analysis, or more specifically Step Depth Analysis, is used from various starting points. The investigation will include the river port, the basin, the city gates and a combination of all, presenting quantitative values.