Configuration, morphology and typology: spatial influences of urban form on home-based business in Hanoi, Vietnam
Creators: name: THAI, Ha
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 330102
subject: Architectural design
classificationCode: 330411
subject: Urban design

description: This research examines the influential roles that the spatial setting of urban form has on the viability and location of home-based businesses (HBBs) in Hanoi, Vietnam. The focus is on pathways linking the front door of these HBBs to local pools of customers which are usually found on main streets. These pathways that provide access for dwellers, goods and customers are mostly overlooked in existing literature. Their various forms and characteristics are shaped by the arrangement of void spaces between buildings and unoccupied spaces inside buildings, and include public streets, semi-private lanes, alleys, stairs, and elevators. The relationship between the configuration of the entire city’s street network, the spatial characteristics of these pathways, and the feasibility of establishing and operating an income-generating activity at home is investigated in this research.

The investigation focused on the central districts of Hanoi, a capital city characterised by highly informal and intricate physical settings, where many people live and work in segregated and isolated locations, such as on the second floor of a multihousehold, multi-level house located deep inside a street block. In such contexts, existing mapping and analytical techniques cannot capture and measure the spatial characteristics of the route or the pathway linking a main street to a home location. As a result, this research developed a mixed methodology, adapted from urban morphological, building typological and space syntax approaches, combined with observations and interviews to overcome the limitations of each of these individual approaches.

Data comes from interviews with 118 households operating 164 HBBs in 6 morphological distinct neighbourhoods, and surveys of the pathways connecting individual homes to adjacent local main streets. Figure-ground maps were used to explore the spatial conditions of such pathways at ground level. Three-dimensional analytical diagrams were also developed to investigate horizontal and vertical pathway segments inside buildings. These field observations and interviews with home-based business owners revealed the critical influence of the pathways’ spatial characteristics on the viability of HBBs’ operations.

The greatest impact was identified as level changes within a building, followed by the number of turns along the pathway. The low impact of linear (metric) distance was highlighted whereas the walked distance from the main street to the HBB doorway was proven to be a relatively insignificant factor for the successful operation of certain types of businesses. Investigations of spatial setting of the pathway at a close scale discovered the influential roles of open space and air space in enhancing visibility, accessibility, and adaptability of home location for economic purposes.

The research bridges a long-standing methodological gap between urban morphological, building typological and Space Syntax approaches in analysing the socioeconomic significance of urban physical form. It provides new insights for policymakers, urban planners, and designers about the potential impacts of their planning decisions on a city’s and its citizens’ economic wellbeing.