# Sustainable Planning and Design of Ocean City Spatial Forms Based on Space Syntax
## 3 The PAD of an OC Based on Space Syntax (SS)
### Brief Analysis of SS Steps  
SS theory aims to transform a perceptual space into a rational space by using SS methods and techniques and understanding spatial characteristics more objectively. The major steps are shown in Figure 2.  
First, based on SS theory, the space is reasonably converted; that is, the space system is divided into individual spatial units via internal logic. These spatial units are interconnected and mutually influenced. Each spatial unit has a different spatial form variable in the space system. Second, the most crucial step for SS to convert a perceptual space to a reasonable space is to resort to the three kinds of segmentation methods; i.e., axial, convex space, and FOV, to transform spatial configuration to understandable geometric representations and space activities that can barely be perceived in reality into rational geometric representations [24]. Finally, the geometric representations are imported into computer software and numerical calculations and analyses are performed. The value of the morphological variable is obtained, and the spatial characteristics can be understood more defensibly and completely. The details are as follows. 1. Analysis of the vector space  
The analysis of the vector space mainly exploits the potential information of spatial targets via a conjoint analysis of spatial data and a spatial model. The basic information about these spatial targets includes their spatial position, distribution, morphology, distance, azimuth, and topological relations. Among them, the distance, azimuth, and topological relations constitute the spatial relations of spatial targets. This is a spatial characteristic between geographical entities and can be adopted as the ground of data organization, query, analysis, and inference. By dividing the geospatial targets into different types--that is, points, lines, and planes--we can acquire the morphological structure of these types of targets. The spatial calculation and analysis of many specific tasks can be carried out by combining the spatial data and attribute data of spatial targets [25]. Figure 2: Brief analysis of SS steps. * Primitive merging is the aggregation of the vector space, which merges or transforms data types according to spatial adjacency and categorical attribute fields to achieve the merging of spatial regions (data synthesis). Due to spatial aggregation, complex categories are often transformed into simpler ones; this analytical treatment is often needed during the graphical transformation from places and areas to large regions. * Spatial query  
A spatial query is meant to discriminate the spatial topology (the inclusion, separation, intersection, encompassment, and intersection of rectangles) of the elements of the input layer and query layer or the query scope of the interactive input and extract primitives that satisfy the topological discrimination conditions from the input layer. * Superposition analysis  
Overlay and superposition analysis is an operation that superimposes two or more layers of map elements and generates a new element layer. The result is that the original elements are segmented to generate new elements. The new elements synthesize the attributes of the original two or more layers of elements, where the overlay and superposition analysis not only produces new spatial relations but also associates the attributes of the input data layer to produce new attribute relations. Overlay and superposition analysis calculates and analyzes attributes of new elements based on a given mathematical model, thus producing the results required by users or answering the questions raised by users. 2. Grid space analysis  
Grid-data-based spatial analysis is the foundation of GIS spatial analysis, which incorporates distance mapping, density mapping, surface analysis, statistical analysis, reclassification, grid calculation, visibility analysis, topographic factor analysis, hydrological analysis, etc.