Multidimensional study of urban squares through perimetral analysis: Three Portuguese case studies

This paper addresses one of the most symbolically and socially meaningful elements of the public open space: the urban square (Portuguese: praça). Besides their urban centrality, these spaces' potential for liveliness depends on multiple factors and their identity as a place may only be grasped by formal methods able to embrace their latent complexity and address the multiscale and multivariate correlations of factors that defy human cognitive capabilities. This paper presents a synchronic multidimensional analysis of three Portuguese historic squares: Largo da Oliveira, Praça de São Tiago (Guimarães) and Praça do Giraldo (Évora), representative of the national historic heritage.