Transitional edges - a conceptual framework for socio-spatial understanding of urban street edges

Aug 27, 2026

Uploaded by Putri

This paper develops a conceptual framework of transitional edges to enhance understanding of the social value of urban street edges. Building from socio-spatial principles, transitional edges frame urban street edges as integrations of social, spatial, and material dimensions through a tripartite structure: extent, laterality, and locality. The framework supports practical identification and evaluation of transitional edges as assemblages of territorialised segments, demonstrated through a developmental study of Sharrow Vale Road in Sheffield, UK.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Active street edges and the problem of integration

Transitional edges as a socio-spatial framework

Assemblage-based segmentation and building blocks

[eprints@whiterose.ac.uk](eprints@whiterose.ac.uk)[ ](eprints@whiterose.ac.uk)[https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk](https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk) Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York Deposited via The University of Sheffield. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: [https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/155468/](https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/155468/) [Version: Accepted Version](Version: Accepted Version) Article: Thwaites, K. , Simpson, J. and Simkins, I. (2020) Transitional edges: a conceptual framework for socio-spatial understanding of urban street edges. URBAN DESIGN International, 25 (4) . pp. 295-309. ISSN: 1357-5317 [https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-020-00115-9](https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-020-00115-9) This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in URBAN DESIGN International. The final authenticated version is available online at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41289-020-00115-9](http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41289-020-00115-9) . Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [eprints@whiterose.ac.uk](eprints@whiterose.ac.uk) including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. Transitional edges: a conceptual framework for socio-spatial understanding of urban street edges Thwaites K, Simpson J and Simkins IM Abstract This paper develops a conceptual framework of transitional edges to enhance understanding of the social value of urban street edges. Building from theoretical principles associated with socio-spatial understandings of urban realms, transitional edges conceptualise urban street edges as integrations of their social, spatial and material dimensions. This is captured in a tripartite structure highlighting socially relevant properties of transitional edges that act along them (extent), across them (laterality) and within them (locality) . This provides a foundation for developing an approach to practical application based on identification and evaluation of transitional edges as assemblages of territorialised segments. To progress this, a developmental study of a length of Sharrow Vale Road in Sheffield, UK was carried out to explore how theoretical principles of the transitional edge conceptual framework could be translated for practical application. This reveals the potential of transitional edges to highlight that locally focused small scale change and adaptation may be significant to the social potential of urban street edges. As a result, the current study sets out theoretical and practical foundations for a conceptual framework of transitional edges which will support development of an extensive funded programme of transitional edge case study research. Keywords: transitional edge, extent, laterality, locality, segments, socio-spatial street edges Introduction Active street edges encourage social vitality in urban environments (Frank and Stevens, 2007; Gehl, 2010; Glaser et al, 2012; Dovey and Wood, 2015) . Nevertheless, the creation of active edges in ways that successfully draws together their material and spatial structure with social processes remains hindered (Cuthbert, 2007; Gehl, 2010) . An important limitation is that socially oriented benefits associated with urban street edge settings rarely feature directly in prevailing approaches to urban planning and design practice. ‘For decades the human dimension has been an overlooked and haphazardly addressed urban planning

FAQs

What are transitional edges, according to the paper?

Transitional edges conceptualise urban street edges as integrated social, spatial, and material dimensions, structured through extent, laterality, and locality.

How does the framework support practical use in urban design?

It provides a basis for identifying and evaluating transitional edges as assemblages of territorialised segments, enabling translation from theory to practice.

What case study is used to demonstrate the framework?

The paper uses a developmental study of Sharrow Vale Road in Sheffield, UK to explore how the transitional edge concepts can be applied practically.

Aug 27, 2026

Uploaded by Putri