Spatial Capital and how to measure it –

New urbanism has in the recent decade established itself as maybe the most influential movement in contemporary urbanism. Like most such movements it has done so in opposition and debate with established paradigms of practice and knowledge, that is, it has been a critical and outspokenly ideological movement. New urbanism thus fits well into Françoise Choay’s description of theories in urbanism, where she through a close reading of the tradition finds them to be, on the one hand, projects to build general theories on urbanism, but on the other, programmes propagating new ideals.1 Put simply, theories on urbanism have been inherently normative, telling us what cities should be, rather than analytical, telling us how they work. This aspect of theories in urbanism has also been discussed in depth by Bill Hillier.2 In short he puts forth the quite alarming conclusion that we are rich in theoretical support for the generation of urban designs, but poor in well-founded support for th