SPUM develops and validates a new Spatial Perception Urban Model that shifts urban modelling from a primarily physical understanding of cities towards a human-centred approach that captures how people perceive and experience urban environments. The project integrates environmental psychology, spatial cognition, urban morphology, GIS, visibility analysis and smart city technologies to better understand and predict perceived walkability.

Using Nicosia as a case study, SPUM translates perceptual qualities such as imageability, enclosure, human scale, transparency, complexity and legibility into GIS-based metrics. The project will develop an open-source geospatial tool, validate the model against real-world pedestrian behaviour, and support scenario modelling and evidence-based decision-making for more human-centred urban planning and design.