Identification of boundaries of urban vernacular areas based on online-data: case-studySanFrancisco

Abstract

This article focuses on the identification of one of the forms of territorial organization of society – vernacular region in urban area (UVR), case-study of San-Francisco. In the course of the study, was analyzed a wide layer of foreign and domestic sources of the concept of vernacular regions, as well as its various interpretations. Author made an attempt to distinguish between the concepts of «neighborhood» and «vernacular region in urban area». Relevance and innovativeness of this work stem from the use of volunteered geographical information (VGI) as a data source, exactly social network Instagram. In the course of the study, the main methodological approaches were formulated – one online method for determining the boundaries of the UVR was developed and described, and its advantages and dis- advantages were also identified. As a result, the boundaries of the San Francisco UVR are delineated. Also, the identified boundaries are compared with the administrative boundaries of the administrative districts of the city (neighborhoods). For clarity of this comparison, maps have been compiled. Visible discrepancies are analyzed, lacunas are found in the urban vernacular grid of San Francisco. At the end of the study, the author explains the similarities and differences between the two concepts of «neighbourhood» and «vernacular region in urban area», and also suggests which of the elevations is best suited for specific tasks.