Spatial familiarity in two of belgium's suburban municipalities
The aim of this article on spatial familiarity is to measure to what extent the location representing an individual's living space and his cognitive map are familiar to him. Based on a study by Gale, Golledge, Halperin and Couclelis (1990), it explores the spatial familiarity of the inhabitants of two suburban municipalities north of Liège (Belgium); questions the links between the different cognitive dimensions (the visual, the nominal and the localization dimensions), and the behavioural, or passing, dimension; investigates new reference locations for the populations of these suburban spaces, including the factors conducive to a high degree of familiarity with given locations; and lastly, analyzes the influence of inhabitant mobility –length of residence, daily commutes and travel options –on spatial familiarity.