What are elements called that impede movement and may present as barriers?

Elements that impede movement and act as barriers are referred to as edges. In urban planning and architectural theory, edges are linear elements that define or segregate spaces, such as walls, rivers, or highways. These features can disrupt the continuity of movement, offering a clear separation between areas and influencing how people navigate and experience their environment.

Understanding edges is crucial for designing spaces that foster connectivity and accessibility, as they can both define and constrain movement patterns within a built environment. While paths facilitate movement and landmarks enhance orientation, it is the edges that distinctly serve to mark boundaries or transitions between different spaces, making them significant in the context of spatial organization and experience. Districts are generally larger areas characterized by some unifying features but do not inherently function as barriers in the same way edges do.