Image of The City: Principles of Urban Design
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Kehinde OlaoluwaImage of The City: Principles of Urban Design
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Kehinde OlaoluwaARC 416
PRINCIPLES OF URBAN DESIGN
IMAGE OF THE CITY
IMAGEABILITY
This is a measure of how easily a physical object, word or
environment will evoke a clear mental image in the mind of any
person observing it..
KELVIN LYNCH
He introduced this term in his book, The Image of The City (1968) where he
argues that cities contain a key set of physical elements that people use to
understand the environment, orient themselves inside it and assign meaning to
A city is a large human settlement. It can be defined as a permanent and densely
settled
place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work primarily on
non- agricultural tasks.
Cities generally have extensive systems for housing. transportation, sanitation,
utilities,
land use and communication.
Traits of Cities
•Population
•Population Density- Number of dwelling units
•Infrastructure
•Special Symbolic Status- conferred by a certain authority
•Functions
A city is constructed in Space but of a vast
scale
A City is described with its surroundings and
elements
Perception of the City by the people is important
Going through a City from the viewer’s mind is the mage
of the City
MENTAL MAPPING
Lynch used simple sketches of maps created from memory of an urban area to reveal five
elements of the city; nodes, edges, districts, paths and landmarks. Lynch claimed that “Most
often our perception of the city is not sustained, but rather partial, fragmentary, mixed with other
concerns. Nearly every sense is in operation, and the image is the composite of them all.
Mental maps have been used in a collection of spatial research
Mental maps have also been used to describe the urban experience of children
The idea of mental maps is also used in strategic analysis
Elements of the City
They make the City
1. NODES
2. PATHS
3. DISTRICTS
4. EDGES
5. LANDMARKS
PATHS
Channels in which people travel. Examples: streets, sidewalks
, trails, canals, railroads.
NODES
Large areas people can enter, that serve as the foci of the city, neighborhood,
district, etc.
They foster the integration of the network into urban circumstances like spatial
structure, economy and regional development.
…Origin and/or destination of most long-distance trips
…Location of major transport nodes (ports, airports and other terminals)
…Interfaces of long-distance and local/regional transport
DISTRICTS
They are medium to large areas people can enter into and out of
and have a common set of identifiable characteristics.
Is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed
by local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary
greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities,
subdivisions of municipalities, school district, or political district.
EDGES
Objects that form boundaries around space. Examples: walls,
buildings, and shorelines, curbstone, streets and overpasses.
AN OVERPASS
Can be called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and
some other Commonwealth countries
It is also a bridge, road, railway or similar structure
that crosses over another road or railway. An overpass and underpass together form a
grade separation.
A CURBSTONE OR KERB
Is the edge where a raised sidewalk (pavement in British English; pavement or footpath in Australian English)
or road median/central reservation meets a street or other roadway.
A WALL
Is a structure that defines an area, carries a load;
provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or is decorative.
WALLS
•Border barriers between countries
•Brick walls
•Defensive walls in fortifications
•Doors, mobile walls on hinges which open to form a gateway
•Glass walls (only when most of the wall, in smaller amounts it is called a window)
•Permanent, solid fences
•Precast walls
•Retaining walls, which hold back dirt, stone, water, or noise sound
•Stone walls
•Walls that protect from oceans (seawalls) or rivers (levees)
LANDMARKS
Memorable points of reference people cannot enter into.
Examples: signs, mountains and public art.
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for
navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is
often visible from long distances
In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or
features, that have become local or national symbols.
TYPES OF LANDMARKS
NATURAL MAN MADE
• Natural landmarks can be characteristic • In modern sense, landmarks are usually
features, such as mountains or plateaus. referred to as monuments or prominent
Examples of natural landmarks are Table Mountain in
distinctive buildings, used as the symbol of
South Africa, Mount Ararat in Turkey, Uluru in a certain area, city, or nation.
Australia, Mount Fuji in Japan and Grand Canyon Some examples include the Statue of Unity in Narmada,
in the United States. the White House in Washington, D.C., the
Trees might also serve as local landmarks, such as Statue of Liberty in New York City he Colosseum in
jubilee oaks or conifers. Rome, Big Ben in London, Christ the Redeemer in Rio
de Janeiro, Bratislava Castle in Bratislava, the Space
Needle in Seattle, the Sydney Harbour Bridge or
the Sydney Opera House (both in Sydney
