Kevin Lynch (1918-1984) was an American Urban Planer& author. His famous book The Image of the City which he published in 1960 is very famous among his works. His other works are Good City Form, Site Planning, What Time Is the Place and Wasting Away. He was a disciple of FLW before he studied city planning and pend his academic career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, teaching there. He focused on site planning and urban design topics.
In this book, he examines topics under 5 title that are the image of the environment, three cities (Boston, Jersey, Los Angeles) the city image and its elements (paths- edges- districts- nodes- landmarks), city form and a new scale. This book is about the look of cities, and whether this look is of any importance whether it can be changed.
In this week we were asked to summuriez the the city image and elemts summurizing.
Paths mean streets walkway, transit lines, canals and railroads in the city. Pats can be recognizable and continuous as well as directional feature. The road moving in the other direction is easily recognizable. While people observing the city, these paths the other environmental elements are arrange according to paths and also related with paths.
Edges usually form boundaries separating the two kinds of areas. they act as lateral references. So even though they are linear elements, they not consider as paths by observers. Also, edges have directional qualities like paths. For example, Beacon Hill in Boston divided the city in two
District are larger city areas. Physical characteristics of districts are de determined by continuities, forms detail, building and skyline topography. Districts give identity the basis clues of the city. Also, according to observers these areas has attracted attention direction finding or define the city.
Nodes are pointing the strategic spots and characteristic corners. Even though they are small points in the city, they can be large squares. According to city observers, the junction or place of a break in transportation is important point for city because they have to decide where they go. So, these points are remarkable for them. Also, the subway station even if they are invisible path system, they can be references or base point for people to decided their direction
Landmarks are point references for observers. Feature of these elements are easily recognizable and unique. These landmarks can be contrast to city. For example ,in dirt city, Boston science church that symbolize cleaning is remarkable volume for the city.
Elements interrelations
These elements are part of the environmental image at the city scale. They must be patterned together to provide a recognisable and satisfying form. All they reinforce each other.
Ece Kavasoglu 