Lynch Kevin, The Image of the City, MIT Press, 1961

Lynch Kevin, The Image of the City, MIT Press, 1961


p.1
‘City design is a temporal art, but it can rarely use the controlled and therefore limited sequences of other temporal arts like music.’
‘At every instant there is more than the eye can see, more than the ear can hear, a setting or view waiting to be explored. Nothin is experienced by itself, but always in relation to its surroundings, the sequence of events leading up to it, the memory of past experiences.’
‘Every citizen has had long associations with some part of his city, and his image is soaked in memories and meanings.’

p.2
‘percieved (and perhaps enjoyed) by millions of people of widely divesrse class, and character… the produce of many builders who are constantly modifying the structure.’
‘While it may be stable in general outlines for soime time, it is ever changing in detail.’ Only partial control can be exercised over its growth and form. There is no final result, only a continuous succession of phases.’

p.2-3
legibility ‘the ease with which is parts can be recognised and can be organised into a coherent pattern.’
‘a legible city would be one whose districts or landmarks or pathways are easily identifiable and are easily grouped into an over-all pattern.’

p.3
‘legibility is crucial in the city setting….. It is of special importance when considering environments at the urban scale of size, time and complexity…. To understand this, we must consider not just the city as a thing in itself, but the city being perceived by its inhabitants.’

p.4
getting lost makes us scared.
Vivid physical setting ‘can furnish the raw material for the symbols and collective memories of group communication.’ Eg common memories of home town for soldiers.
‘a good environmental image gives its possessor an important sense of emotional security.’

p.5
‘a distinctive and legible environment not only offers security but also heightens the potential depth and intensity of human experience.’

p.8
‘an environmental image may be analysed into three components: identity, structure and meaning,’
Identity - distinct from others
Strcuture- spatial pattern with relation to obsever
Meaning

‘we may even be wise to concentrate on the physical clarity of the image and to allow meaning to develop without our direct guidance.’

p.19
Boston
‘has a structure that is understood by almost everyone.’
Charles river and bridge make backbone together with parallel streets
New Jersey City. V few landmarks. View of Manhattan and Newwark main references.
LA – very vague when downtown. Recognise streets just by names


p.46-48
Contents of city images can be classified into five types of elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks
Paths – streets, walkways, transit lines, canals, railroads (‘channels along which the observer customarily, occasionally or potentially moves’)
Edges – ‘ linear elements not used or considered as paths by the observer’) boundaries between two phases: walls, shores etc. can be barriers or seam lines. Not as dominant as paths
Districts – have some common identifiable character and two dimensional form (’inside of’)
Nodes – strategic spots in a city into which an observer can enter. Moments of shift. Or concentrations – focus of a district. Cores. Can be dominant feature of image
Landmarks – building, sign, store, mountain.

p.84-85
pairs can reinforce and strengthen or conflict and destroy
eventually can go beyond pairings to study patterns

p.85
‘rather than a single comprehensive image for the entire environment, there seemed to be sets of images which more or less overlapped and interrelated
p.86 if tall building recognisable at a distance but not at base, then is opportunity lost
need some link with past when there are changes

p.90
‘we are continuously engaged in the attempt to organize our surroundings, to structure and identify them, … when reshaping cities it should be possible to give them a form which facilitates these organizing efforts rather than frustrates them.’


p.92 ‘if the environment is visibly organized and sharply identified then the citizen can inform ut with his own meanings and connections. Then it will become a place remarkable and unmistakeable.’

9.93
Florence ‘there seems to eb a simple and automatic pleasure, a feeling of satisfaction, presence rightness, which arises from the mere sight of the city, or the chance to walk through its streets‘
Says Florence is unusal. Highly visible city is a rarity. Maybe 20 or 30 cities in world have consistent, strong image. And even they
p.94
‘the famous cities all suffer from the same faceless sprawl at the periphery.’.

9.96. Visual hierarchy of streets and ways ‘sensuous singling out of the key channels’ which si the ‘skeleton of the city image.’
‘the line of motion should have clarity of direction’ we are confused by things which turn or ambiguous turns.
;observers seems ot endow a path with a sense of pointing or irreversible direction’ so its ok if it has a few turns which never looses basic direction is ok
Objects can be placed on path to sharpen the effect of motion or petrspective
Paths can also be network, colour planting and detail can help.

p.99 ‘melodic’ organisation ie events and charachteristics organised to be experienced over time eg approach to San Francisco across the bay

p. 100
Edge gains strength is visible from distance eg abrupt stop of buildings at wall of medieval vity or fronting of appartments on centralk park

p.101
‘image strength rises when the landmark coincides with a concentration of association’ eg with my brightly coloured door.
Good if node coincides withg break in transportation or decision point. Gradient.

Form qualities pp 105 to 108
1. Singularity sharpness of boundary, oberservers as more familiar want depend less on detail and delight more in contrast
2. Form simplicity
3. Continuity
4. Dominance
5. Clarity of joint
6 directional differentiation
7 visual scope
8 motion awareness
9 time series
10 names and meanings

p.109
The five elements (path edge etc_ ‘must be considered simply as convenient empirical cetegoroes, withina nd around which it has been possible to group a mass of information.’ or ‘building block for the designer’

0. 114 need sequences that are interruptible as people can enter from either direction of halfway to climax

p. 116 visual plan for the city or metropolitan region
Analysis start with analysis or existing form and public image of area. Conslude with series of diagrams and reports illustrating significant public images, basic visual problems and opportunities and critical image elements and element iter-relations with detailed qualities an dpossibilities for change.
Object of visual plan to strengthen public image. Could prescribe cretaion or clarification of modal points visial hierarchy of paths, establishement of thematic units fo districts. Deal with iterrelations of elements and perception in motion

p.119 ‘we need an environment that is not simply well organised but peotic and symbolic aswell. It should speak of the individuals and their complex society, of their aspirations and their historical tradition, of the natural setting, and of the complicated functions and movements of the city world.’
‘by appearing as a remarkable and well-knit place, the city could provide a ground for the clustering and organisation of these meanings and associations. Such a sense of place in itself enhances every human activity that occurs there, and encourages the deposit of a memory trace.’

The use of method

Interview
Questions: p141-142
1. What first comes to mind, symbolises Boston? Broadly describe in a physical sense
2. 2. Quick map of central Boston (as if for a stranger, covering main features. Rugh sketch)
3. a) complete and explicit directions for route to work. Picture yourself making trip and describe sequence inc pathmarkers important for you. (pictures, names not important) and b) do you have emotional feelings about part of your trip? How long? Are there areas where you are uncertain of location?
4. What elements are most distinctive?
5. a) Would you describe X to me? If blindfolded, taken there, what clues you need to know where you are. b) are any emotional feelings with regard to X? c) can you show me on a map where X is and boundaries
6. show me on your map north
7. free discussion. A) what do you think we are trying ot find out, b) what importance is orientation and recognition of city elements? C) any pleasure from knowing where you are going d) is boston easy to navigate? E) what other cities do you know with good orientation. Why?

p. 155
Mass interview of large sample
a) draw quick sketch map of area, showing interesting and important features and giving stranger knowledge
b) make similar sketch of the route and events along one or two imaginary trips
c) written list of parts of the city felt to be most distinctive
d) brief written answers to a few questions. Where is X located?

p. 157 Also make sure not just a derivation of local culture. Interesting to look at whether images are art of cultural training.