The city image and its elements

The city image and its elements

The elements generally overlap and don't

exist in isolation. As Kevin Lynch points out,
Districts are structured with nodes, defined
by edges,
penetrated by paths, and
sprinkled with landmarks." (The Image of
the City. Kevin Lynch).

The elements of a city:

Paths
Edges
Districts
Nodes
Landmarks

The elements of a city:

Paths .............. Streets and Trails
Edges........... Boundaries and Buffers
Districts ............ Neighborhoods and Villages
Nodes.. Gathering Space, Activity Center
Landmarks ...Icons and Prominent Features

1.Paths

Paths are the channels along which the observer customarily,

occasionally, or potentially moves. They may be streets, walkways,
transit lines, canals, railroads. For many people, these are the
predominant elements in their image. People observe the city while
moving through it, and along these paths the other environmental
elements are arranged and related.

1.Paths
Paths are the Most Dominant
Elements of Place Making
Examples:
Streets
Trails
Walkways
Transit lines
Canals
Railroads

1.Paths

1.Paths
Continuity:

Width
Gradient
Activity

1.Paths

1.Paths
Path structuring, continuity, directional quality, the relative
width of the streets, the block lengths, the building
frontages, the naming system, the relative length and
number of the two kinds of streets (longitudinal + cross
streets),their functional importance

2.Edges
boundaries between two phases (i.e., rivers, shorelines, walls of
building, barriers) Edges close one region from another.

2.Edges
they could be lines that hold related regions together

2.Edges
boundaries , Buffers , End & beginning

2.Edges
Features

3.Districts
territory with a function (i.e., park, residential
area) Districts are the sections of the city.

3.Districts
having some particular identifying character.

3.Districts
Defined by soft or hard edges.

Defined by soft or hard edges.

4. Nodes
Nodes are the strategic foci into which the observer
can enter typically either junctions of paths, or
concentrations of some characteristics.

4. Nodes
The nodes can be important even when the physical
form is shapeless and slippery.

4. Nodes
Nodes may be both
junctions
Or
concentrations of
Some characteristics

4. Nodes
A strong physical form is not absolutely
essential to the recognition of a node.

4. Nodes
Nodes. Like districts
can be extrovert or introvert.

5. Land mark
Are simple physical elements which
may vary widely in scale.

Physical
touchable
elements

Vertical
direction

5. Land mark
There seemed to be a tendency for those more familiar with the city to rely
increasingly on systems of landmarks for their guides.

Selecting routes for trips

5. Land mark
The key physical characteristic of this class is singularity. landmarks become more easily
identifiable more likely to be chosen as significant. If they have a clear form. If they contrast with
there background and if there some prominence of spatial location. Or sometimes the elements
clearness in dirt city.

5. Land mark
Spatial prominence can establish elements as landmarks in either two ways: by making the
elements visible from many locations, or by setting up a local contrast with the nearby elements.

The location of the landmark at the node may strengthen it.

5. Land mark
The activity associated with the element may
be make it as the landmark.

5. Land mark
Sounds and smells sometimes may
reinforced visual landmark.

5. Land mark
For emotional security as well as functional efficiency, it is important that such
sequences be fairly continuous, with no long gaps.