The Image of the City

Updated on Oct 01, 2024

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Language English ISBN 0-262-62001-4 Author Kevin A. Lynch Pages 194 pp		Publication date 1960 Originally published 1960 Publisher MIT Press

Subjects Urban planning, Architecture Similar A Theory of Good City Form, The Death and Life of Great Am, What time is this place?, Delirious New York, The Concise Townscape

The Image of the City (1960) is a book by Kevin Lynch. The book is the result of a five-year study of Boston, Jersey City and Los Angeles on how observers take in information of the city, and use it to make mental maps. Lynch's conclusion was that people formed mental maps of their surroundings consisting of five basic elements.

Kevin lynch the image of the city

Lynch's Five Elements

Paths

These are the streets, sidewalks, trails, canals, railroads, and other channels in which people travel;

They arrange space and movement between space.

Edges

Boundaries;

They can be either Real or Perceived;

These are walls, buildings, and shorelines, curbstone, streets, overpasses, etc.

Districts

Medium to large areas that are two-dimensional;

An individual enters into and out of these areas;

Have common identifying characteristics.

Nodes

Large areas you can enter, serve as the foci of the city, neighborhood, district, etc.;

Offers the person in them multiple perspectives of the other core elements.

Landmarks

Points of reference person cannot enter into;

These are buildings, signs, stores, mountains, public art;

Mobile Points (such as Sun) can be used as well.

References

The Image of the City Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

Kevin lynch the image of the city

Lynch's Five Elements

References