Shiho Asada
The Image of the City
ma Information Design
Kevin Lynch, 1960
University of Reading Overview First written in October 2014
The Image of the City is a book about urban information
and revised in October 2015
design, written by Kevin Lynch, 1960. This book is known as the first literature which defines the modern usage of wayfinding. According to Lynch, wayfinding is a ‘consistent use and organisation of definite sensory cues from the external environment’. This definition has affected many city planners and wayfinding designers until today. The Image of the City is a result of Lynch’s five-year research on how people perceive a city. Mental maps, simple sketches of maps drawn from memory of urban areas had been used for his research (Fig. 1). He collected mental maps from citizens for revealing the geographical and social problems of the cities that people faced. Lynch mentions that The Image of the City explains ‘the look of cities, and whether this look is of any importance, and whether it can be changed’. Also, Lynch highlights ‘giving visual form to the city is a special kind of design problem’. The research was conducted in three different cities in the usa (Boston, Los Angels and Jersey City) for examining this new
Figure 1. Lynch's mental map of Boston based on field work and interviews Lynch, The Image of the City
1
problem, suggesting a method to form the visual image of the city and offering the principles of city design. According to Lynch, there are five elements (Fig. 7 – 8) that help people to form mental maps and make users understood their surroundings in consistent and predictable ways. The five elements are: paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. He suggests that urban designers should analyse these elements and built wayfinding which navigates people smoothly and helps people to create images of the city. What is ‘image of the city’? An image of the city is a mental image of an environment which is held by the citizens. Constructing the image of the city takes long spans of time because it is vast, and varies on different occasions and with different people. Also, it is seen in all the conditions of lights and weathers. In addition to the environmental conditions, the citizens themselves and their activities play important roles in the image of the city as well as the stationary physical parts of the city, such as buildings and roads. Each citizen observes the city and surroundings including him/herself and other participants. Thus, it can be said that the image of the city is the composite of everyone’s observations and sense. How people build mental image of the city? The image of the city is an outcome of interaction between an observer and his/her environment (Fig. 2). There are three situations of making coherent images: when a mental picture of an object has developed identity and organisation through
Figure 2. Interacting process between an observer and an environment
Giving distinctions and relations
Selecting and organising information Getting familiarity with the environment Adapting to the environment
2
long familiarity; when a new object is identified because of a correspondence with a stereotype already constructed by the observer; when a new object has strong structure or identity such as remarkable physical features and suggests their patterns. Those coherent images tend to be similar in the same groups observers who are in homogeneous classes of age, sex, culture, occupation, temperament, or familiarity. Therefore, city planners should study about the groups of citizens and the images they might have. What are the essential qualities of the city image? •• Legibility A legible city can be recognised visually with symbols. Its districts or landmarks or pathways should be identified and grouped into one pattern easily. The legibility of cityscape is the most important property in urban city planning because nobody has any mystic ‘instinct’ of wayfinding. Instead of it, people can use lots kinds of cues such as the visual sensations of colour, shape, motion or polarization of light; and other senses such as smell, sound, touch, kinesthesia or sense of gravity. In order to navigate people, wayfinding devices should be offered to pedestrians: maps, street numbers, route signs and bus placards (Fig. 3). Those wayfinding devices can produce a vivid, integrated and sharp image of the city. Good environmental image may keep people’s emotion stable and enhance the potential depth and intensity of people’s experience.
Figure 3. Legible London, the pedestrian wayfinding system of London has totems and maps. The symbols are coherent, and built everywhere in London from street to underground stations. Applied Information Group, Yellow Book: A Prototype Wayfinding System for London.
3
EST END
Square
CITY
Museum
Titchfield Cavendish
St Christopher Portman
Carnaby
Grosvenor
Argyle
Regent Street
Bond Street
Savile
Holford Berwick
Piccadilly
Haymarket Trafalgar Exmouth Square
Jermyn
Tavistock
St James
Corams FieldsPalace
Whitehall Clerkenwell
Mall
Fitzroy
Buckingham Palace
Hoxton
Tate Modern
Borough Market
Southbank Centre Waterloo East
Waterloo Station
High Street Nelson Square
Golden Lane The
London Bridge
Little Dorrit
Bunhill Fields
Cut
Farringdon
Lower Marsh Market
Parliament
Grays Inn
Bloomsbury
Cleveland
City Hall
Guys
Little Italy
BuckinghamFields Petty Gate France
Shoreditch Leather Market
Webber
St. Thomas’s
Tabard Broadgate
St. George’s
(Fig. 4), structure (Fig. 5) and meaning (Fig. 6). Identity is a strong Portland
Tottenham Court Road
Bedford Square
Museum
Westminster Abbey
Victoria Street
High Holborn
Rathbone
Lambeth PalaceLittle
Smith Holborn Square Circus
Horseferry
Barbican Lambeth North
Smithfield
South Bank University
Kennington Road
Britain
London Wall
West Square
Abbey Street
Newington Gardens
Finsbury CircusNew Kent
Elephant & Castle
Bricklayers Arms
Road
feature that can be identified easily because of its distinction from Titchfield
Cavendish
St Christopher
Lincolns Inn
St Giles
Oxford Street
Oxford Circus
Portman
Drury
Soho Charing Square Cross Road
North Soho
Vincent
Lambeth Walk
Millbank
Kingsway
Bishopsgate
Guildhall
Old Black BaileyPrince
Chancery Lane
Newington Butts
Kennington Park
Petticoat Lane
others. Structure is a spatial or pattern relationship between the Oxford Street
Carnaby
Marble Arch
Regent Street
South Molton
Cheapside
Tate Britain
Seven Dials
Berwick Compton Market Shaftesbury Ave Golden Chinatown Square
Hanover
Neal Street
Temple
Aldwych
Aldgate
Cornhill
St. Paul’s
Spring Gardens
object and the observer. Meaning is a kind of emotional influence
Grosvenor
Bond Street
Savile
Cannon Street
Somerset House
Piazza
Eastcheap
Strand
St. Martin’s
on the observer from the object. If those three features of the Berkeley
Park Lane
Blackfriars
Long Acre
Leicester Square
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly
Holford
Northumberland
image of the city are distinctive, the visibility of the city can be St James Palace
Mall
more understandable. Buckingham Palace
Guiding principles A L D E R S G AT E The role of named places
HOLBORN
M AY F A I R
Abbey
Smith Square
Horseferry
Vincent
Bond Street
Millbank
Savile
Berkeley
Park Lane
ST JAMES’S
Piccadilly Black Prince
Kingsway
St James Palace
Mall
Victoria Street
Horseferry
VA U X H A L L
University
F I N S B U RY
Structure South Park
Figure 5. Applied Wayfinding have figured out the structure of London with the common B LO O M S B U RY CLERKENWELL names of areas of London. Those familiar FITZRO V I A can help pedestrians A L D Equickly R S G ATconnect E OORG AT Enames HOLBORN LEBONE M O O R G AT E one place to another and build the knowledge S T PA U L’ S for mental mapping.
Chenies
Harley Portland
Tottenham Court Road
NCHURCH
COVENT GARDEN
ST JAMES’S G R E E N PA R K
Marble Arch
South Molton
North Soho
Grosvenor
Baker
Edgware Road
Marylebone Village
Savile
Cavendish
St Christopher
Bedford Square
Oxford Street
Carnaby
Hanover
Seven Dials
Regent Street
Bond Street
Golden Square
Savile
Long Acre
Chinatown
Leicester Square
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly
Haymarket Jermyn
St. Martin’s St James Palace
Hyde Park Corner
KENNINGTON
Borough Market
Waterloo East
High Street
F I N S B U RY
St. Thomas’s
Lambeth Palace
Smith Square
Tabard
St. George’s
South Bank University
Lambeth North
Kennington Road
Figure 6. People can find their own meaning and interesting points from the features of how we got here the city. or’s vision ST JAMES’S
G R E E N PA R K
VICTORIA
PIMILICO
Centre
Elephant & Castle
Black Prince
Kennington Park
Downing
Meaning
Holford
Petty France
Argyle
Kings Square
St. John
Baker Bryanston
Portland
Edgware Road
Grays Inn Fields
Bloomsbury
Tottenham Court Road
Bedford Square
Museum
High Holborn
Oxford Circus
Portman
Oxford Street
North Soho Carnaby
Hanover Marble Arch
South Molton Grosvenor
Regent Street
Smith Square
Bond Street
Savile
Soho Charing Square Cross Road
Lambeth Palace
St. Martin’s
Jermyn
Mall
Southbank Centre
Downing Street
Lower Marsh Market
Black Prince
St. Thomas’s
Victoria Street
Smith Square
Horseferry Vincent
Lambeth Palace
Marble Arch
High Holborn
North Soho Carnaby
Bond Street
St Giles
Savile
New Kent Road
Drury
Soho Charing Square Cross Road
St James Palace
Jermyn
West Square
Newington Gardens
Elephant & Castle
New Kent Road
Bricklayers Arms
Newington Butts
Downing Street
Victoria Street
Smith Square
Horseferry Vincent
Kennington Park
Eastcheap
Tate Modern Southbank Centre
High Street Nelson Square
Waterloo Station
Little Dorrit
Lower Marsh Market
Tabard St. George’s South Bank University
Lambeth North Lambeth Palace
Kennington Road
West Square
Elephant & Castle
New Kent Road
Lambeth Walk
Millbank Black Prince
Kennington Park
Newington Butts
Spring Gardens
CLERKENWELL A L D E R S G AT E
M AY F A I R
ST JAMES’S G R E E N PA R K
M O O R G AT E FENCHURCH
F I N S B U RY
SOUTHBANK BANKSIDE
BOROUGH WAT E R L O O S O U T H WA R K
VICTORIA
LAMBETH
NEWINGTON KENNINGTON
UXHALL VA U X H A L L out a clear vision for London based on three complementary B L O O M S BV AU RY CLERKENWELL d diverse economic growth; social inclusivity; and fundamental environmental management and use of resources. Change FITZROVIA lready evident, with iconic contemporary landmarks like 30 A L D E R S G AT E ‘The Gherkin’) and Tate Modern on the South Bank breathing heritage. Many London town centres are growing and M A R Y L E B O N E HOLBORN M O O R G AT E R G AT E outer 4 There is innovative development and building work going on pital, creating a real buzz and sense of expectation. S T PA U L’ S
ENCHURCH
d all that
PIMILICO
SOHO 32
Where to next?
COVENT GARDEN
Abbey Street
Newington Gardens
F I N S B U RY
COVENT GARDEN
City Hall
Leather Market
Webber
S T PA U L’ S SOHO
London Bridge
Guys
The Cut
Newington Butts Tate Britain
Borough Market
Coin Street Waterloo East
County Hall
Westminster Abbey
Petty France
Aldgate
Cannon Street
The Tower
Parliament Buckingham Gate
Petticoat Lane Cornhill
St. Paul’s
St. Thomas’s Abbey Street
Kennington Park
Old Bailey
Blackfriars Somerset House
Whitehall
St James’s Park
Bishopsgate
Strand
Northumberland
Mall
Green Park
Buckingham Palace
Finsbury Circus
Temple
Aldwych
St. Martin’s
Trafalgar Square
Shepherd Market
Belgravia
London Wall
Guildhall
Chancery Lane
Kingsway
Piazza
Bricklayers Arms
Leicester Square
Haymarket
Shoreditch Broadgate
Little Britain
Holborn Circus
Neal Street
Long Acre
Chinatown
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly
Hoxton
Bunhill Fields
Cheapside Seven Dials
Berwick Compton Market Shaftesbury Ave
Golden Square
Berkeley
Tabard South Bank University
HOLBORN
M A RY L E BO N E
Museum
Lincolns Inn
Regent Street
South Molton Grosvenor
Park Lane
Hyde Park Corner
St. George’s
Kennington Road
Black Prince
FITZROVIA
KENNINGTON
Oxford Circus
Portman
Oxford Street
Elephant & Castle
City Hall
Leather Market
Spring Gardens
B LO O M S B U RY
M O O R G AT E
London Bridge
Guys
Lambeth Walk
Spring Gardens
10 to 20 minute-walk
Little Dorrit
Webber
Lambeth North
Millbank
Tate Britain
High Street
Nelson Square
Waterloo Station
The Cut
Westminster Abbey
Petty France
Borough Market
Coin Street
Waterloo East County Hall
Parliament
Tate Britain
Lambeth Walk
Whitehall
St James’s Park
Buckingham Palace
Belgravia
Buckingham Gate
West Square
Bedford Square
Oxford Street
Hanover
Eastcheap
Golden Lane
Barbican
Smithfield
Tottenham Court Road
Cavendish
Old Street
St. Luke’s
Great Sutton Street
Farringdon
Little Italy
Rathbone
Aldgate
Cannon Street
Tate Modern
Northumberland
St James Palace
Edgware Road
Petticoat Lane Cornhill
Kennington Road
Grays Inn Fields
Bloomsbury
Titchfield
St Christopher
St. Paul’s Blackfriars
Somerset House
Piazza Strand
Trafalgar Square
Portland
Bryanston
Bishopsgate
Old Bailey
Temple
Aldwych
Leicester Square
Haymarket
Green Park
Millbank
Hyde Park Corner
Baker
Finsbury Circus
The Tower
Piccadilly
Shepherd Market
Vincent
London Wall
Chenies
Cleveland
Marylebone Village
Clerkenwell Green
Clerkenwell Road
Russell
Harley
Lisson Green
Guildhall
Chancery Lane
Kingsway
Neal Street
Long Acre
Chinatown
Berkeley
Park Lane
Little Britain
Cheapside Seven Dials
Berwick Compton Market Shaftesbury Ave
Golden Square
Piccadilly Circus
Horseferry
Drury
Marylebone Road
Barbican
Lincolns Inn
St Giles
Mount Pleasant
Corams Fields
Fitzroy
Shoreditch
Broadgate
Holborn Circus
Rathbone
Oxford Street
St. John
St Andrew
Tavistock
South Park
Bunhill Fields
Little Italy
Kings Square
Northampton Square
Exmouth
Hoxton
University
Golden Lane
Granville
Calthorpe
Cartwright
Old Street
St. Luke’s
Great Sutton Street
Farringdon
Smithfield
Titchfield
Cavendish
St Christopher
Victoria Street
Chenies
Cleveland
Marylebone Village
Clerkenwell Green
Clerkenwell Road
Russell
Harley
Lisson Green
Goswell
Myddelton
Northampton Square
Exmouth
Mount Pleasant
Fitzroy
essure on London’s transport infrastructure, and this is set S T PA U L’ S SOHO COVENT GARDEN FENCHURCH the next 20 years, it’s estimated that London’s population M AY F A I R st 800,000.1 In many ways this is a great opportunity. The SOUTHBANK BANKSIDE ST JAMES’S G R E E N PA R K se and the economic potential that goes with it needs to be BOROUGH WAT E R L O O S O U T H WA R K e London a truly sustainable city. LAMBETH NEWINGTON VICTORIA PIMILICO
Hall
Guys
Goswell
Granville
Calthorpe
Corams Fields
University
South Park
Marylebone Road
VA U X H A L L
HOLBORN
Dorrit
Nelson Square
Waterloo Station
Argyle
Cartwright
SOUTHBANK BANKSIDE BOROUGH S O U T H WA R K LAMBETH NEWINGTON KENNINGTON
London Bridge
BOROUGH W AT E R L O O High U T H WA R K City Street S OLittle
Waterloo East
County Hall
Borough Market
Coin Street
Newington Butts
L A MThe B Elegacy T H of the massive investment The 2012,Streetof course, is Tjust spur. Cut NEWINGTON VIC O Rthe I Aimmediate Leather Lower in facilities and infrastructure will be felt for decades toIcome. is why Parliament K EWebber NN N G T Which O N Market Marsh Market Tabard P I M I L I C O St. Thomas’s money needs to be spent wisely on schemes St. George’s that will make a real difference to the Westminster V A U X H A L L South Bank Lambeth Abbey Abbey University everyday lives of Londoners. North Newington Street Gardens Tavistock
WAT E R L O O
Bricklayers Arms
New Kent Road
West Square
Lambeth Walk
Millbank
Tate Britain
Myddelton
Belgravia
London is seen as one of the world’s greatest cities – and so it here’s more to it than that. People who regularly travel around 20 toYellow 40 minute-walk Applied Information Group, Book: A F I N S B U RY there will always be plenty to do to regenerate and improve B LO O M S B U RY Prototype Wayfinding System for London. CLERKENWELL nment. FITZROVIA A L D E R S G AT E M A RY L E BO N E
Abbey Street
Newington Gardens
Holford
CLERKENWELL
Buckingham les of this system can stand up toVA theUextreme X H A L Lpressures of the F I T Z R O V I A Gate A L D E R S G AT E M O O R G AT E HOLBORN M A RY L E BO N E usiest time GTO Nof year, that bodes well for the roll out of a similar S T PA U L’ S capital as part of a wider programme to improve the legibility S O H O C O V E N T G A R D E N FENCHURCH M AY F A I R s and public spaces.
S Tate O Modern UTHBANK BANKSIDE
Leather Market
S TSouthbank JAMES’S Webber
St Andrew
B LO O M S B U RY
The Tower
City Hall
Guys
The Cut
Green Park St James’s Park
London Bridge
Little Dorrit
Nelson Square
Waterloo Station
Lower Marsh Market
Westminster Abbey
Horseferry
Tate Modern
Coin Street Southbank Centre
County Hall
Parliament
Vincent
Buckingham Palace
Eastcheap
Eastcheap
Spring Gardens
Hyde Park Corner
FENCHURCH
Cannon Street
Aldgate
Cornhill
Cannon Street
Northumberland
Downing Street
Whitehall
Cheapside
Aldgate
The Tower
G R E E N PA R K
Mall
Bishopsgate
Petticoat Lane
Blackfriars
Whitehall
St James’s Park
Victoria Street
St James Palace
Lane
S T P A U L ’Cornhill S
St. Paul’s
Finsbury Circus
C O V E NBlackfriars T GARDEN
Guildhall
Old Bailey
St. Paul’s
Northumberland
Shepherd Market
Bishopsgate
M O OPetticoat R G AT E
Cheapside
Shoreditch Broadgate
Strand
Mall
Buckingham Palace
Belgravia
Petty France
Bunhill Fields
Temple London Wall
Guildhall
Trafalgar Square
Green Park
Trafalgar Square
Haymarket Jermyn
Golden Lane
Barbican
Little Britain
Somerset House
Somerset House
Finsbury Circus
London
A L D E R SWallG AT E
Temple
Aldwych
Piazza
Strand
St. Martin’s
Berkeley
Shepherd Market
Piccadilly
Great Sutton Street
SOHO
Neal Street
M AY F APiazza IR
South Molton
Shoreditch
CLERKENWELL
Farringdon
Holborn Circus
Chancery Lane
Kingsway
Bunhill Fields
Barbican
OldL B O R N HO Bailey
Hoxton
Little Italy
Aldwych
Drury
Soho Charing Square Cross Road
Berwick Compton Market Shaftesbury Ave
Long Acre Grosvenor
Leicester Square
Old Street
Lincolns Inn
North Soho
Buckingham Gate
BOROUGH W AT E R L O O S O U T H WA R K
many attractions time and time again.
High Holborn
Hoxton
Broadgate
Little Britain
Chancery Lane
St. Luke’s
Smithfield
Museum
St Giles
Oxford Street
Oxford Circus
Portman
Piccadilly Circus
Tottenham Court Road
Rathbone
Berkeley
SOUTH OF THE RIVER
Grays Inn Fields
Bloomsbury
Neal Street Titchfield
Park Lane
Park Lane
F I N S BGolden U RY Lane
Kings Square
St. John
Clerkenwell Green
Clerkenwell Road
Russell Chenies Cleveland
Portland
Marble Arch
Bond Street
Corams Fields
Fitzroy
Seven Dials
Harley Lisson Green
Old Street
St. Luke’s
Goswell
Exmouth
University South Park
Marylebone Road
Berwick Compton Market Shaftesbury Ave Golden Chinatown Square Bryanston
Regent Street
Kings Square
B L O O M SSmithfield B U RY
St Andrew
Mount Pleasant
Newington Butts
Little Italy
Northampton
Granville
Calthorpe
Cartwright
Tavistock
New Kent Road
Farringdon
Argyle
St Giles
Bricklayers Arms
Great Sutton Street
F I T Z R O V I AHolborn Circus
M A R Y L EDrury B O NKingsway E
Soho Charing Square Cross Road
Abbey Street
Newington Gardens
Elephant & Castle
West Square
Kennington Park
Lincolns Inn
Carnaby Hanover
W E S TF E E NHDU R C H NC CITY
DE LAMBETH aVreal WINGTON IG C Tchallenge. Ry was OU HO R I A But one that will encourage themNtoE come PIMILICO
Oxford Street
Kennington Road
Holford
Oxford Street
Oxford Circus
Clerkenwell Green
High Holborn
Myddelton
Cavendish
Portman
Applied Information Group, Yellow Book: A Prototype Wayfinding System for TLondon. SOUTH BANK NIKNSS ITDE ER W EBS A M
Museum
Titchfield
St Christopher
SOHO
Bedford Square
Rathbone
Bryanston
Edgware Road
Grays Inn Fields
Bloomsbury
Cleveland
Marylebone Village
Baker
Russell
Tabard South Bank University
Lambeth Walk
St. John
Clerkenwell Road
Fitzroy
Marylebone Road
Lisson Green
Mount Pleasant
Corams Fields
Leather Market
Webber St. George’s
Black Prince
St Andrew
L
Lower Marsh Market Lambeth North
Northampton Square Exmouth
Tavistock
City Hall
Guys
Spring Gardens
Granville
Calthorpe
Cartwright
London Bridge
Little Dorrit
The Cut
Millbank
Tate Britain
High Street Nelson Square
Lambeth Palace
Smith Square
Vincent
Borough Market
Coin Street
Waterloo Station
St. Thomas’s
such as the West End and the City.
Eastcheap
Westminster Abbey
Petty France
Cannon Street
Waterloo East County Hall
Parliament
Buckingham Gate
Blackfriars
The Tower
Downing Street
Belgravia
Aldgate
Cornhill
Tate Modern
Villages Areas, in turn, are made up of several ‘villages’. The West End, for example, contains Soho, Mayfair and Covent Garden. Again, these are familiar, commonly used names, which can help pedestrians quickly relate one place to another, Holford and build Goswell the knowledge needed to assist inMyddelton mental mapping.Argyle St James’s Park
Petticoat Lane
Bricklayers St. Paul’s Arms
New Kent Road
Temple
Whitehall
Buckingham Palace
Bishopsgate
Street
Old Bailey
Cheapside
Southbank Centre
Spring Green Park Gardens
Hyde Park Corner
Broadgate
Finsbury Circus London Abbey Wall
Guildhall
Newington
Butts Northumberland
Kennington Park
Shepherd Market
Tate Britain
SOUTHBANK BANKSIDE G R E E N P A Rhttp://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/ K W A T E R L OAreas O BOROUGH describe archive/03051/london_2423609b_3051158a. S These OUTH W A R K London in the broadest terms, dividing it into large LAMBETH NEWINGTON jpg VICTOR IA but easily distinguished chunks KENNINGTON
Shoreditch
Leather Market
Barbican
Little Britain
Holborn Circus
Newington Gardens Chancery Lane
Elephant & Castle
Trafalgar Square
Jermyn
Bunhill Fields
Farringdon
Little Italy Webber
High Holborn George’s South Bank Lincolns Inn University
Drury
Hoxton
City Hall
Golden Lane
Tabard
MuseumSt.
St Giles
Haymarket
Old Street
Guys
Street
Smithfield
Soho Charing Square Cross Road
North Soho
Grays Inn Fields
Seven Kennington Dials Neal Street Berwick Compton Market Road West Aldwych Shaftesbury Ave Square Golden Long Acre Chinatown Square Somerset Piazza House Lambeth Leicester Walk Square Piccadilly Circus Strand St. Martin’s
Regent Street
South Molton
Grosvenor
can be recognised by people around the world.
PIMILICO
Oxford Circus
London Bridge
St. Luke’s
information that gradually and logically sub-divides areas into smaller and smaller chunks. These chunks represent historical, understandable and identifiable neighbourhoods. Initial definitions of the villages and nighbourhoods of the West End have
Bloomsbury
Lambeth North
Oxford Street
LambethCarnaby Palace Hanover
Oxford Street
Marble Arch
Rathbone
Titchfield
Cavendish
Portman
Victoria Street
Tottenham Market Bedford Court Road Square
St. Thomas’s
Westminster Bryanston
Petty France
Green
Clerkenwell Road
Russell
Chenies
Lower Marsh
Cleveland
Portland
St Christopher
Identity
The Cut
Fitzroy
Harley
Village
Baker
Buckingham Gate
S O HFigure O a Estrong identity which C 4. O VLondon E N T Ghas ARD N FENCHURCH
Nelson Corams Fields
Kings Square
St. John
Little DorritGreat Sutton Clerkenwell
Pleasant
Square
Marylebone Road
Parliament Marylebone
Edgware Road
S T PA U L’ S
Tavistock
Waterloo University Station
South Park
Exmouth
High MountStreet
St Andrew
As we know from school, the best way of processing huge swathes of information is to divide them into less-intimidating manageable chunks. Similarly, successfully understanding the layout of London is a matter of creating a hierarchy of Lisson Green
M O O R G AT E
County Hall
Downing Street
St James’s Park
Belgravia
FITZROVIA
LEBONE
Hyde Park Corner
Borough Northampton Market Square
Granville
Calthorpe
Cartwright
Waterloo East
Green Park
CLERKENWELL
Argyle
Southbank Centre
Whitehall
Goswell
Tate ModernMyddelton
Coin Street
Shepherd Market
F I N S B U RY B LO O M S B U RY
The Tower
Trafalgar Square
Haymarket
Jermyn
AY F A I R
The Tower
Old Street Coin Street
County Hall
Downing Clerkenwell St James’s Park Street Road
Belgravia
Chenies
Harley
Bryanston
R
Aldgate
Cannon Street Eastcheap
Great Sutton Street
Green
Green Park
Hyde Park Corner
Russell
Marylebone Village
Baker
Y
Blackfriars
The city image may be analysed into three components: identity South Park
Marylebone Road
Petticoat Lane Cornhill
St. Paul’s Temple
St. Luke’s
•• Structure, identity and meaning (Visibility)
Lisson Green
Edgware Road
St. John
Northumberland
Mount Pleasant
Shepherd Market
University
Bishopsgate
Cheapside
St Andrew
SOUTH OF THE RIVER
Circus
Square
Calthorpe
Berkeley
London Wall Guildhall
Old Bailey
Chancery Lane
Kingsway
Seven Compton Dials Neal Street Market GoswellAldwych Ave Shaftesbury Myddelton Golden Long Acre Chinatown Square Somerset Piazza House Leicester Kings Square Northampton Granville Piccadilly Circus Strand St. Martin’s
Hanover South Molton
Drury
Soho Charing Square Cross Road
North Soho
Oxford Street Marble Arch
Little Britain
Holborn Circus
Lincolns Inn St Giles
Oxford Street
Oxford Circus
Park Lane Cartwright
TMINSTER
High Holborn
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Legible London One of the Mayor’s ambitions for London is to transform it into one of the most
Bricklayers Arms
•• Imageability
Legibility + Visibility=Imageability (Public Image) Imageability is a concept of a combination of legibility and visibility. It is a physical feature that relate to the attributes of identity and structure in the mental image. In an imaginable city, there may be a clear structure which people can understand easily. For improving the imageability of the city, the city planners should enhance the legibility of its image by using symbolic devices, for instance, a map with symbolic diagrams or a set of written instructions. To improve the imageability of the city means strengthening the public image of the city. The elements of the city Paths: The channels which the people pass by E.g. Streets, walkways, transit lines, canals, railroads Edges: The liner elements which are not used or considered as paths E.g. Shores, railroad cuts, edges of development, walls Districts: The medium-to-large sections of the city E.g. Housing/market/building/shopping area Nodes: The points, the strategic spots in a city which people can enter E.g. Stations, parks, plazas, shopping malls Landmarks The point references which can be recognised from long distance E.g. Towers, halls, libraries, churches
Figure 7. Illustrations of the city elements Lynch, The Image of the City
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Figure 8. Lynch had analysed the elements of the cities of the usa, and this figure is an analysed map of Los Angels. He allocated symbols and colours for each element. Lynch, The Image of the City
How should information designers deal with city design? In conclusion, the designers who deal with urban planning should study the people’s perception and the structure of the city, and improve the legibility and imageability of the city. In terms of information design, the designers should design clear and sufficient wayfinding for navigating people smoothly. It can make flows of the traffic and the pedestrians better and improve the public image of the city. As Lynch insists, if urban design and the citizens interact each other well, the city will bring more enjoyable daily lives to everyone.
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Bibliography Lynch, Kevin. 1960. The Image of the City. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
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