Dissertation

3.3 Attributes of Built Environment affecting Human Experience 3.3.1 Imageability and Legibility According to Kevin Lynch, imageability can be described as the quality of a physical object which gives an individual a strong vivid image. He says that a highly imageable city would be well formed, would contain very distinct parts, and would be instantly recognizable to the common inhabitant.(Lynch, 1960) His theory of imageability discusses the quality of cities according to the legibility factor of the elements that are perceived by the observers. Here the term ―legible‖ is defined by the term ―visible‖ and can be understood through studying mental images as a result of people‘s memories and meanings. (Lynch, 1960) He defined legibility as a concept with the help of which people are able to understand the layout of a place. For instance, defining the location in the city with respect to its context or a well-known road or any well-known restaurant in that area, all these ―visible‖ factors define the legibility of the place hence this helps people in understanding or remembering the location/ route much better.(Lynch, 1960) The urban elements are categorized into three different categories: identity, structure, and meaning, where identity and structure are the two most communicable dimension of the conversation of an individual and environment. Identity helps in differentiating objects/elements from one another; structure helps in setting up the relationship to larger pattern of other components, and meaning defines a practical and emotional value for the observer. It requires first the recognizable proof of the components from others, second the relationship to others, and the last is its meaning. The first and second are the most ―legible/visible‖ of the physical elements in cities, while the third is very relative in cultures. (Lynch, 1960) Lynch highlights the five major elements in cities that enhance the imageability, which are paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks.(Lynch, 1960) Paths: They are the most legible elements in defining the city‘s image. They influence the observer‘s experience of a place as one walks along its form. One can experience paths in the form of streets, walkways, canals or railroads. The path 15 | P a g e