A Reaction Paper of

The Image of the City

by Kevin Lynch

“There seems to be a public image of any city which is the overlap of many
individual images. Or perhaps there is a series of public images, each held by someone
significant number of citizens. Such group images are necessary if an individual is to
operate successfully within his environment and to cooperate with his fellows. Each
individual picture is unique, with some content that is rarely or never communicated,
yet it approximates the public image, which in different environments, is more or less
compelling, and more or less embracing”---Kevin Lynch

By the appraisable aforementioned statement above by Kevin Lynch, We can

already somewhat identify or imagine what would be the contents of his book, “The
Image of the City”.

In his book, “The Image of the City”, Lynch tackled that in any circumstances in
urban, people direct or orient themselves by means of “Mental maps”. In his book,
there were three cities he compared; American cities (Boston, Jersey City, and Los
Angeles) and analyze at how people orient themselves in these cities. A central notion
in this book is that of legibility (also called imageability and visibility). To be specific,
Legibility means the “apparent clarity of the city scape” or how will it be well read by
people. People who move through the city engage in way-finding. They need to be
able to recognize and organize urban elements into a coherent pattern or can be
recognizable patterns and can be easily visually grasped of recognizable symbols. “In
the process of way-finding, the strategic link is the environmental image, the
generalized mental picture of the exterior characteristics that can be seen by an
individual. This image is the product both of immediate sensation and of the memory of
past experience, and it is used to interpret information and to guide action (p.4). Lynch
proposes that these mental maps consist of five elements: (1) paths: the channels which
the observer moves. They may be streets, walkways, transit lines, canals, railroads; (2)
edges: the linear elements not used as paths by the observer. They are the boundaries
and linear breaks I continuity: shore, walls, etc.; (3) districts: areas characterized by
common characteristics; (4) nodes: strategic focus points for orientation like squares
and junctions; and (5) landmarks: external points of orientation, usually were easily
identifiable physical object in the urban landscape. Out of these five elements, paths
are especially important according Lynch, since these organize urban mobility.

A clear mental map of the urban environment is needed to overcome or to

avoid the fear of people about disorientation or misdirection. A legible mental map
gives people an important sense of emotional security. The city itself is thus a powerful
symbol of a complex society, argues Lynch. An environmental image has three
components: identity (the recognition of urban elements as separate entities), structure
(the relation of urban elements to other objects and to the observer), and meaning (its
practical and emotional value to the observer). It is important that these urban
elements are not hermetically designed into precise and final detail but present an
Open and end order. Lynch presents his work as a list to do or guideline for urban
designers. Thus, they should design the city in such a way that it gives room for three
related ‘movements’: mapping, learning, shaping. First and foremost, people should be
able to acquire a clear mental map of their urban environment. Second, people should
be able to learn how to navigate in this environment by training. Third, people must be
able to operate and act upon their environment, meaning, they should be able to
freely move that is.

In my own opinion or in my point of view, this book is very useful to understand

and to relate on how people perceive, live or occupy and move around in the urban
ground. This book shows that urban space is not just composed of its physical
characteristics but equally by representations in mental images. Mobility is not just free-
flowing movement but also and most likely relies on structuring and identifying the
environment through the aid of mental maps.

One such question is the about the way-finding thought. It is my curiosity about
the small establishments. Just my concern, how can people know that there is a small
business actively running at a corner of a city? Neither unless some people may take a
picture of those then disseminate it through social media nor can it be found with the
trendy Google Maps. Yes these were also reliable, but to what extent?

Additional to my concern above, about the Google maps or other apps

conveys maps, as what to other people’s experiences, not all the time it is useful. Why?
because there are instances that the route is not ideal for your mode of transportation.
If this is not included in with the city’s plan, then fear of disorientation will still roam to
people. Are locative services undermining the potential for exploration and
unexpected encounters with “new places” and people, when our movements are
guided and goal-oriented? Lynch himself feels that disorientation is the cause of fear
and anxiety, and already claims that “to become completely lost is perhaps a rather
rare experience for most people in the modern city” (p. 4). Yet under controlled
circumstances he acknowledges that “there is some value in mystification, labyrinth, or
surprise in the environment” (p. 5).

Thus, for me, “The Image of the City” is still an applaudable work and can be
reread as a fresh work in this age and still to be or should be recommended. Lynch’s
division of mapping/learning/shaping can well be applied as important questions that
can be posed for each locative media project. Which to be concluded, in my opinion,
his book still gives me the ideal agenda for urban design.