rca, Pasing THE IMAGE OF THE CITY Kevin Lynch ‘What does the elt’ form actually mean to the people who live there? ‘what can the city planner do to make the city's image more vivid and ‘memorable tothe ety dweller? To answer these quetiors, Me. Lynch, ‘Mppited by dir of Lae faa, Baan, 8 Jey Cay, frm lates anew esteron — iagealilty and shows its potest 1 uide for the balding nd rebuilding of cites ‘The wide scope of this study leads to 29 orignal and vital method forthe evaluation of city fonn. The architect, the planner, and certainly the ety dweller wl ll wan to read this book. What the reiewers have said: ". « Kevin Lynch has come up with « readable, tautly ovzanized, suthocttive volume that may prove as important to city bullding 36 Camilo Site’ The Ar of Bulding Chee" Architectural Forum “City planers and urban designers everywhere wil be taking account of he work for years to come. The Importance of this book inthe Iterature of wrbaniom i obvious |. we have lacked theory sf the citys visual perception based. on objective enters. For stme strange Fenson, In the peviod dating from the late 18th Century in Germany find lasting unt Lynch's forte". there was experimentation fa the matter of how cities ae perceived All of us can be gritful for the fesumption ofthis line of thought. The impact of the volume should be enormous.” Leonard K' Baton, Progressive Architecture “The aml and readable book makes one ofthe most important mode contebutlons to largeseale design theory - To understand Lynch's ssodasty, one must go back 0.1953, the year when he began bit Studies im perception with travel period in Italy. This was several year before all the urban design conferences, before the coining ofthe phrase, ind at atime when cespecable planners were concerned with anything but the explortion af urban form. I took 2 rebellious young teacher «= red ty the inspiration of FL. Weight (hi sometime mentor), to tur the tables on thirty years of ‘planners! neglect” — David A. Crane, Journal ofthe American Institute of Plensare (ull), THE, M7. RessKevin Lynch The Image of the City The M.LT. Press Maracbu Cambridge, MaPusucavion oF THE Jouve Cenren Fox Unsaw Srumes This book in ome ofa erie publithed ander the auspice of the Joint Center for Urban Stdies, a cooperative venare ofthe Matsachnses Inara of Technology and Marvard University. The Joint Center wat founded in 1938 1 anise and encontage research om urban and reionel prob lem. Perticpantt bore incuded ibolrs from the fede of nbropology, architecture, business, city laming, econo scetion, engineering, birtry, ls, philosophy, poi eiemce ad socoleny. he findings ond conclsions of sip book are a2 wit all Joint Cesver publications, solely she responibiity of the aber. Conmtight © 1960 by he Masha Inst of Teil tnd the President and Felis of Harvad College Feein iin. 190 SAN 0 262 12008 6 (hardener) ISBN 0 262 62001 < (pee) Libary of Congress Catalog Card No: 60-7362 Printed ia the United States of America PREFACE Ti tok is abut he ak of ie ad wher lok of ay inprace sod wheter Kan be chged. The ban adxape, among oy roe, al someting Be {erat be remembered and deg ining vin form ssp id dn pb, nae ow on Inthe cone of eamiing hs new problem, he book ks ac ver Amin cher Boron, Jerzy hy, Lae Agel. it megs» med whey we igh bg 0 del wit a form a he wun sale, ad oes sme ft pipes fy cig “The wok sels behind his sndy es done under the leetan of Preesin Gyoay Kepes and ml a the Cane for Utun and Regional Sadie of he Mache Tite a Techlogy. wet pneroey spre er ae yes ty tans fam de Rocketeer Funtnton, The bok ial ing publ one of ais of vlan othe Jn Cece {or Uren Sais of she Maman Innit of Techy tu Harned Unive, a agency which as gown oo of he ‘Stan cnc sof thee ve tone Zeina seco! work te omen dees rom many source deo net. Svea ech scien Gos whe devdopne oti tye Dovid Cae Beadeinden, Willan Alonso, Fank Hols, Richard Der, May Ble Peers (now Ms. Alonso). am very geal them all (One same sould on hese page with yom if only Be ‘would thereby no be made responsible force shoccomings of the book. Thar name is Gyorgy Kepe. The denied develop mene a concete studies are my ova, but the underlying coo ep were generated in many exchanges with Pofese Kepes Toald beat ns 0 diene my ees fom bis For me ‘hese Have been good yes of esaciaon. Kevin Lywcit Decanter, 1982 CONTENTS 1 The Image of the Envionment 1 Tagihi, 2 Hulding the Image, 6; Seucwe and lena images, 9. ML Theee Cities, 4 Bon, 6; Jey Ci 28; ot Anges, 32; Common ‘Themes, 4 TIL The City tmage and Is Elements 46 ‘Pad 9 gt 62; Die, 6; Node, 72; and ‘mal, 8: Eons Tnterelins, 83, The Shing Trap 83; lage Quali. 87 IV. Ciy Form oo ‘Besaing the Pus, 93; Design of Other Blea, 992 Farm Quan 103; The Sere of the Whe, 108: Mewoplian Frm, 112 The ce of Den, M5 VANew Scale ne ‘Appendices A Some References 19 Orientation 123 ‘ype a Releene Sper 12: Formation ofthe Imag, 138 The Re of Porm, 33; Deane Tig, 3 B. The Use of the Method 140 "Toe Method a the Bus lor Desig, 155: Diteines {or Pare Reseach 136 © Two Examples of Analysis 160 Tencon l 68; Seay See, 173, Bibliogeaphy 182 Index 187‘THE IMAGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT Lecsing 2 ce ange pects, rower commonplace the ghey be. Like apse of archcne, he Gi ir cnarction in pce, bor one of va ale, «ting pervel ony inthe cue of fang spas of vine Cy design Siherfoe a tempor ae bu een ry we she cone td lined sequences of er tempo an ke mie. On ‘Seren cuit and fr dilerepeple,t sqeect se evened, ierped bandoned ot some sen fa Tigi and all ween ’A vey nan, cere i more than the eye can ss, more than he ent ca ei, eing oie watg 0 be explore Noning it experience’ by ii, bot slay in fetion 1 sxtondingh te morn of ever lending op 10 the em tay of pot expences Wahine Sante ts la lamers eld igh loo ike the shopping set in the bet of axon, tnd yet wold sem wey ferent Every ein at had tang smosaons with some pr of his cig, ad Bs ie tooed in memories wd eelLegibilty Moving clemens in sci, and ia patiuas the people and hee acts, age as import as the sainary phys pas ‘We are noe simply observers ofthis spectacle, but are ourselves pare of onthe sage with the other prepa.” Mos aen, ‘our perception of the city ie oe seine, but rather pest, Franny, mined with echer concern Neatly every sense it in operation, ad the image i he compost of them al ‘Nor ony i he cyan Obie whichis perceived (and perhaps enjoyed) by millions of people af widely dives class and ena sce, bu tthe product of many builders who ave coasaly ‘modiying the rare for rensns ofthis own. While ic may be sable in general outs foe some cme ie ever changing in desl Only paca concol can be exercised ovr is growth ‘nd form. ‘There is x0 foal rta,only 2 cotinvovs sicesion Of phaier No wonder, then, thatthe a of shaping cer for ‘entuous enjoyment ean set quite separate Kom archer of ‘se oe lente. Te may lara great deal from thee her sr, ba ie cannot imitate tem. ‘A besutifl and deligeel cy envconment isan ody, some ‘would sy an imporsiiliy, Nor one American ct larger chan lage tof consent ne quality, although ew twas tome pleat frgmnems Ie is hardy surprising, then ha most “Americans have li ies of wha ican mean live in wich an fvizonent. ‘They ae dear enough about the opines of he Seevld thy lie ny and they aze gute vocal about the dit, the imoke, de hes, nd dhe congestion, the Qua ad yet te manat ny of ie Bue they are arly aware ofthe peel value of ‘armoaious suroundings, + word which they may have Beiely limped only 5 rourss or 2s escaped vacationers. They ean ave fle sense of what a sting cao mean in ers of ely