The Image of the City

The Image of the City Summary

In his book called The Image of the City, Kevin Lynch compares three major cities in the United States (Los Angeles, Boston, Jersey City) and explains how people orient themselves around the city. He states that people in urban areas use mental maps to get around. An important theme in this book is legibility. This is how a cityscape can be 'read'. We do this through the act of way finding. Lynch then describes the five elements that are involved with wayfinding. These include:

1. Paths: Routes along which people move through the city
2. Edges: Boundaries and breaks in continuity 
3. Districts: Areas characterized by common characteristics
4. Nodes: Strategic focus points for orientation
5. Landmarks: External points of orientation

According to Lynch paths are very important because they organize urban mobility.  A clear and organized mental map is very important because it provides emotional security and counters the fear of disorientation.