MANUEL

L.

QUEZON

UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

RESEARCH PAPER
ON

URBAN DESIGN &

COMMUNITY
PLANNING
(ASSIGNMENT NO. 3)

Submitted by:
Castro, Jerico D.
Student No.: 16-00055
Submitted to:
Ar. Riza Katalban, uap

PL 411-1. Professor
THE IMAGE OF THE CITY
We have the opportunity of forming our new city world into an imaginable
landscape: visible, coherent, and clear. It will require a new attitude on the
part of the city dweller, and a physical reshaping of his domain into forms
which entrance the eye, which organize themselves from level to level in
time and space, which can stand as symbols of urban life.
-Kevin Lynch
THE CITY AND ITS ELEMENTS

Landmarks
Paths
Districts
Nodes
Edges

LANDMARKS
Landmarks are another type of point reference, but in this case the observer
does not enter within them, they are external. They are usually a rather
simple defined physical object: building, sign, store, or mountain. Their use
involves the singling out of one element from a host of possibilities. Some
landmarks are distant ones, typically seen from many angles and distances,
over the tops of smaller elements, and used as radial references. They may
be within the city or at such a distance that for all practical purposes they
symbolize a constant direction. Such are isolated towers, golden domes, and
great hills.
PATHS
Paths are the channels along which the observer customarily,
occasionally, or potentially moves. They may be streets, walkways, transit
lines, canals, railroads. For many people, these are the predominant
elements in their image. People observe the city while moving through it,
and along these paths the other environmental elements are arranged and
related.
DISTRICTS
Districts are the medium-to-large sections of the city conceived as having
two-dimensional extents, which the observer mentally enters inside of and
which are recognizable as having some common identifying character.

Always identifiable from the inside, they are also used for exterior reference
if visible from the outside. Most people structure their city to some extent in
this way, with individual differences as to whether paths or districts are the
dominant elements. It seems to depend not only upon the individual, but
also upon the given city.
NODES
Nodes are points, the strategic spots in a city into which an observer can
enter, and which are the intensive foci to and from which he is traveling.
They may be primary junctions, places of a break in transportation, a
crossing or convergence of paths, moments of shift from one structure to
another. Or the nodes may be simply concentrations, which gain their
importance from being the condensation of some use or physical character,
as a street corner hangout or an enclosed square.
EDGES
Edges are the linear elements not used or considered as paths by the
observer. They are the boundaries between two phases, linear breaks in
continuity: shores, railroad cuts, edges of development walls. They are
lateral references rather than coordinate axes. Such edges may be barriers,
more or less penetrable, which close one region from another; or they may
be seams, lines along which two regions are related or joined together.
These edge elements, although probably not as dominant as paths, are for
many people important organizing features, particularly in the role of holding
together generalized areas, as in the outline of a city by a water feature.
RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENT
Responsive environments are places that provide its users with an essentially
democratic setting, enriching their opportunities by maximizing the degree of
choice available to them.
Bentley and other architects have developed a set of qualities which they make an
environment responsive to the needs of its users.
They have used the following qualities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Permeability
Variety
Legibility
Robustness
Visual Appropriateness
Richness
Personalization

PERMEABILITY

Permeability is a property of how easy it is to move through an environment

and depends heavily upon the paths and objects placed within the space.
There are two types of permeability: physical properties (e.g. a path) and
visual appearance. Permeability is also influenced by the nature of spaces
The greater the number of alternative routes through an environment, the
greater people's freedom of movement and, therefore, the greater the
responsiveness of that place.
VARIETY

refers to the range of activities, people and building forms which can be
found in a space. The varied nature of people, forms and activities will create
range meanings and in turn the meanings may influence the variety of
options available.

LEGIBILITY

Legibility is how easy it is for a person to understand the layout of the place,
construct a mental map of their environment and depends to a large extent
to the form of the environment and the activities people undertake. Lynch
discusses many features such as paths, nodes, landmarks, districts and
edges.

ROBUSTNESS

Robustness explores how a single space can be put to multiple uses.

Robustness is also influenced by temporal aspects.
Places which can be used for many different purposes offer their users more
choice than places whose design limits them to a single fixed use

VISUAL APPROPRIATENESS

Visual Appropriateness is how the design and details physically can make
people aware of the choices the place provides.
The interpretations of people give to a place can reinforce its responsiveness
by supporting: variety, legibility and robustness.

RICHNESS

Richness relates to the range of sensory experiences available, for example

sight, smell, touch and sound.
It is also concerned with how the experience can have an effect on the
emotional state of those visiting the place.

PERSONALIZATION

Personalization is the ability to customize an environment on a large or small

scale.
It make possible for users to personalize places by putting their own stamps
on their environment.