Moniruz Zaman
Arch 1121
10-10-12
A city can be described in many ways but we all have a central idea of what a city is. A city is a large settlement area for people, which have complex systems of design. A city is a civilization where the people who reside in it come together and develop these complex systems of designs in ways that are beneficial to its residents. The design of cities includes paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. Keven Lynch in his article, “The City Image and Its Elements”, gives us a good description of each of these.
Paths can be described as the channels along which someone moves through. It can be streets, walkways, transit lines, canals, and railroads. Edges are the linear elements that are not considered as paths by people. They are the separations between two phases like shores, railroad cuts, and walls. They are also the later references not coordinate axes. Districts are the various medium to large sized sections of the city. It is always recognized from the inside but can also be an exterior reference if it is seen from the outside. Nodes are points or spots in a city through which people can enter. It is usually primary junctions, a crossing of paths or places of break in transportation. Nodes can gain importance by being condensed by the use of a hang out corner. Landmarks are a different type of reference points. In the case of landmarks, people do not enter within them because they are external. Landmarks are defined as physical objects like buildings, signs, store, or a well known tourist attraction. Some landmarks can be local like trees, store fronts, and other urban details that are frequently used as clues of identity to become familiar with the setting.
