Mapping the Urban Image

What is your “image of the city”? Intangible model of the city Designed for practicality not precision Personal “Under construction” Made up of certain elements (Kevin Lynch 1960)  Paths  Landmarks  Nodes  Districts  Edges

What purposes does it serve? Aids navigation Guides social interaction Prevents feeling lost Helps make the city feel like “home”

Alternative names Image (Kevin Lynch, 1960)  imageability  path, edge, landmark, node, district  some urban environments are more imageable than others Mental maps  Peter Gould (preference surfaces)  Rodney White Cognitive maps  Roger Downs and David Stea  Reg Golledge

Mental Maps Gould and White 1986 Ignorance Surface from Pennsylvania Preference Surface from Minnesota

What areas do you know:  Well  Moderately well  Not at all What areas do you consider:  Great  Good  OK  Not so hot  Really awful

Why does your image of the city matter? Mental maps Spatial behavior Urban form

One example (Los Angeles)

Another example (Los Angeles)

Different Scale

Problems with methodology? Link between mental map and sketch map is taken for granted, assumed rather than problematized Several variables not examined:  artistic ability (varies by education, age, etc.)  practice drawing maps  perception of task (e.g. level of probing by researcher)  willingness to draw (e.g. amount of free time)

Strengths of methodology? Reveals individual differences in experience Builds rapport between researcher and subject A fun way to initiate broader discussion about the urban environment

Why might mental maps differ from person to person? urban experiences differ from person to person

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experienc e ???

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experience age access to transportation leisure time fear/confidence level

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experience age access to transportation ??? leisure time fear/confidence level

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experience age access to transportation income profession race residential location leisure time fear/confidence level

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experience age access to transportation income profession race residential location leisure time ??? fear/confidence level

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experience age access to transportation income profession race residential location leisure time income profession education fear/confidence level

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experience age access to transportation income profession race residential location leisure time income profession education fear/confidence level ???

Why might mental maps be different scales? urban experience age access to transportation income profession race residential location leisure time income profession education fear/confidence level gender physical build age attitude crime victim?

Can you think of any other personal variables related to physical ability? How would each of these affect someone’s image of the city?  blind or visually impaired  partially or completely deaf  mobility impaired  developmentally impaired  mentally ill  substance abusers  homeless

How could the city be made more accessible for: children elderly women handicapped poor & unemployed those without cars