Critical Analysis Essay: Urban Legibility and City Design

This critical analysis essay examines Kevin Lynch's concept of legibility and its significance in urban design, focusing on how people perceive and navigate cities. It delves into Lynch's theory of the 'Image of the City', outlining the five key elements—paths, nodes, edges, landmarks, and districts—that shape a city's mental image and influence pedestrian experience. The essay also touches upon Guy Debord's concept of 'derive' as a technique to study the urban environment and emphasizes the importance of a clear mental map for residents to feel secure and confident in their surroundings. Ultimately, the essay argues for city designs that facilitate mapping, learning, and shaping, enabling pedestrians to create mental images and effectively navigate their environment. The essay references Lynch's work and other relevant sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive overview of urban design principles.

Critical Analysis Essay 1
CRITICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY
By (Name)
Course
Professor’s name
University name
City, State
Date of submission

Critical Analysis Essay 2
Introduction
Legibility is a concept presented by Kevin lynch as one of the foundations to his theory
on the public image of the city. Legibility refers to the ability of a person to read their
environment and easily find their location towards different addresses within the city.
Theories and concepts on better mapping of urban environment
In the process of navigation within a city, pedestrians depend on the environmental image which
is the mental picture formed by an individual (Lange, 2009).
Figure 1: Problems of urbanism in Boston image as described by Lynch source:
http://architectureandurbanism.blogspot.com/2014/01/kevin-lynch-image-of-city-1960.html
This image is drawn from both the pedestrian’s immediate context and their past-experiences
and is used to inform action within space. A thoughtful design environment improves the sense
of security of a place and creates a harmonious relationship between the inhabitants and the
outside world (Lynch, 1960). An environmental image has three components:

Critical Analysis Essay 3
1. Identity – quality of an object or location, which makes it unique
2. Structure – spatial relationships between the observer and the objects around them.
3. Meaning – emotional relationship between the observed and the observer
Figure 2: Different urbanism perspective source: https://www.slideshare.net/rajapukai/image-
of-the-city-kevin-lynch-case-study
Lynch found out that people use of five elements to construct their mental image of a city
(Lange, 2009). These elements include:
1. Path – channels along which observer moves
2. Nodes– centers of activity within a city that may be entry and exit points from the city.
3. Edge – boundaries and linear breaks in continuity for example shores and railroads

Critical Analysis Essay 4
4. Landmark – A simply defined physical object that acts as a point of reference in the city
5. District - regions of the city that possess a common identifiable characteristic
Figure 3: Five elements by Lynch Source: https://www.slideshare.net/rajapukai/image-of-the-
city-kevin-lynch-case-study
These five elements give unique features and harmony to the city and influence how
pedestrians experience the city, however, paths are especially important since they organize
urban mobility. With the ultimate goal to alter the perspective of modern urban life and
transform it into a revolutionary potential Guy Debord introduced derive in 1956 (Lynch, 1960).
Derive is a technique used to study architecture and the urban environment. It involves a
pedestrian “drifter” passing through varied surroundings with an aim of acquiring useful
information about the environment (Lange, 2009). This information contributes in the visual and
verbal representation of all these traces that form our cities (Lange, 2009).

Critical Analysis Essay 5
The context of it involves the following steps:
 Observation—recording;
 Data analysis;
 Evaluation;
 Conclusions/outcome(s)/mapping.
Cities are complex and consist of many interlinked environments. Each of these
environments affects us differently. It could either attract or repel us depending on the feeling it
evokes in us (Lynch & Rodwin, 1958). In order for people within a city to get a sense of
emotional security and harmony, it is important that a pedestrian get a clear mental map of the
urban environment for them to acquire confidence to move around a city (Lynch, 1981). A clear
mental image provides the framework for communication and conceptual organisation to easily
recognise and link urban parts.

Critical Analysis Essay 6
Figure 4: Kevin-lynch-on-perceptible-objects-and-urban-design Source:
http://writingcities.com/2016/11/02/kevin-lynch-on-perceptible-objects-and-urban-design/
Conclusion
Cities should be designed to give the three related ‘movements’: mapping, learning,
shaping. These allow pedestrians to from a mental image and map. This then enables them
navigate their environment by training. People should also be able to manage and carry out their
activities, make their own stories and create new activities.

Critical Analysis Essay 7
References
Lange, M. d., 2009. review: Kevin Lynch – The Image of the City. [Online]
Available at: http://themobilecity.nl/2009/05/08/review-kevin-lynch-the-image-of-the-city/
[Accessed 31 October 2018].
Lynch, K., 1960. The Image of the City. illustrated, reprint ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT
Press.
Lynch, K., 1981. A Theory of a Good City. Hosein Bahraini, Tehran, Tehran University
Publication.
Lynch, K. and Rodwin, L., 1958. A theory of urban form. Journal of the American institute of
planners, 24(4), pp.201-214.