City Image and Its Elements

8/12/2019 City Image and Its Elements

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City Image And Its Elements

Submitted By:

Ramiz Khan

Salman Naqvi

Submitted To:

Ar. Mohammad Khalid

Hasan


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City Image

There seems to be a public image of any given city which is

the overlap of many individual images. Or perhaps there is a

series of public images each held by some significant number

of citizens.

Such group images are necessary if an individual is to operatesuccessfully within his environment and to cooperate with his

fellows.

Each individual picture is unique, with some content that is

rarely or never communicated, yet it approximates the public

image, which in different environments is more or less

compelling, more or less embracing.


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Contents of a City

The contents of the city images so far studied, which are

referable to physical forms, can conveniently be classified into

five types of elements:

1. Paths

2. Edges

3. Districts

4. Nodes

5. Landmarks.


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Paths

Paths are the channels along which the observer customarily,

occasionally, or potentially moves.

They may be streets, walk- ways, 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.


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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. Suchedges may be barriers, more or less penetrable, which close

one region off from another or they may be seams, lines along

which two regions are related and joined together.

These edge elements, although probably not as dominant aspaths, are for many people important organizing features,

particularly in the role at holding together generalized areas,

as in the outline of a city by water or wall.


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Districts.

Districts are the medium to a large sections of the city,

conceived of as having two-dimensional extent, which, the

observer fluently enters inside of and which are

recognizable as having some common, identifying character.

Always identifiable from the inside, they are also used forexterior 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.


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Nodes.

Nodes are points, the strategic spots in a city into which an observer canenter, and which are the intensive foci to and from which he is traveling.

They may be primarily junctions, places of a break in transportation, acrossing or convergence of paths, moments of shift from one structureto another.

Or the nodes may be simply concentrations, which gain their

importance from being the condensation of some use or physicalcharacter, as a street-corner hangout or an enclosed square.

Some of these concentration nodes are focus and epitome of a district,over which their influence radiates and of which they stand as a symbol.This symbol may be called cores. Many nodes, of course, take of thenature of both junctions and concentrations.

The concept of node is related to the concept of path, since junctionsare typically the convergence of paths, events on the journey.

It is similarly related to the concept of district, since the cores aretypically the intensive foci of districts, their polarizing centre.

In an event, some nodal points are to be found in almost every image,and in certain cases they may be the dominant feature.


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Landmarks.

Landmarks are another type of point reference, but this case the observer does not

enter within them, they are external.

They are usually a rather simply 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, great hills.

Even a mobile point, like the sun, whose motion is sufficiently slow and regular, may

be employed.

Other landmarks are primarily local, being visible only in restricted localities andfrom certain approaches.

These are the innumerable signs, store fronts, trees, door knobs, and other urban

detail, which fill in the image of most observers.

They are frequently used clues of identity and even of structure, and seem to be

increasingly relied upon as a journey becomes more and more familiar.


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Elements that help a

Inhabitant in perceiving anImage of the CIty


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PATHS

For most people interviewed, paths were the predominant

city elements, although their importance varied according to

the degree of familiarity with the city.

People with the least knowledge of the city tended to think of

the city in terms of topography, large regions, generalizedcharacteristics, and broad directional relationships.

Subjects who knew the city better had usually mastered parts

of the path structure; these people thought more in terms of

specific paths and their interrelationships.

A tendency also appeared for the people who knew the city

best of all to rely more upon small landmarks and less upon

either regions or paths. The potential drama and identification

in the highway system should not be underestimated.


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PATHS

Characteristic spatial qualities were able to strengthen the image of

particular paths. In the simplest sense, streets that suggest extremes

of either width or narrowness attracted attention.

Where major paths lacked identity, or were easily confused one for

the other, the entire city image was in difficulty.

People tend to think of path destinations and origin points: they

liked to know where paths came from and where they led.

Paths with clear and well-known origins and destinations had

stronger identities, helped tie the city together, and gave the

observer a sense of his bearings whenever he crossed them. Some subjects thought of general destinations for paths, to a section

of the city, for example, while others thought of specific places.


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EDGES

Great buildings, parks, and tiny private beaches all come down

to the waters edge, which throughout most of its length is

accessible and visible to all.

The contrast, the differentiation of events along the line, and

the lateral breadth are all very strong. The effect is reinforced by the concentration of paths and

activities along its extent.

The scale is perhaps unrelievedly large and coarse, and too

much open space is at times interposed between city andwater, as at the Loop. Yet the facade of Chicago on the Lake is

an unforgettable sight.


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DISTRICTS

Districts are the relatively large city areas which the observer can

mentally go inside of, land which have some common character.

They can be recognized internally, and occasionally can be used as

external reference as a person goes by or toward them.

Many persons interviewed took care to point out that Boston, while

confusing in its path pattern even to the experienced inhabitant,

has, in the number and vividness of its differentiated districts, a

quality that quite makes up for it.

Subjects, when asked which city they felt to be a well oriented one,

mentioned several, but New York (meaning Manhattan) was

unanimously cited.

And this city was cited not so much for its grid, which Los Angeles

has as well, but because it has a number of Well-defined

characteristic districts, set in an ordered frame of rivers and streets.


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DISTRICT

Two Los Angeles subjects even referred to Manhattan as being

small in comparison to their central area! Concepts of size

may depend in part on how well a structure can be grasped.

Usually the typical features were imaged and recognized in a

characteristic cluster, the thematic unit. The Beacon Hill image, for example, included steep narrow

streets, old brick row houses of intimate scale, inset, highly

maintained, white doorways, black trim, cobble stones and

brick walls, quiet, and upper- class pedestrians.

The resulting thematic unit was distinctive by contrast to the

rest of the city and could be recognized immediately.


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LANDMARKS

Landmarks, the point reference considered to be external to theobserver, are simple physical elements which may vary widely in scale.

There seemed to be a tendency for those more familiar with a city torely increasingly on systems of landmarks for their guides to enjoyunique- ness and specialization, in place of the continuities used earlier.

Since the use of landmarks involves the singling out of one element

from a host of possibilities, the key physical characteristic of this class issingularity, some aspect that is unique or memorable in the context.

Landmarks become more easily identifiable, more likely to be chosen assignificant, if they have a clear form if they contrast with the back-ground; and| if there is some prominence of spatial location.

Figure-background contrast seems to be the principal factor.

The background against which an element stands out need not belimited to immediate surroundings: the grasshopper weather-vane ofFaneuil Hall, the gold dome of the State House, or the peak of the LosAngeles City Hall are landmarks that are unique against the backgroundof the entire city.


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Travelways The focus is primarily on how to better and more safely integrate motor vehicles,

bicycles and pedestrians in the Central Core. The intent is not to provide a revised

vehicular circulation plan for the Central Core or to address the integration of

multiple travel modes within the vehicular travel way, but to provide guidelines forthe design of City streets that will accommodate effective circulation of

automobiles and bicycles while also promoting a more walk able downtown that is

safe, convenient, and comfortable for pedestrians.

The Travelway Realm occupies the curb-to-curb

street cross section within the public right-of-way.

Travelway Realm

The travelway generally occupies 60 to

65% of the public right-of-way.


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Street Types

PRINCIPLE:

The design of the public street rights-of-way shall balance vehicular circulation withall modes of transportation to create a safe, comfortable, attractive and robust

pedestrian and bicycle environment.

Street design needs to effectively integrate

light rail with vehicular traffic.

A number of one-way corridor streets

serve as key arterials through the

downtown.

St t T C id


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1.One-way Corridor Street

PRINCIPLE: Limit the use of one-way corridorstreets to corridors where they are necessary toaccommodate high traffic volumes, and introduceside-walk extensions (i.e., bulb-outs) at streetintersections to calm traffic and reduce pedestriancrossing distances.

Recommendations:

Provide sidewalk bulb-outs at street intersections.

Permit parallel on-street parking on both sides ofthe street.

Where bicycle lanes cannot be accomodated and

bicyclists must ride in travel lane with vehiculartraffic, the addition of sharrows (i.e., pavementmarkings that indicate that vehicles must share

the lane with bicyclists) should be considered.

Street Type: Corridor


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2.Corridor Street with Widened Sidewalk

(one side only)

PRINCIPLE: Widened sidewalks should be

planned for selected Central City locations to

accommodate increasingly active pedestrian

streetlife.

Recommendations

Extend the sidewalk by eliminating the parking laneon 1. one side.

Permit off-peak metered parking in one of the

travel 2. lanes.

Bicyclists ride in travel lane with automobile traffic.


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3.One-way Transit Street

PRINCIPLE: Dedicate one lane of traffic to

transit-preferential use.

Recommendations:

Ensure that the sidewalk adjacent to the

tracks is wide enough to accommodate a

station stop with disabled access ramps.

On-street parallel parking is restricted to

the side of the street opposite the light-rail tracks.

Street Type: Transit


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4.Neighborhood Retail Street

PRINCIPLE:Provide ample on-street parking, including angled parking, tosupport pedestrian-friendly retail activity. Enable the growth of full tree canopyby placing trees beyond the sidewalk into the parking areas.

Recommendations:

Back-in angled parking should be used rather than front in angled parking. Itoffers many benefits. It is safer for pedestrians and cyclists There is less dangerto traffic when maneuvering, it is easier for truck and rear door loading, andpassengers can enter and leave the vehicle without danger from traffic.

Introduce angled parking where possible to provide more on-street parking thanparallel parking.

Differentiate parking zones from the travel lanes by special paving materials orpermeable concrete. These zones can be part of a green-street program ofstorm-water management.

Reduce the width of travel lanes to reduce traffic speeds and create a saferpedestrian environment.

Consider locating street trees within parking zones, enabling trees to have fulltree canopies without requiring building setbacks from the 80 right-of-way.Thus, street-walls can follow the build-to-lines at the edge of the right-of-wayand maintain a well defined pedestrian-oriented environment.

5 Sl St t ( ith l d ki id


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5.Slow Street (with angled parking on one side

and additional street trees)PRINCIPLE: Remove one travel lane to

accommodate angled parking.

Recommendations:

Provide angled parking on one side and parallel 1.

parking on the other side within the existing curb-to-

curb dimension. Back-in angled parking is a viable

alternative.

Introduce new street trees between the existing full

2. canopy street trees.

Provide sidewalk bulb-outs at the street

intersections.

Neighborhood Residential

Angled parking on slow-moving streets


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6.Two-way Street with Median

PRINCIPLE: Introduce central medians for large

trees as traffic-calming elements to create safer,

pedestrian-friendly streets, while retaining easy traffic

flow.

Recommendations:

Create new 10 center medians in the center of the

street.

Plant new street trees that contrast in scale andcharacter with the side street trees.

Consider use of permeable pavement or pavers where

appropriate.

Bicycles should share the road with vehicle traffic.

Tree planted center median

Neighborhood Residential

16 7 712 1210 16

Curb-to-Curb

48

80

Right-of-Way


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8.Bicycle Street (one-way)PRINCIPLE: Introduce dedicated bicycle lanes on

residential neighborhood streets.

Recommendations: The bicycle lane should be 6 wide.

Sidewalks should be 11 wide.

Planting strips should be 8 wide to meet the

recommendations of Friends of the Urban Forest

standards for adequate irrigation of the existingmature street trees.

Consider expanded planting strips/bulb-outs at

intersections.

Bicycle

One-way street with bicycle lane and on-street parking on both sides of the street.

11 1188 7 711 116

19 1942


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9.Alleys: Residential District Alleys

PRINCIPLE: Alleys in residential districts shouldperform as minor streets, providing a traffic-calmed,

pedestrian scaled environment providing frontage accessto residential units and vehicle access to garages andservice areas.

Recommendations

Residential development along alleys should be set back5 from the r.o.w., to facilitate the provision of adequate

daylighting, landscaping, and privacy.

In the case of a new parking access, a 5 setback fromthe property line is required to provide clearance forvehicle turning.

Alleys should have paving materials that are conducivefor both vehicular and pedestrian activity. Rougher

paving texture should be used to slow vehicle speeds.Where possible, the paving should be designed toattenuate stormwater flows, e.g. with the use of porouspaving material and retention systems.

Trash bins must be screened from view and may notintrude into the alley right of way.

Front-loaded

townhouses

Rear-loaded

townhouses

Alley


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Alleys should have one-way vehicle circulation.

Sidewalks are not necessary. However, a 4-inch curb can be used to delineate the

pedestrian realm.

Cross-slopes of paving should be ADA compliant.

Landscape elements should be encouraged within private property adjacent to

alley right-of-way.

Parcels with units extending from street to alley should have their vehicular access

from the alley, in order to minimize the number of curb-cuts along the street and

reduce conflicts in the pedestrian zone.

Townhouses front alley shared street


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On-Street Parking

PRINCIPLE: Provide on-street parking as a means of enhancing access to

adjacent uses, buffering pedestrians from moving traffic, and increasing activity onthe street.

Guidelines:

On-street Parking. To the extent feasible, on-street parking should be provided on

all streets to support adjacent uses and enhance pedestrian safety and activity.

Intermittent Parking Zones. Where traffic capacity needs to be balanced with on-

street parking, consider using the curb lane for parking during off-peak periods

and for traffic during peak periods. This strategy may allow for the narrowing of

some arterial and collector street cross-sections (i.e., lane removal) where it is

desirable to provide wider pedestrian zones and off-peak traffic volumes do not

require three travel lanes. Parking Orientation. On-street parking should be primarily parallel parking on

high-volume arterial and collector streets. Angled parking may be used on lower-

speed and lower-volume commercially-oriented collector and local streets,

particularly on retail main streets.


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Back-in Angled Parking. Back-in angled parking is generally morefavorable for bicyclists, easier for loading of packages, and can providea traffic-calming effect. Reverse (back-in) angled parking requires a

wider edge zone in the roadside due to the longer overhang at the rearof most vehicles. This extra width can be compensated by the narrowtravel lane needed adjacent to parking for maneuvering.

Bicycles and Angled Parking. Avoid marking bicycle lanes inconjunction with front-in angled parking. Rather, provide a stripedarea, without bike lane markings, six feet in width between angled

parking and the travel lane on streets heavily used by bicyclists. Bicyclelane markings may be used in conjunction with back-in angled parking

Metered Parking. Use metered parking to provide reasonable short-term parking for retail customers and visitors while discouraging long-term resident and employee parking. Restrict time limits of 30 minutesor less to areas reserved for special, short-term, high-turnover parkingsuch as passenger loading, convenience stores, dry cleaners, etc.Maximum time limits should not exceed 2 hours where turnover ofparking spaces is important to support nearby retail business.

Taxi-Cab Stands. Locate taxi-cab curb space in strategic high-use areas(e.g. hotels, convention center, Sacramento Valley Station). Taxi queueareas could have synergy with transit services.


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Parking Restrictions. At least 20 to 50 feet from mid-block crosswalks and at least20 feet from the curb return of intersections (30 feet from an approach to asignalized intersection) or as required to maintain a proper sight distance triangledepending on speed and roadway geometrics.

Motorcycle and Scooter Parking. Convenient on-street motorcycle parking shouldbe provided to encourage motorcycle and scooter use. Ample on-streetmotorcycle and scooter parking should be provided within the Central Core inprominent, well-lit locations as close as possible to main entrances of buildings,Motorcycle parking bays should be striped perpendicular to the sidewalk in the on-street vehicular parking zone.

Back-in angled parking provides for

convenient loading and unloading and

is safer for bicyclists

Parallel parking works better on

narrower streets.


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AIMS To study graphics mostcommonly

Seen and understand their

importance and implication that

they inflict upon us, and their

role in making our life easier.

HYPOTHESIS

Cities cannot work without urban

graphics.

OBJECTIVES Understand significance of

signage's in history .

To study various considerations

that go into making a signage

system work .

2

SIGNAGE


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NEED OF STUDYING SIGNAGE

Importance of corporate identity by studyingvarious company logos ,etc.

To provide alternates to signage which do notcomply to their purpose.

Anywhere we look around we see a brand name(logo) an informative signage , street furniture apaving etc.

Hence our role as architects or designers becomesvery importance as it is our duty to guide a laymanto his/her destiny without much concern.

Common signage's for

handicapped

Sources : world wide web

Various signage's

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SCOPE OF SIGNAGE

Also in our ever increasing commercial life signage of companies etc. that

adorn the buildings and beautify the facades are also to be taken care of

.they should not go to an extend of annoying or disturbing a human being As already discussed paving or street furniture can act as mood

stimulators hence they demand extra attention as they can play a very

important part in the way an individual works or his output of works

.similarly murals adorning the walls of our buildings not only beautify the

faade but also gives us an idea of the character of the building .hence it

becomes very important to understand the usage of these murals so thatone is able to design murals so that one is able to design murals in a way

that it brings out the positive image rather than a negative one .

Scope of this exercise is immense but only some key constituents will be

highlighted . Parts of the subject to be dealt in detail will include SIGNAGE

COMMERCIAL SIGNAGE .

The choice of these key constituents is based on their importance w.r.t tothe subject and also time constraint. It is already understood how very

important signage are in our lives. similarly in this ever growing

commercial life portraying an image is also very important and a difficult

job and hence this will become an area of detailed study.

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ILLUMINATION


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Neon lights for

illumination

ILLUMINATION

Signage's not only give the identity to thespace but also ,act as visual magnet forthe people .these signage are usuallyilluminated to enhance the visual beautyof the space created. Many signs are

required to relate their messages afterdark as well as during natural daylight.The careful designer must determinewhich signs require artificial illuminationby readily available stock fixturesproduced by many manufactures ,or theycan be internally illuminated .

In recent times neon lights have taken ahuge chunk of the lighted signage. This ismainly because of the rapidcommercialization and competitionbetween the corporate players. Thesesignage's not only make the signagevisible at night but also make them look

more attractive and enhance theappearance of the place . Also solarlamps or solar illumination has recentlybeen very successful in illumination ofsignage systems at night .apart frommaking the signage visible they areenvironment friendly .cheap in usage

,anddont

depend on conventionalsource of energy. 19


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PROBLEMS FACED BY SIGNAGE

If not placed properly obstruct the movement of pedestrians and vehicles andbecome potential traffic hazard .

In most cases proportions are out of scale to structures and spaces . Create visual blight by which the aesthetic of the area is lost or further

detiorated .amidst the confusion ,the viewer receives no information .

Posters struck haphazardly on any structure or writing on the walls are aneyesore .they deface the structure .

No professional ethics followed .

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Form a regulatory authority that controls the sign system centrally .

Device a manual that clearly explains and regulates the signage system .

Impose fine on those who flout the regulations .

Ban sticking of posters on walls and public property . Provide guidelines to various advertising agencies on hoardings and

billboards etc. comprising of sizes to be used in different areas.

Provide color coding schemes in conjunction with the structures inquestion .

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VISUAL PERCEPTION

Graphic is vision and vision is deeply related to human power andbehavior of perception .to understand graphics we must understand

driving force behind graphics .the perception .

FIELD OF VISION Normal field vision suitable for signs ,covers an angle of 60 degree.

Areas beyond this zone of vision tend to become vague .logically thisfield of vision can be enhanced greatly if the subject is turning ormoving the head.

Normally people are too busy to look around .thus orientation,mounting height and relation to main pedestrian and traffic does notaffect perception .consistency in the height and orientation of graphicreduces this undue load on the observer and generates healthyenvironment visually.

READING ABILITY An average educated person can read about 125 to 300 words a minute.This obviously depends on age ,intelligence ,psychological backgroundetc. the idea of establishment a reading rate is to practically find theoverloading of graphic message.

22


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LEGIBILITY studies indicate that on normal sunlit day

,a person with 20 20 vision can read oneinch high letter on a standard shelled eyechart at a distance of 50 feet. This dependsimmensely on psychological factors ,such asfigure ground relationship and brightnesscontrast.

EYE LEVEL average height of the viewer is the eye

level .however all viewers are not on the sameeye level i.e people sitting in the vehicles

have an eye level of 46while people walkinghave an eye level of 56.therefore signagemeant for motorist should be at a lower levelso that they can be read easily without reallytaking ones eyes off the road.

COLOR Colors put together can make a place look

like festivity and gay ,and if handledunprofessionally can clutter up the urbanlandscape ,colors in rhythm mean,harmonious ,co existence of colors ,whereall colors get registered properly in order of

preference.

The color scheme


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COLOR`S EFFECT ON HUMAN`S BRAIN People are thought to color more readily than form or shape and it is thought to

hold their attention longer .for example ,the red and white of COCA COLA ,theblue of FORD ,yellow arches of MCDONALDS ,are now important parts of graphiclandscape .research has shown that certain colors can cause predictable

emotional and psychological effects .we also learn to respond to them in certainways ,for example ,

RED stimulates appetite ,in retail it is used for attracting attention

BLUE creates a condition of mental calmness ,it decreases appetite .it is also acorporate color used to communicate stability .

WHITE is color of purity.

BLACK is the color of luxury .

PURPLE is the color of royalty.

GREEN is a cool color ,it is refreshing .it is also the color of environment andhealth.

GREY creates a mood of dignity and safety.

YELLOW is friendly and cheerful.

Sometimes a deeper meaning is also derived from the colors that a brand uses.these meanings are derived from a particular regions language ,religiousphilosophy etc. thus the cultural context within which a color is used shouldalso be taken into account .

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Traffic signals

TRAFFIC SIGNING PRINCIPLES

In vehicle oriented perception ,shape is seen first ,then color is noticed and

finally one notices the message in it.

SHAPE MESSAGE

CIRCLE CRITICAL RULES:STOP,YIELD RECTANGLE GUIDANC,LANE

DIAMOND WARNING

COLOR AND SHAPE MESSAGE

RED CIRCLE BREAKING RULES

GREEN CIRCLE TURNING RULES

BLUE CIRCLE LOCAL GUIDANCE

YELLOW DIAMOND WARNING

Though the actual signage is seen at last ,driver prepares himself for

necessary action seeing the shape and color .thus reaction time is sufficient

for any particular action at all speeds.


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THANK YOU

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City Image and Its Elements

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