Images of Urban Areas Their Structure and Psychological Foundations

Abstract This article describes an inquiry concerning map images of a number of urban areas in the Netherlands. The methods and techniques developed by Kevin Lynch in his research on the image of the city, when used in a simplified form, were found to be useful instruments for the investigation of people's perceptions of the structure of urban areas. The main conclusions drawn by Lynch about image formation and image structure are confirmed by the results of this new study, which covered a greater variety of areas and of informants. Similar tendencies with regard to selective processes in perception, and predilection for simple patterns, have been noted in laboratory experiments conducted by Gestalt psychologists. In the light of these facts, certain conclusions about map images can be generalized for literate man in Western society.