Images of an Arab City

Abstract Following instructions suggested in Kevin Lynch's The Image of the City, 35 residents of Tripoli, Lebanon were asked to draw a map of the city and to list its important features. Their responses emphasized certain sections or quarters of the city, and they minimized individual buildings and landmarks. These findings are interpreted as being consistent with various pertinent values in Lebanese Arab culture. The conclusion is that the urban image is a product both of visual cues and of socio-cultural associations.