Landmarks in urban landscape : a study of their contributions for imagibility of places and legibility of urban environment

Abstract

The variety of an environment is mainly created by the hierarchical relationship of the fabric of that environment. So a variety in an order is a essential component to it to be comfortable to a society to experience. We experience rural neighborhoods, urban nodes, highly congested built fabrics, shanty settlements etc. Every location, generate a clue in our mind, thus stimulating interactions. Intensity of that clue help us to recognise that location. For that imagination we use various landmarks of that environment. It may be doorknob or a stone mark, on the roadside to sophisticated buildings. So this is a study of landmarks, their characteristics in order to understand their contribution to Imageability and legibility of urban environment. In the study, two basic characteristics of landmarks are identified as physical attributes and associational attributes. Physical attributes mainly contributes to the visibility of the object and also give a symbolical meaning attached to it. Associational attributes mainly contributes to a out come of 'experience', 'feeling', and 'participation' to have a very clear sense of the place. In every context these two characteristics involves to built up 'mental pictures' in the minds of its inhabitants.