An Examination of the "character of urban nodes" and their determinent factors in selected small towns in Matara district

Abstract

Identification of a place or an environment is an important need for human existence. The unique identity of a place facilitates this need. The important attribute of identity of a place is the 'Character of place'. Character is a strong spatial quality, which differs from one place to another. So it is important to examine and identify strong characters for the creation of liveable and meaningful places. Urban nodes are an important element of city form as well as city character. They are such places where intensified strong characters have become meaningless due to modern haphazard development. One impotent reason for this is the present city planner and architects are single based and disregard the multidisciplinary approach. The other reason is lack of knowledge of notion of character of urban nodes and its relative determinants and disregarding that each node processes its own unique characters. So examination and identification of strong and distinctive characters help to create liveable meaning full urban nodes.