TOWNSCAPE ANALYSIS
Work in progress...
A way of looking at cities, which has some useful links with some recent projects, but which is in fact quite an old idea. The basic premise is that just as rural areas have a landscape (which is infinitely varied), so urban areas have a townscape. Both contain a series of elements which are arranged in different ways.
While people are quick to appreciate landscapes, they are often slower to appreciate the way in which towns are created. This age hopefully provides some ideas for exploring your own home town or city.
The idea is that within cities there are particular 'elements' which make up the 'look' of the place. These can link in to the ideas of emotional mapping as well, as some of these provoke a particular response from the person who is moving around the city.
I remember spending a very nice sunny day in Besancon, eastern France in 1983 on an undergraduate fieldtrip completing a townscape analysis.
Each element had a SYMBOL to represent it (need to try and find these, or students could design their own simple symbols for each element...)
Could also expand this into the production of a TOWN TRAIL. The trail could join up particular places, and extensions could include photos / images of each place, and Google Earth files.
The elements are explained, and illustrated (eventually) below. Find some examples in your own home town, perhaps as part of MY PLACES project.
ENCLOSURE
Covered spaces e.g. arcades, indoor markets, covered malls, conservatories, enclosed tunnels and ginnels
VANTAGE POINT
A high position with a view e.g. castle, church tower
PUNCTUATION
A broken view, or winding road with a 'visual pause' e.g. where a view is only revealed by walking a little further along, or in stages
SUNKEN AREA
A secluded and sheltered spot e.g. sunken garden on seafront parades
MYSTERY
A partly hidden view, which makes you want to explore further e.g. secret passage
EXCITEMENT
An edge, drop which gives a sense of danger e.g. drop to a river, bridge, town walls
FOCAL POINT
A feature which attracts attention e.g. a statue, column, clock tower, church spire
PERSONAL SPACE
Places used by people e.g. park bench, gazebo
REPETITION
Regular pattern of doors and windows e.g. terraced street, Georgian terrace
FRAMING
A porch, arch or other device which frames part of a distant view e.g. at the end of a ginnel or passage
SILHOUETTE
Interesting outline of buildings against the sky or landscape
TEXTURE
A variety of materials and surfaces that create a pleasing visual combination
PUZZLES
A building or piece of street furniture with a complicated shape - similar to mystery
LINKING
A well-placed bridge, or walkway which leads the eye across a gap e.g. Selfridges in Manchester with its twisted bridge
SURPRISE
The unexpected e.g. buildings at strange angles
SCREENING
A wall or building which is partly hidden by trees or some other feature
Design some symbols to represent these elements.