Perception of the City
This weeks lecture topic covered various techniques used to identify certain elements within an urban environment. These elements are:
Edges - Boundary between two separate situations, for example a river and a walkway
Districts - Medium to large sections of the city that have common features
Nodes - A feature or meeting point, for example an intersection of pathways
Landmarks - Outstanding element that can be used as a location marker
Boundaries - State or city border, for example a city wall
Limits - A physical element that separates areas
Memorials - A history of a place, for example Anzac Square
Monuments - An element that gives form to the city around it
There are also thick and thin places within a city, areas that are either enriched with an experience of place or void of this experience. All these elements are what makes a city memorable and influence ones perception of the urban fabric.
Brisbane City Walkshop
This week a group of us went on a walkshop around the Brisbane city centre analysing the elements of the urban environment that were discussed during the lecture. Below is a series of sketches on sticky notes that I recorded during my city walk on Monday. The journey starts in the top left of the square and goes down and up through the middle and finally ending down the right side of the square.
During our walk we discovered that the Brisbane city had a series of paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. Some of the structures were even at one stage monuments, landmarks or pathways that over time have become edges in the urban landscape.
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| The first stop point in the Botanical Gardens was located near the centre of the gardens between a cross section of pathways, under a small rotunda. As observed by Jacobs (2003), people observe the gardens while moving through it, and along these paths the other environmental elements are arranged and related. The above diagram shows how the plants and trees act as edges along the pathways and the directions these pathways can be taken. |
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| The second stop was at a cross section of pathways in the shopping district of Brisbane, also referred to as a node. As shown in the diagram above, the surrounding structures act as edges around the node creating a clear junction. As Jacobs (2003) observed, pedestrians had a tendency to stop and observe because decisions must be made at junctions, people heighten their attention at such places and perceive nearby elements with more than normal clarity. This shopping district is also on an axis to the Botanical Gardens, enforcing the idea of the path as a tool to reach a destination. |
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| The third stop was at King George Square, a large open area directly in front of the Brisbane City Hall. The Brisbane City Hall acts as a landmark within the city, it is easily identifiable, has a clear form in contrast with the cityscape background and has access to a significant spatial location according to Jacobs (2003). However over time this landmark has slowly developed into a edge, as construction work and privacy closes it off from the public. |
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| The fourth stop was at Anzac Square where the old Central Railway Station is located in axis to the Post Office. Much like the Brisbane City Hall, the Central Railway Station was once a landmark within the city but it has over time been replaced and is now an edge in the cities urban fabric. The Anzac Square is a memorial site that reveals part of Brisbane history, it is bounded by surrounding buildings that act as edges around the Square creating a distinct path to the old Post Office. |
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| The fifth stop was at the Cathedral Square, a small park that acts as a buffer zone within the city, there are no edges enclosing the park, only open access to the cityscape around it. The Cathedral Square is a park that is rarely used except on weekends for church services this is unusual as there are numerous office blocks surrounding the park. Only the homeless find shelter in this part of the city, perhaps its too far from the city center? |
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| The sixth and final stop was along the Brisbane riverside, an area with a wide open footpath that travels the length of the river. The Brisbane River and the various hotels, restaurants and apartments along the pathway all act as edges directing pedestrians along the footpath. This path is a popular jogging spot for locals, providing a scenic route as they do their daily exercise. Reflections After doing the Brisbane City Walkshop and learning the value of the elements within a city, I have adopted an entirely new perception of Brisbane and possibly cities in general. Todays exercise has given me a new way to understand the finer points of the urban fabric allowing me to challenge the question of why, who, where, when and how when I look at any city element. I can understand now why people move through Brisbane city the way they do, why they take certain paths over others, and how this constant traffic in certain areas has shaped the way the architectural elements have been designed. |
