In The Images of the City Lynch focuses mostly on the image formed by a city to an individual or large group of individuals who have a connection to the city, but only briefly touches on the images of a city from an outside observer. (The outside observer meaning one who has no physical or emotional connection to the city.) The outside observer is the largest group that forms a certain image of a city. I have realized during reading Lynch’s article that far too often the outside observer forms an image of the city based on its major problems or disasters. Leaving the outside observer with often not so favorable preconceived image of the city that stems from top media stories. For Example:
New York – 9/11
Chicago – Fire
Los Angeles – Smog
New Orleans – Katrina
Detroit – The failing american auto industry
Miami – drug traffic
As landscape architects we must see past these preconceived notions of a place and forget all outside world views in order to place ourselves in a city. To see the city in the eyes of the people who live there and experience them and the city anew. Only then can the landscape architect truly design something for the people who inhabit the area.
