Essay On City Identity

Ever since the dawn of civilisation the design of a city did not only depend on the functional aspect of the city but also depends on the aesthetic aspect. Every city was designed to be attractive and look good. However with the evolution of design around the world and the increasing number of cities (especially the international ones), the concept of well designed city doesn’t work as efficiently as it used to. In fact, well designed/good looking city doesn’t necessarily mean it is a well know, attractive city. Hence some cities look amazing but it’s not recognised internationally by the the public. the human perception of a city is represented by one image or one feeling. Thus the new approach of designing a city is creating a unique image that stands out from the others, an image that can be saved in the memory of everyone that comes across it. and every city had it’s own unique image that stands out. This image is one aspect of what is knowing as City identity, and one of it’s definitions that was mentioned in one of Kevin Lynch’s works as “The sense of a city that distinguishes itself from other cities.”

and now days it is one of the mostly discussed issues wether, in architecture or urban planing. In one approach, finding an identity for the city is one of the main challenges facing the city leaders. According to a huge variety of city leaders, having a strong city Image is related to it’s success, which reflects on its reputation, enhancing it’s effect on the human perception, making it more attractive and memorable. City image refers to how the city is seen or perceived by its different target markets and audiences, to the mental associations that people has with a certain city or