PROJECT 1A | Urban Design Elements

  |   Project Brief   |

Urban design is a process and result of making a place in which people live, engage with each other and also engage with the physical area around them. It involves the arrangement, appearance and function of villages, towns, suburbs and cities. The most critical factor in creating a sense of place in a city is through imageability. People perceive a city through interpretation of various layers of symbols including its physical form, characteristics and experiences over a period of time. Thus in this study, a series of analyses will be conducted to recognise and organise these urban elements into a coherent pattern.

The 5 urban design elements by Kevin Lynch:

1 | Path

A path is an essential element characterised by the users when they 

navigate the city or urban area. It functions as an access for the users’ movement.

2 | Nodes

Node is a space rather than form in urban character. It is a strategic meeting 

point in a city like a square, junction, plaza, or open space

3 | Edges

Edge is a break line or seam as a transition of two or more zones and linear 

boundaries which divide or connect two areas. The edges can be a 

greenbelt, waterfront, beaches, highway, elevated motorways or something else

4 | District

Users commonly identify a district which is an area with a special 

character compared to other areas. The character has a discrete visual identity.

5 | Landmark

Different from a node, where users perceive it as space, a landmark is 

an object that the users recognise it as an external feature to position themselves 

in a city as a reference point

We were assigned in a group to conduct a thorough site visit and investigation on urban design elements of Melaka and evaluate the importance of urban design elements 

1. FINAL BOARD