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| IMAGE SPACE AND ITS STRUCTURE OF URBAN RESIDENTS IN LANZHOU CITY |
| ZHANG Xin-hong, SU Jian-ning, WEI Shu-wei |
| Department of Urban Planning, College of Design and Art, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China |
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Abstract Urban image space is the cognitive space based on residents' direct or indirect experience in the surroundings, and is also the space of "subjective environment" in residents' mind. To analyze urban structure by image space is one of the research methods on the spatial structure of modern city. Well avoiding the disadvantage of neglect of residents' status and functions in traditional city planning and construction, the method is helpful to plan and design a city with the consideration of humanism, therefore the harmony between man and city can be established, accordingly it is also one of the most popular method in modern city planning and designing in western countries. This paper examines the image space and its structure of residents in the city of Lanzhou which is a typical valley-city, and has a rather unique city landscape. As a result of the grand western development program, a new urban image of Lanzhou is in the process of forming. Therefore, to study the urban image space of Lanzhou city, discuss the city image in people's mind, and provide theoretical base for urban planning and designing are quite necessary. The authors investigate the image space of urban residents in Lanzhou by questionnaire, and get 266 cognitive maps. Then the authors analyze the basic types,the constitutive factors, and the development stages of space cognition. The research shows that the basic types of Lanzhou residents' image space include not only the sequentially and spatially cognitive maps developed by western scholars, but also the individually cognitive maps. The constitutive factors do not go beyond the five factors developed by Kevin Lynch, which are road, border, district, node and sign. In the development stages of spatial cognition, the elementary and medium stages, which means the residents' space cognition level in Lanzhou city is low relatively. Based on the regional objects and the emergence frequency of regional elements recorded on the cognitive maps of urban residents, the authors generalize the general image framework of spatial structure in Lanzhou city in which parts of Kevin Lynch's urban image theory are proved in Lanzhou city.
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Received: 09 November 2008
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2010, Vol. 25 
