Reading urban landscapes and places takes years of practices but usually begins with the ability to observe simple aspects of the landscape. Rather than learn architectural terms, which are useful but highly specialized, we focus on developing a basic vocabulary and set of categories. By thinking about these basic categories, we begin to unearth relations between elements of the landscape and other elements, between structures and infrastructure, and between structures and everyday life, including social historical change. Our goal is not to become experts in one course period, but to become more informed consumers of the landscape, with the ability to make judgments about the landscape from what we see.

To that end, we read an excerpt from urban theorist Kevin Lynch, from a systems approach taken by an environment journalist, Stuart Brand, and from an experimental sociologist, William Whyte. Each looks at different aspects of the landscape, from different perspectives. What do they study; how do they explore landscape; what can landscape tell us; and how can we redeploy the landscape? In addition, we should think about these readings in terms of Italo Calvino’s metaphorical approach in the brief chapter we read from Invisible Cities.

Below is a worksheet, a microsoft word document. Print it out. Use it to guide your reading. Answer the questions (handwritten is fine) and bring it to class. After class, place it in your reading journal.  Preparation Worksheet for Brand, Lynch, & Whyte