THE FACE OF CITY IS ITS

INFORMATION

Herman Haken, Juval Portugali

CONTENTS

Introduction to Authors
Aims of the article
Meaning of the City
SIRN
Gibson's Affordances
Shannons Theory
Shannons theory and application

Authors

Prof.Herman Haken
Born on 12th July 1927 in
Leipzig, Germany.
He is physicist and
professor emeritus in
theoretical physics at the
University of Stuttgart.
He Is known as the
founder of synergetic.

Prof.Juval Portugali
PhD, Professor of Human
Geography.
Head of the ESLab
(Environmental
Simulation Laboratory)
Head of the Environment,
Society and planning
Graduate Program

AIMS OF THE ARTICLE

SIRN (Synergetic Inter Representation
Networks)
Gisbons Notion of Affordances
Shannons Information Theory
Meaning of the city
What it is in the external representation of city
that makes it imaginable?
What it is in the internally represented face of
the city that makes it more legible?

FACE AND CITY

Mouth & eyes attract our attention first.

City elements attract our attention first. ( Landmarks, Nodes)
Face shows internal state of mind. ( sad, happy)
Internal representation of city given via its external elements.
( Performance of dwellers & designers)

MEANNING OF THE
CITY

Cognitive mapping
Internal
representati
on of city is
shown via
external
elements

Internal represenation of the

city

External representation of
the city

Lynchs
elements
Paths
Nods
Edges
Districts
landmarks

Performances
,activities
aspects
functionalities
of its people
& designers

Gibson's Affordances
Different Elements in environment affords
different activities to different animals by the
virtue of its property.
A chairs affordance to sit results from a bundle
of attributes, such as flat and hard surface and
height,
A certain element in a city due to its importance
affords Remembering.

The handles on a tea set

provide an affordance
for holding because the
handle is curved and

Parliament building affords remembering

because of the political ,cultural and other
values associated with it.

Lynchians Five Elements

These are elements of Geographical
appearance

Paths
Edges
Districts
Nodes
Landmarks

Paths

Paths- are channels along which an

observer moves. Paths are streets ,
roads, railways and transits.

Edges

EDGES- They are elements not used as

paths by an observer. They are building
walls, shores, railway cuts. They break

Districts

Districts- are the medium to large section

of city which observer mentally enters
insides of and have a common identifying
character.

Nodes

Nodes- are strategic point to which the

observer can enter and intensive foci to
and which he is travelling. They may be

Landmarks

Landmarks- are external point of reference.

They are physical objects-buildings, sign or
a store.

Robins memory
stones

Julliet Balcony in
Verona

Dolorosa old city in

Jerusalam

Bodhgaya Temple in
north India

Legibility of landscapes

It is the ease with which its parts can be

identified and organized into an
understandable pattern.
A legible city is one whose districts,
landmarks, paths and nodes would be
easily identifiable and can grouped into a
pattern.

Key words

SIRN

A concept that explain the internal functionality of mind.

SIRN= What we see+ what we understand.

1. Intra Personal
Sub
2. Inter Personal

modules
Of
SIRN

3. Interpersonal with a common reservoir

Mental/cognitive
Mapping

Acognitive map is a
type of mental
representation
produced by an
individual based on
what he/she sees and
what he/she perceives.

 Cognitive
Mapping
Process
Slaving
Principle

 Applicati
on of
SIRN
Model in
City
planning.

Information
Datathat areaccurate,specific ,organizedfor a
purpose, presented within acontextthat gives it
meaning and relevance, and canleadto an increase in
understanding .
Shannon's Information
Semantic Information
Quantitative Measure for
information content of an
object.
Information content as
shown by the formula:
I=Log2Z, where
I= information
Z= no of
possibilities

Meaning attached to an
object by the virtue of
its value.
Depends on individuals
perception of the world.

Values
Places are more legible due to the
values/importance associated with it. It is of:

Geometrical value
Symbolic value
Cultural value
Personal value

VALUES
Geometrical value

VALUES
Symbolic value

VALUES

Cultural value

VALUES
Personal value

Shannon's Theory

I = log2 Z,

I = Information(bits)
Z = All the possibilities
It represents the information quantitatively.

1 Pattern
1Meaning
Z=1
I = log2 1
I=0

1 Pattern
4Meaning
Z=4
I = log 2 4
I=2

I=low

I= Relatively
Moderate

I=Relatively High

Shannon's Theory
in Housing.

STREET PATTERNS
I=4
Less legible , easy to memorize

Street like new york

I>4
More legible, hard to memorize

Street like Venice

CONCLUSION
What it is in the external representation of
city that makes it imaginable?
What it is in the internally represented face of
the city that makes it more legible?
THEY CARRY INFORMATION.

PHOENIX GROU