navigating a city: Kevin Lynch vs. Guy Debord
The 1950s presented a time of necessary critique- both of urban form and urban culture. Central to the debate was the functionalism that had been the school of thought of the Bauhaus and ‘good design’ for so many years. (Heynen) Coupled with the domination of the automobile, cities were transformed by new infrastructural systems at the urban scale that recognized the automobile as a priority, namely highways and boulevards.
The repercussions of such initiatives are what define the form and feel of the American cities that Kevin Lynch investigates in The Image of The City. Residents of Boston, Jersey City and Los Angeles had been surveyed and Lynch attempts to analyze their stories in terms of 5 elements: Paths, Edges, Districts, Nodes, and Landmarks. (Lynch, 47)
While Lynch’s systematic approach is useful in identifying the puzzle pieces of a city, one gets the impression that qualities of the experiences themselves get lost in his functionalist translation. But what gets lost in Lynch, can be recovered in the Situationist International, whose social critique of the urban experience emphasizes a means of action. I propose that for each of the 5 elements that outline a city’s imageability (Lynch, 9), there is a Situationists’ response. Together, their opposing perspectives and differing goals form a dialectic on the psychogeographic experience of the city.
Moving around from point A to point B is the necessary starting point for any discussion regarding an urban experience. Generally speaking, “to become completely lost is rare for most people in the modern city” (Lynch, 4) as the streets, walkways, transit lines, and railroads that we move along, or Paths, are made “to facilitate routine trips, and also [to serve] as a guide and a stimulus for new exploration.” (Lynch, 109) Lynch prefers the paths this way- simple, clear, legible, so that logical directions might be followed and shared to reach an identified goal.
But, this routine behaviour is exactly the focus of the cultural criticism by the Situationists, and is largely the product of the automated lifestyle and the conveniences that have come with it. They have elaborated on the banal conception of path with the practice of Continuous Drifting or Dérive: “a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiences.” (Debord, Theory of The Dérive 1958)
The traditional manner of moving through the city is forgotten, and their focus is completely on the new exploration that Lynch is only careful to mention. “In a dérive a person […] drops all their usual motives for movement and action, and lets themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there. […] Cities have psychogeographic contours, with constant currents, fixed points and vortexes that strongly discourage [and encourage] entrance into or exit from certain zones” (Debord, Theory of The Dérive 1958)
In this sense, the breaks in continuity, barriers or seams that Lynch calls Edges can be treated more subjectively as zones ‘in between’. Psychogeographical contours are not limited to linear or orthographic systems but rather apply in a meandering way in every dimension and are just as dynamic as the participant’s own feelings and movements. “A line of exchange along which two areas are sewn together” (Lynch, 100) is therefore an important means of navigation for both the conscious journey and the automatic drift. As in either case whether a form is interpreted as a barrier or an entry point it is very much a definition of the chosen route.
Edges as such become remembered more so as transitions, and identify the flux or action between one District and another. Districts can be characterized by a set of physical properties, largely the facades and street scale. For example, “each part of Boston is different from the other. You can tell pretty much what area you’re in.” (Lynch, 66) Each district then also imposes a certain feeling or mood on a person, what the Situationists would call Ambience. There can be many kinds of ambiences within the same district, and it is “the sudden change of ambience in a street within the space of a few meters [… and] the variety of possible combinations of ambiences, analogous to the blending of pure chemicals in an infinite number of mixtures, that gives rise to feelings.” (Debord, Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography 1955)
The desire for rapid juxtaposition of one ambience after the other as a series of chemical reactions, and the intense disorientation that can be evoked from such an experience reflect the spirit of discovery of the S.I. (Situationist International). And just as they have twisted the notion of an edge, the notion of ambience too should not be limited to the traditional streetscape, nor to a time of day. In their proposals for Paris, they suggest rooftops be opened to pedestrians via fire escapes, public gardens open at night, unlit; and subway tunnels left open to be discovered after hours of operation.
As a continual series of experiences, districts and Nodes become one and the same. Piazza Navona in Rome or Elephant & Castle in London, lose their functional significance in this S.I. world, but maintain their potential as a junction to gather and distribute. (Lynch, 71) Each ambiance essentially couples as a node regardless of scale or cultural significance, with the option to enter or exit in whichever direction.
Lynch sees the value in this “mystification, labyrinth or surprise in the environment”, (Lynch, 5) but only within a clear over-all framework where nodes and landmarks provide a basis for orientation. That framework is deemed irrelevant in Dérive as there is no longer a desire for orientation. The goal is not one destination but many; and furthermore, none in particular. The emphasis is on immediate surroundings more so than an overall scale where the logic of a traditional landmark would operate.
The strength of the Landmark is therefore redefined by its Absence as a trigger of emotion and situation rather than by its traditional presence as a reference point of location. The Situationists refer to deChurico’s paintings where “the absence of the object becomes a presence one can feel.”(Chtcheglov 1953) This puts a greater emphasis and responsibility on the wanderer rather than his environment- demanding a heightened awareness of his memories and present psychic experiences. It is this alternative dialogue between haptic experience and psyche that enables one to transcend from trained observer to acting participant.
Both Lynch and the Situationists are looking for a city designed for pleasure. Where they disagree, is on three grounding principles to the dialogue: Observation vs. Participation, Legibility vs. Chaos and their reasoning for Differentiation within the urban landscape.
For Lynch the urban landscape is ever-changing with no final result but a continuous succession of phases in its construction and adaptation. He has no problem with the automobile and acknowledges it as an important part of the city’s experience. Psychogeography, in this respect provides a set of tools that an observer can use to mediate these changes, and render them legible. Different quarters are necessary only in so far that they contribute to this legibility within the overall framework and this legibility is the key for pleasure. “If art and audience grow together, then our cities will be a source of daily enjoyment” (Lynch, 120)
For the S.I. too, the city is dynamic, but its formal changes are far less important than those initiated by its users. “Present-day urbanism’s main problem is ensuring the smooth circulation of a rapidly increasing number of motor vehicles. A future urbanism may well apply itself to no less utilitarian projects, but in the rather different context of psychogeographical possibilities.”(Debord, Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography 1955, 9)
This urban context can be understood as a matrix that adapts and shifts based on the actions of its participants. Chaos is seen not just as a positive product but as an end goal, resulting from the rapid discovery of many distinct atmospheres that have some impact on the psyche. The goal is to navigate without thinking, for the sake of disorientation and surprise.
If one can find a way to operate at both the levels of objective orientation and subjective exploration, that the experience of passing through the city could become much more complete and satisfying. There are times where errands need to be done within a certain schedule and the toolbox of elements help us navigate conveniently and efficiently. Yet, in times of leisure perhaps we should make time to move freely based on feelings instead of tasks, enjoy a moment of disorientation and the freedom of getting lost.
WORKS CITED
Chtcheglov, Ivan. "Formulary for a New Urbanism." Edited by Ken Knabb. Situationist International Anthology (Bureau of Public Secrets), 1953.
Debord, Guy. "Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography." Edited by Ken Knabb. Situationist International Anthology (Bureau of Public Secrets) , 1955.
Debord, Guy. "Theory of The Dérive." Situationist International Anthology (Bureau of Public Secrets), 1958.
Heynen, Hilde. "Architecture as a Critique of Modernity." In Architecture and Modernity, 148-219. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1999.
Lynch, Kevin. The Image of The City. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1960.