BOOK REVIEW

1. BOOK REVIEW
S H R A D D H A D E V I R A J P O O T - 1 9 1 1 1 0 0 5 0
L A K S H Y A N A M D E V

2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gordon Cullen
• Thomas Gordon Cullen (9 August 1914 – 11 August 1994) was an influential
British architect and urban designer who was a key motivator in the Townscape
movement.
• Cullen presented a new theory and methodology for urban visual analysis and
design based on the psychology of perception, such as on the human need for
visual stimulation and the notions of time and space.
• He is best known for the book Townscape, first published in 1961. Later editions
of Townscape were published under the title The Concise Townscape.

4. INTRODUCTION
• According to Gordon Cullen, Townscape is a visual art contained in the arrangement of buildings,
roads, trees, nature and urban environment that decorate the space.
• Cullen was interested in how people perceive urban environment through their sense of sight. He
defined urban design as the Art of relationship.
• He understood that people apprehend urban environment through kinesthetic experience as they
move through them in everyday life.
• Cullen was also concerned with sense of place, which he theorized through the concept of this and
that.
• Cullen illustrated his theoretical ideas with freehand ink drawings as well as photographs.
A city is more than the sum of its inhabitants. It has the power to generate a surplus of amenity,
which is one reason why people like to live in communities rather than in isolation.
The book is a narration made up of two parts, in which, it will be explained in detail the procedure to
understand a functional city with a good urban development. On the other hand, it shows the
perception that the architecture or place transmits to the user, whether a visitor or local.

5. The townscape concept is the basis for architects, Planners, and those who pay attentionto the Appearance of the city. The
physicalform of urban space is influencedand determined by the shape and mass of tThe shape and mass of the
building influenced and determined the physical form of urban spacehe building.The linkageis perceived
psychologicallyand physicallyby the observer as well as the physicalform of urban space and the shape of the buildingmass.
In addition,the relationshipcan also be seen visuallyon the qualityof a city is determined by the shape and size of the shape
and arrangement of urban space

6. THE CONCISE TOWNSCAPE tries to expose the urban design as the relationship that
exist between the spaces and the life around.
Gordon Cullen describes three primary ways in which
our environment produces an emotional reaction key to the planner
or architect:
OPTICS - HOW WE SEE THE
ENVIRONMENT
PLACE - HOW WE FIND AND
FEEL OURSELVES WITHIN
THE ENVIRONMENT.
CONTENT 'THE FABRIC OF
TOWNS: COLOR, TEXTURE,
SCALE, STYLE, CHARACTER,
PERSONALITY AND
UNIQUENESS.

7. SERIAL VISION
EXAMPLE
• One example of serial vision described by Cullen is the approach to the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. As a
traveler approaches the city from the south, the first view of the city is obscured by the hills that surround it.
However, as the traveler gets closer, the view gradually opens up, revealing the silhouette of the city skyline, the
castle on its hill, and the spires of its many churches.

8. SERIAL VISION
EXAMPLE
• An example of serial vision according to Cullen might be a pedestrian
walking down a street lined with shops. As they walk, they see a series
of storefronts, each with its own unique character and visual identity.
These storefronts might vary in size, color, and style, but they are all
part of a coherent visual narrative that tells the story of the street.
• As the pedestrian continues down the street, they might see a park or
public square in the distance, which draws them towards it and
provides a sense of destination. Along the way, they might pass by
other landmarks or visual cues that help to orient them in the space and
reinforce the sense of narrative.
• Overall, the idea of serial vision is about creating a sense of
progression and continuity in the visual experience of a space, allowing
people to feel connected to their surroundings and engaged with the
environment around them.

9. PLACE
Occupied Territory : Emphasis on
shade, shelter, amenity value etc. which
creates pockets of static possession
Possession in Movement :Some areas
may subject to possession as people
move through them
Viscosity : Mixture of both static and
possession in movement

10. PLACE
According to Gordon Cullen in his book "The Concise Townscape," a
place is more than just a physical location. It is a space that has been
imbued with meaning and significance through the experiences and
memories of the people who use it.
Cullen believed that a successful place should have the following
characteristics:
1.A clear identity: A place should have a strong sense of character and
identity that reflects its history, culture, and function.
2.Legibility: A place should be easy to navigate and understand, with
clear visual cues that help people orient themselves.

11. PLACE
3. Vitality: A place should be lively and active, with a mix of uses and activities that attract people and create
a sense of energy and vibrancy.
4. Access and linkages: A place should be well-connected to its surroundings, with easy access to
transportation and other key destinations.
5. Comfort and image: A place should be comfortable and visually appealing, with a sense of beauty and
harmony that inspires people and makes them feel welcome.
Overall, Cullen believed that a successful place should be designed with the needs and experiences of
people in mind, creating a space that is both functional and meaningful.

12. PLACE
An example of a place that embodies the characteristics outlined by Gordon Cullen in "The Concise
Townscape" might be a historic town square in a small European city. This town square would have a clear
identity, reflecting the city's rich history and cultural traditions. It might be surrounded by historic buildings,
such as a town hall or a cathedral, that serve as visual landmarks and reinforce the square's sense of place.
The square would also be legible, with clear visual cues that help people navigate and understand the
space. For example, there might be a central fountain or statue that serves as a focal point, with well-
defined pathways and seating areas that encourage people to linger and enjoy the surroundings.
EXAMPLE
Prague, Czech Republic - A marketplace has existed on the
location of the Old Town Square since at least the 11th
century, and today the space is lined by imposing arcaded
facades and packed with historical monuments (and tourists).

13. PLACE
The square would be a lively and active place, with a mix
of uses and activities that attract people throughout the
day and night. There might be outdoor cafes and
restaurants, street performers and musicians, and local
vendors selling crafts and goods. The square would be
well-connected to its surroundings, with easy access to
transportation and other key destinations. It might be
located at the heart of the city, with pedestrian-friendly
streets and public transit options that make it easy for
people to get to and from the square. Finally, the square
would be comfortable and visually appealing, with a sense
of beauty and harmony that inspires people and makes
them feel welcome. There might be well-
maintained landscaping and public art installations, with
lighting and seating that create a cozy and inviting
atmosphere.
EXAMPLE

14. 1. The passage discusses various categories of the
environment, including metropolis, town, park, and wild
nature, and notes that the old patterns of urban expansion
are breaking down due to individual transport and mass
communication.
2. The principle of categorization is important for
distinguishing between different environments, and free
action comes to an end once the hinterland is consumed,
forcing us to regard the environment as a related complex
of activities.
3. To survive as a civilized country, we must develop the art of
relationships between different environmental categories.
4. For example, some cities are investing in pedestrianization
projects to make their downtown areas more accessible to
people on foot or bicycle, while others are exploring new
ways to integrate technology and remote work into their
urban environments. These changes reflect a growing need
for flexibility and adaptability in our urban environments, as
well as a recognition that traditional patterns of work and
social interaction are rapidly evolving.
CONTENT :The Categories

15. CONTENT
THE CATEGORIES
• The design of physical barriers, such
as hedges, can effectively separate
and disengage different functions
within a landscape, creating a better
experience for both motorists and
pedestrians.
• In urban planning, creating obstacles
at the edge of a town can focus
people's movements in one direction,
bringing clarity to the landscape and
avoiding a chaotic, spread-out
development pattern.

16. CONTENT
THE CATEGORIES LANDSCAPES
1. Separating different functions in the built
environment, such as pedestrian
walkways and motor vehicle roads, can
improve the experiences of both groups.
ex-creation of bike lanes on city streets
2. The historical change in mobility has led
to a shift away from compact cities and
towards a more spread-out landscape. ex-
growth of suburban areas
3. Creating an edge between the town and
the countryside can provide a clear
boundary and prevent chaos in the built
environment. ex-green belt in London.
4. Obstacles or barriers can be used to
create a more organized and intentional
landscape. ex-use of medians in busy
roads
5. Zoning is not the only solution for creating
a functional and aesthetically pleasing
1 2
3
5
4

17. CONTENT
IMMEDIACY-
It discusses the desire for direct
contact with nature, without the
barriers of conventions and
precautions, and how this
immediacy is related to the
previous discussion of
landscape categories and
uniqueness.
THISNESS-It explores the concept of
typicality and how it relates to a thing
being itself, using examples such as a flint
wall, tarred section, and a string shop
window to demonstrate the rich and varied
expressions of a thing's character.
SEEING IN DETAIL-
Paying attention to
details can enhance the
quality and interest of
the man-made world, as
even seemingly
insignificant elements,
such as a painted wall,
can reveal intricate
details that bring the
scene to life.

18. CONTENT
JUXTAPOSITION-there is a sharp
contrast between the categories of
village and countryside, with each
having a distinct and unequivocal
character. The town is described as
enclosed and hollow in comparison
to the openness of nature. example-
Coleshill highlights the violent
contrast between pastoral and
industrial elements in the landscape.
Urbanity-Manchester
Square sums up the
whole character and
quality of urban life,
proportion, elegance,
high density, and the
foil of a lush
collective garden.
SECRET TOWN-the various kinds of quality that can
be observed in town and village landscapes, and how
these qualities can stimulate the reader to explore and
discover for themselves.
Birmingham, where two worlds - the busy shopping and
traffic route and the silent, deserted canal basin - exist
side by side. This contrast between the bustling activity
of the city and the peacefulness of the canal basin
creates a unique quality that can be appreciated by
those who take the time to explore and discover it.

19. CONTENT
INTRICACY-the importance of the quality of intricacy in building and
architecture, and how it is often lacking in modern construction.
It highlights the need for true professionalism and experience to achieve
this level of intricacy, which can add an extra dimension and depth to
buildings.
PROPRIETY-the concept of propriety in relation to societal respect and
self-expression within a civilized framework. It is not about manners, but
rather about maintaining mutual respect among society's members. The
example given is a shop fascia with lettering that may seem out of place
in a modest street but is still considered appropriate due to its
showcasing of a metalworker's craft.

20. CONTENT
BLUNTNESS AND VIGOUR-In these
pictures we can sense a force which
survives or bursts through the stylistic
incompetence of the builder. Such buildings
stand like rocks.
ENTANGLEMENT-Passing through the
streets with their straight roof lines, flat
walls and simple fenestration, suddenly the
eye is caught up and entangled in a bunch
of intricacy and wonder which is like a visual
conundrum.
Ex.- The lamp post at St
Neots and the stags
horn seat in Somerset
are long remembered,
like burrs found on a
jacket the week after
a country walk.

21. THE FUNCTIONAL
TRADITION
1. The fourth section of the casebook
focuses on the intrinsic quality of
structures, bridges, paving, lettering, and
trim that create the environment.
2. The Functional Tradition emphasizes
allowing what is intrinsic to the problem to
speak for itself instead of being overlaid
with an alien formalism.
3. Examples include the Thames bridge and
workshops built in the eighteenth century
that demonstrate the validity and
effectiveness of this tradition.

22. THE FUNCTIONAL TRADITION
RAILINGS-the importance of using railings as a
visual warning for potential danger, with physical
barriers being secondary, and emphasizes the
effectiveness of minimal, simple means to provide
this warning.
FENCES-the function of fences in enclosing
property and excluding unwanted elements , and
compares the practicality and effectiveness of a
picket fence and a composite barrier with light
chains to a pompous and designed bridge rail.
STEPS-The context of the fishing steps illustrates
the quality being isolated, and two illustrations at
the foot of the page show the direct and
superfluous constructions side by side.
TEXTURE-Architects should not lose their ability
to appreciate the simple visual experiences and
should balance technical awareness and social
responsibility with personal pleasure and creative
delight for a satisfying architecture.

23. THE FUNCTIONAL TRADITION
LETTERING-The use of typefaces in display
signs and advertisements should prioritize
functionality and legibility, with bold and well-
formed lettering being the most effective. Many
modern typefaces lack character and robustness,
and early 19th-century playbills provide good
models for imitation.
TRIM-how small details in street and civic spaces
should fit into the overall townscape , and
provides examples of functional design that also
achieve high-quality embellishment. The
importance of clarity of purpose in design is
emphasized, and examples are given of what
happens when this clarity is obscured.
THE ROAD-Road signs and symbols must be
clear, simple and easily recognizable. The nautical
tradition of using black and white has been
borrowed to achieve clarity and simplicity in
street symbols. White letters painted on the road
are an effective way to convey messages.

24. CONCLUSION
Three points that are emphasized in this book are serial vision, place and content.
Gordon Cullen's view on urban design:
•First, cities shouldn't be very chaotic or structured. In that case, people who walk around city
streets will never become bored. Always consider both order and variation while planning an
urban area.
•Second, there needs to be apparent life built into cities. Observing what individuals do is
fascinating. A city ought to be bustling with activity that we can observe from the window.
Cities with visible life are more vibrant.
• Therefore, it is simple to understand how the entire city might become a plastic experience
if towns are created from the perspective of the moving person (a pedestrian or a car).
• A this without a that or a there without a there is impossible. A good interaction between
the two can produce some of the best townscape effects.
•The Concise Townscape showed us how to use Gordon Cullen's concepts to change buildings
from useless models into meaningful compositions.

25. When people visit a place or stay in it, they start by reflecting on the composition of a city and a family,
obtaining as a result an impact of what you observe in its immediate context; such as, going out to eat, going
to a library, go to a plaza or simply go on the road to a certain place, which transmit sensations through
visual perception. These sensations occur in a negative or positive way depending on the place where the
person is, since it is transmitted through visual impact, repetition or as the book calls "serial vision", among
other points that it names the author with whom he begins to explain the importance of a place and how it is
designed. The city has to be a future planning project that as a consequence will have a population and
territorial growth, and that is when this series of elements are presented, which the book explains to us to
have a positive result in urban design. For example, the site, the serial vision, the grid, the closure, the floor,
the vegetation, the level change, the wall, the outdoor advertising, among other compositional elements that
will transmit a spatial quality for a destined place. The buildings have an important role within the city,
because it is shaping the spatiality in it where there is a union between the built and the free space, causing
an experience between the full and the empty. The environment has an essential participation in the city in
which it develops a congestion or visual decongestion, this towards an approach to the buildings of the city
because a city becomes boring, without interest and without soul when the parameters are not met or
indications that the author explains to us, therefore a balance must be sought in both open and closed
spaces, the built and the empty to create pleasant experiences in the users who come to a place, whether it
has a character of distraction or work.

26. For instance, you can say that most cities are born from ancient foundations, from cities
with a unique history which has a predetermined layout or fabric at the time of its
creation. Despite this, over time different styles are perceived architecturally through
which this city passes and also undergo different urban design interventions. Many cities
have this mixture of styles, materials, scales, compositions which make them different
from others, however, at the beginning of this creation of the primary city it is created
with an order, a scale, a symmetry, a height that responds to its context. It is from this
that all the modifications of the city start, making it present new models, conformations
and elements that change the initial city.