Kevin A. Lynch
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Kevin Andrew Lynch (January 7, 1918 – April 25, 1984) was an American
urban planner An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning. An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town ...
and author. He is known for his work on the perceptual form of urban environments and was an early proponent of
mental mapping In behavioral geography, a mental map is a person's point-of-view perception of their area of interaction. Although this kind of subject matter would seem most likely to be studied by fields in the social sciences, this particular subject is mos ...
. His most influential books include ''
The Image of the City ''The Image of the City'' is a 1960 book by American urban theorist Kevin Lynch. The book is the result of a five-year study of Boston, Jersey City and Los Angeles on how observers take in information of the city, and use it to make mental map ...
'' (1960), a seminal work on the perceptual form of urban environments, and ''What Time is This Place?'' (1972), which theorizes how the physical environment captures and refigures temporal processes. A student of architect
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
before training in city planning, Lynch spent his academic career at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
, teaching there from 1948 to 1978. He practiced site planning and
urban design Urban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, cities, and regional spaces, urban d ...
professionally with Carr/Lynch Associates, later known as Carr, Lynch, and Sandell.


Biography


Early life and education

Lynch was born as the youngest child of an Irish-American family on January 7, 1918. He was raised in the Hazel Avenue neighborhood in Chicago's North Shore suburbs. After graduating from the Francis Parker School in 1935, Lynch matriculated at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
intending to study architecture. Finding its pedagogy too conservative, he left to study under
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
at
Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the '' Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the courts ...
in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Lynch later stated that
Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...
was a great influence, but disagreed with his individualistic social philosophy. Leaving
Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...
after a year and a half, he enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in
Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...
to study engineering in 1939, but did not complete the program and went to work for Chicago architect
Paul Schweikher Robert Paul Schweikher (1903–1997) was a mid-century modern architect from Denver, Colorado. Biography Paul Schweikher was born in Denver, Colorado in 1903 to a family of musicians. He originally trained at the University of Colorado for a ...
. In 1941, Lynch married Anne Borders, a fellow graduate of the Parker School. Three weeks after his wedding, Lynch was drafted into the Army Corps of Engineers, serving in the siege of Peleliu, the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
and Japan through January 1946. After the war, he completed his undergraduate education at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
and received a Bachelor's degree in
city planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
in 1947.


Academic career

After graduation, Lynch began work in
Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...
as an urban planner but was soon recruited to teach at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
by Lloyd Rodwin. He began lecturing at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
the following year, becoming an assistant professor in 1949, a tenured associate professor in 1955, and a full professor in 1963. In 1954, after receiving a grant from the
Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
to study urban form in Italy, Lynch and his
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
teaching colleague
György Kepes György Kepes ˆÉŸÃ¸É¾ÉŸ ˈkÉ›pɛʃ(October 4, 1906 – December 29, 2001) was a Hungarian-born painter, photographer, designer, educator, and art theorist. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1937, he taught design at the New Bauhaus (later the S ...
were awarded a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to study perceptions of the urban environment and urban form.The Rockefeller Foundation grant was the first in a series of awards made during the 1950s and early 1960s to researchers studying urban design. Other recipients included
Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs (''née'' Butzner; 4 May 1916 – 25 April 2006) was an American-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics. Her book '' The Death and Life of Great American Cities ...
, Ian McHarg and Edmund Bacon.
In 1958 Lynch wrote an essay ‘The theory of urban form’ with Lloyd Rodwin where the city is described through the complementary of two systems – flows and adapted spaces – interpreted starting from a group of descriptive categories of urban form. Lynch and Kepes' research was published in 1960 as Lynch's book ''The Image of the City''. In 1970, Lynch received funding from
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
to study the use of cities by young people in urban areas of
Salta Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...
,
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in Mexico. The city f ...
, and Krakow, a project summarized in his book ''Growing Up in Cities'' (1977). Lynch provided seminal contributions to the field of
City Planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
through empirical research on how individuals perceive and navigate the urban landscape. His books explore the presence of time and history in the urban environment, how urban environments affect children, and how to harness human perception of the physical form of cities and regions as the conceptual basis for good urban design. Parallel to his academic work, Lynch practiced planning and urban design in partnership with Stephen Carr, with whom he founded Carr/Lynch Associates in Cambridge, Massachusetts.


Later life

Lynch became professor emeritus in 1978, but continued to write and practice architecture. He died of a heart attack at his summer home at Gay Head on Martha's Vineyard on April 25, 1984.


''The Image of the City''

Lynch's most famous work, ''
The Image of the City ''The Image of the City'' is a 1960 book by American urban theorist Kevin Lynch. The book is the result of a five-year study of Boston, Jersey City and Los Angeles on how observers take in information of the city, and use it to make mental map ...
'' (1960), is the result of a five-year study on how observers take in information of the city. Using three American cities as examples (
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Jersey City and Los Angeles), Lynch reported that users understood their surroundings in consistent and predictable ways, forming mental maps with five elements: * ''paths'', the streets, sidewalks, trails, and other channels in which people travel; * ''edges'', perceived boundaries such as walls, buildings, and shorelines; * ''districts'', relatively large sections of the city distinguished by some identity or character; * ''nodes'', focal points, intersections or loci; * ''landmarks'', readily identifiable objects which serve as external reference points. In the same book, Lynch also coined the words " imageability" and "
wayfinding Wayfinding (or way-finding) encompasses all of the ways in which people (and animals) orient themselves in physical space and navigate from place to place. Wayfinding software is a self-service computer program that helps users to find a location, ...
". ''Image of the City'' has had important and durable influence in the fields of
urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
and
environmental psychology Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology that explores the relationship between humans and the external world. It examines the way in which the natural environment and our built environments shape us as individuals. Environmental Psychol ...
.


Personal life

Anne Borders Lynch and Kevin Lynch were married in 1941 and had four children. The Lynches were long-term residents of Martha's Vineyard, where Anne continued spending her summers until her death in 2011.


See also

*
Kevin Lynch Award The Kevin Lynch Award of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, established in 1988, is named in honor of the urban planner and author Kevin A. Lynch. It is given to individuals or organizations which c ...


Bibliography


Books

* * (2nd ed. 1971; 3rd ed. 1984) * * * (2nd ed. 1980) * (2nd ed. ''Good City Form'' 1984) *


Selected articles

* * * * *


Book chapters

* *


Edited volumes

*


Anthologies

*


Notes


References


References


Works Cited

*


External links


"Kevin Andrew Lynch, 1918-1984, Papers, 1934-1988."
at the MIT Institute Archives and Special Collections.
The Perceptual Form of the City
Materials from Kevin Lynch and György Kepes' Rockefeller-funded study of Boston, 1954–1959 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Kevin 1918 births 1984 deaths Environmental psychologists Urban theorists American architecture writers Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni MIT School of Architecture and Planning faculty 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers Francis W. Parker School (Chicago) alumni