Cognitive mapping

1. Theories of Architecture and Urbanism [ARC 61303/2224]
PROJECT PART 2: A Comparative analysis on the Cognitive
Mappings of Jalan Imbi
NAME: Ibrahim Adhnan
STUDENT ID: 0314694
LECTURER: Mr. Sheng Fei

2. 2
Table of Contents Page
Introduction to the site 3
Introduction to Cognitive Mapping 4
Cognitive Maps 5
Similarities and Differences 8
Conclusion 10
References 11

3. 3
Introduction to the site
Imbi is the area between Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Kampung
Pandan. The name and history relates back to the Pudu Jail. However, for the younger
generation Jalan Imbi is known as the route to the famous Berjaya Time Square which
was built in 2003. Jalan Imbi is a major road of Kuala Lumpur, stretching approximately
1.3 km from the Jalan Hang Tua-Jalan Pudu junction to north end reaching Jalan Bukit
Bintang. The area has high rises of the Bukit Bintang Luxury Hotels as a backdrop. It is
an old residential area with a significant Chinese population near Bukit Bintang with
many popular Chinese restaurants and food stalls. It is said that the area will be
compeletly rebuild in the upcoming years “Kuala Lampur Financial District” with modern
high-rise office buildings and the constuction of the Pasar Rakyat MRT station.
Area of study highlighted.

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Cognitive Mapping
A cognitive map is a type of mental representation which serves an individual to acquire,
code, store, recall, and decode information about the relative locations and attributes of
phenomena in their everyday or metaphorical spatial environment. A clear mental map
of the urban environment is needed to counter the always looming fear of disorientation.
A legible mental map gives people an important sense of emotional security, it is the
framework for communication and conceptual organization, and heightens the depth
and intensity of everyday human experience. The city itself is thus a powerful symbol of
a complex society, argues Lynch. An environmental image has three components:
identity (the recognition of urban elements as separate entities), structure (the relation
of urban elements to other objects and to the observer), and meaning (its practical and
emotional value to the observer). It is important that these urban elements are not
hermetically designed into precise and final detail but present an open-ended order.
Urban inhabitants should be able to actively form their own stories and create new
activities. Lynch presents his work as an agenda for urban designers. They should
design the city in such a way that it gives room for three related ‘movements': mapping,
learning, shaping. First, people should be able to acquire a clear mental map of their
urban environment. Second, people should be able to learn how to navigate in this
environment by training. Third, people must be able to operate and act upon their
environment.
There are ten important design qualities that apply
1. Singularity. Sharp contrasts can be used to draw attention.
2. Simplicity. Forms should be easily conceivable geometric shapes.
3. Continuity. Individual elements must be understandable as a whole.
4. Dominance. Some elements stand out from the others.
5. Clarity of Joint. Emphasize strategic intersections and boundaries.
6. Directional differentiation. Asymmetry can help the observer detect direction.
7. Visual Scope. Points at which the larger picture can be taken in.
8. Motion Awareness. Make the traveler visually aware of one’s speed.
9. Time Series. Designing “melodies” in a series that is experienced over time.
10. Names and meanings. Non-physical attributes that enhance design features.
This project creates cognitive mappings of Jalan Imbi to understand peoples’ perception
spatial behaviour in the area today. Three cognitive maps from different backgrounds
are used to present a critical understanding of the emerging contemporary urban
spaces in Jalan Imbi. One map is drawn by a local who has lived there for a long time.
2nd map is drawn by an international business who visits the area few times a tourist.
Third map is from a local student who lives in Cheras, which is far from the study area.
Maps from these different backgrounds are combined with my own metal map of Jalan
Imni to derive an A3 cognitive map with a more comprehensive understanding on the
imageablitiy of Jalan Imbi.

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Participant 1
Rakibul Hassan, 27 year old Barista at a small café’ inside Plaza Lowyat, who lives
around Imbi area.
This map is very simple and is focused on the places that he remembers. First, he wrote
down the names of the places he uses as points of direction. Then he draws paths the
leads to the places from his memory. If we observe carefully, we see that the position of
the places in the blocks are not at the corners, but rather at specific distances. This
shows that it is the singularity in these elements he used to identify it. Also, the size of
the places he drew does not have any connection with the actual size of the buildings. It
represents the amount of importance he gives to the buildings when orientating himself
in the area. For an example, Time square appears to be smaller than Hangtuah Station,

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even though it is distinctively larger.He draws an extension to the map describing daily
routine through the area. He names Jalan Alor as the “party area”. He mentions about
the traffic jams near Bukit Bintand due to new construction, but fails to indicate on the
map.
Participant 2
Nawaz, a 32 year old overseas business man.
This map included both two and three dimensional images. He focuses on the west side
of the road which is part Jalan Hang Tua. For some reason the police building is more
dominant to his view and recalls the form police building more vividly compared to the
other buildings. Locations of the buildings are pretty accurate along Jalan Imibi. he drew
Time Square first as a reference point to locate other buildings around the area. The
paths outlined in the map is inaccurate in terms of length, however the buildings are
arranged in order of size. He uses public transport to access the area, therefore talked
about the Imbi station and Hang Tua station, but does not recall any traffic areas as
uses the train.

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Participant 3
Richard, a 22 year old student from Cheras.
This map focuses more on smaller details along the surface of the road in order to
orient himself. A large round about is drawn, which emphasises his way of entry to the
area. Small shop lots are included on the east side of the map which marks a separate
district from the large buildings at the west side. He was able to recall few buildings
within the shop houses. Two sign boards are drawn at the junction which he uses to
navigate. He describes the entry to plaza lowyat as the most crowded space of Jalan
Imbi.

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Similarities
All the participants tend to use the Time Square as a reference point to locate other
buildings around the area. This is due its physically dominant structure and singularity
that makes it attached to their metal maps. The “look at me” vibe from Time Square
makes it to stick to people’s memory. Moreover, High accessibility to Time Square
makes it a landing point for people and everything else is located around the landing
point. Since visual information plays an important role in memory, frequent face to face
encounter with time square makes Time Square a vivid visual memory for all
participants even though they were unable to draw the architectural details of the
building.
Plaza Lowyat is also identified by all participants as a major landmark. Plaza lowyat is
recognized because of the activities rather than the physical appearance. This place is
increasingly subjective by means of locative media technologies. Although there is less
visual scope for Plaza Lowyat
Participant 2 and 3 is very sensitive to distance and direction as their maps shows
relative proportion when compared to the actual map. These two participants tend to
store bits of distance and direction data to operate efficiently around the area. Also both
participant 2 and 3 omitted Sungai Wang which is opposite to Plaza Lowyat. Sungai
Wang appears as a plan wall with no visual identity. Participant 1 marked Sungai Wang
as it is significant part for someone who lives the area.
No participant was able recall or use any special detail or texture to use as an identity
for any space or building. It was common in all participants that technology played a
more important role than visual and sensory feedback form the site. Even, one
participant tried to use google maps when he was asked to draw the map. This shows
that second hand information is more useful to this generation to orientate themselves.
It has a significant effect on the spatial behaviour of the new visitors.

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Differences
Participant 1 omitted Imbi Station which is the closest public transportation to the area.
Since he lives and works around the area very little importance is given to the public
transportation points, while the other two participants marked Imbi Station at the initial
drawing stage of their cognitive maps. His map lacks visual information but his
explanations involved more sensory and kinetic elements. For instance, he described
the alley of Chinatown congested and smelly. On the other hand, participant 2 and 3
who lived away from the study area remembered details of public transportation and
ways to major landmarks of the area. They had more visual data compared to sensory
and kinetic data as visual information is predominant for everyone during the first stage
of cognitive mapping. This is also may be due to their similar routine throughout the
area during each visit. The visual data is corrected by feedback every time by spatial
behaviour.
Only participant 3 was able identify the elements on the east side of Jalan Imbi. He
identified a clinic and Pizza Hut in the shop house area which other participants failed to
draw. This is due to the metropolitan form of the area. The shop houses are
overshadowed by the dominant buildings on the west side. The visual scope within the
metropolitan area was very narrow towards the shop houses and had no attraction
towards the direction. This is the reason why participant 1 and 2 had no image of the
shophouse area.
Another important difference between participant 1 and the other participants is the Jail
located at the junction of Jalan Pudu. Participant 2 and 3 drew the jail while participant 1
didn’t even mention it during his interview. This is because some people have the ability
to know things about an environment through time or history. Participant 3 may have
known about the place through his parents or school, and since he does not live in the
area he will use this data to improve his image of the area. Participant 2 mentioned the
murals on the Jail, which is in fact a significant visual memory for a person who has
seen it.
Moreover, careful observation showed that participant 2 and 3 gave a great importance
to their entry points to the site. Participant 2 drew the Imbi station at the very beginning
of the map and participant 3 drew a huge round about which he uses to enter the site. In
contrast, participant 1’s map looked very simplified without any specified entry as he
lived around the area. Therefore, entry point plays an important role for an outsider to
orientate himself within the site. However, participant 2 and 3 differed from the elements
they remembered from the entry point. While participant 1 only remembered the Imbi
station, participant 3 recalled sign boards which he used as a way finder.
In Addition, participant 2 and 3 was able to draw food trucks at the opposite side of the
Time Square. While participant 1 failed to draw or mention it during the interview. From

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the interview with participant 1 we found out that he seldom used the Jalan Imbi area to
relax or eat. Instead, he drew an extension to show where he goes to spend his free
time. This explains the omission of food trucks in his map. Sometimes memory is
activity based and tend to remember the activity more than the visual details.
The overall layout of all three cognitive maps appears different from each other. These
individual differences among cognitive maps appear primarily from subtle variations in
spatial activity patterns. The characteristic differences was notable during the verbal
interviews with the participants. They seem to remember different visual details. This
also may be due to their age difference and different background.
Conclusion
There is a density of information relating to the image of Jalan Imbi that varies
depending on the observer. The pariticipants focused on the details that attracted them
enough to secure its memory. The scale and area of the places was perceived
differently to each participant because of their point of view and time taken. Participants
were able to identify clear edges and districts. However, there seemed to have no clear
paths within the area except the main road. The side paths had singular quality but no
continuity to give a clear direction. Participants had some difficulties to acquire a clear
mental map. However, from personal experience it was easy to learn the environment of
the area. The urban elements of the Jalan Imbi is interconnected and sensed as a
whole. Jalan Imbi can be considered as imageable area with distinct elements that
invites the eye to greater attraction and participation.

11. 11
References.
Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
(n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from
http://mslab.kaist.ac.kr/twiki/pub/PlaceWalker/RelatedWork/cognitive_mapping_and_spatial_be
havior.pdf
ARCHITECTURE URBANISM. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from
http://architectureandurbanism.blogspot.my/2010/09/kevin-lynch-image-of-city-1960.html