ABSTRACT
As an optical environment, the city remains a problematic object. Despite a number of influential provocations to clarify the urban environment – by Kevin Lynch, Jane Jacobs, Richard Sennett, and others – streets and public spaces remain subject to layers of competing visual information. This chapter argues that, while the city as whole may be hard to “design” in any sense, portions or subsets of public spaces can and should be controlled for clarity and hierarchy of information. Moreover, it is argued that the present condition of cities does not meet standards of inclusivity, as older adults and those with sensory processing disorders are often unable to navigate within its spaces. The author argues that a return to Kevin Lynch’s principles may be instructive, if these are adapted to a less spatial (and more visual) system that may be retroactively applied. The particular case of urban Singapore is cited as an example in which many well-maintained public spaces and housing estates are nonetheless confusing for older adults in particular.
