Cognitive mapping
- 1. 1.0 SITE INTRODUCTION This research paper focuses on the KL Sentral and Brickfields area. KL Sentral and Brickfields area plays a crucial role in Malaysia Peninsula’s transportation core intersecting point. The area gave the strong contrasting image ofa city, the modern developed high-rise building and the underdeveloped low-costold shop houses existing side by side.However, this contrasting image had become a touristattraction in these recentyears after the transformation of Brickfields to “Little India”. The brick paved Jalan Tun Sambanthan with white street lamps had marked the distinctive image ofrecognition to those who had reached KL Sentral area. A street apart Jalan Tun Sambathan, locates Jalan Abdul Samad which is the street focused in this research paper regarding the cognitive mapping. The area is conceived as the suburb ofKL Sentral where housed the mixed developed with partial new developmentunder construction; others are the old existing shop houses.Jalan Abdul Samad also bring a strong sense ofreligious as it locates a lotof historic and religious building spreading along the small alley such as BuddhistMaha Vihara Temple, Sam Kow Temple (three-teaching Temple) and the Tamil MethodistChurch. Compare to the fast pace living lifestyle in the hearth ofKL Sentral, here in Jalan Abdul Samad practices a more community-based lifestyle which includes residential, schooling,trading, and religion. Hence, one would perceive the busy cultural street of Jalan Tun Sambathan acting as an edge, separating the hearth of KL Sentral and the suburb. Having a historic background of brick making atthis area, traces ofold bricked shop houses and brick paved pavements can still be seen, leaving the place with familiarity among the elder generation while some partofthe area is scaffolded for on-going new projects, disturbing the locals’ territory (a sense ofbelonging) in an uncontrollable way, accommodating along with a sense ofinsecurity for the unknown future developments and its consequences.
- 2. 2.0 COGNITIVE MAPPING ANALYSIS Kevin Lynch’s Image ofthe City records the analysis ofpeople’s way offinding throughout five years ofinterviewing people to form their own cognitive map ofcities in America. He eventually summarized the findings into the 5 elements theory. People tend to form a mental map while walking through it (path), moving on the realization ofthe difference in between (edge). Zooming outone who observe an area of similarities and started to “zone” out areas (district). Important focal points or significant activities (nodes) (Landmark) are identifiable, as one perceives an unfamiliar city as referencing point. With the aid ofthese 5 elements, the image ofcognitive map is structured more precisely and effectively. A cognitive map is the mental map where one created when moving away from our immediate surrounding to places unknown to us. One tends to rely on clues to guide us through. The records ofinformation perceived along the way based on own observation and understanding is called a cognitive map is then formed a story. A story that leads peoples to walkthrough the landscape mentally. Figure 1 Cognitive Map by an architecture student
- 3. A cognitive map travelling from KL Sentral to Jalan Abdul Samad is drawn after two times visitto the area. The map is done by a studentwith architecture background and not familiar with KL Sentral and Brickfields area. The center of the map is the image ofthe Jalan Tun Sambathan, a general prominent landmark with its cultural richness as perceived by those who are not familiar with the area. It is drawn first in the middle ofthe map because ofthe author previous frequentexperience with the KL Sentral. (Referring to figure 2) As stated by Kevin Lynch (1959) a landmark is heightened its value once attached with the history and meaning of activities to an objects. (The Image ofThe City, page 81) KL Sentral acts as the dominating public transportation hub had become mostofthe local’s reliance ofdaily travelling reference point before travel to other places. The image ofthe KL Sentral is notremembered as a way that distinct form in the author memory as the drawings ofKL Sentral is unclear with the pink colour and with lots of taxies. This is based on the regular travel drop offpointthroughout the author experience with the ignorance ofthe actual whole picture of the KL Sentral, where one always travel internally instead of externally. It had become an important node where the physical form is shapeless in the memory butshaped with the activities attached to the subject. Figure 2 KL Sentral along Jalan Tun Sambanthan as Center of Cognitive Map
- 4. The urge of moving on led by the similarity ofthe streetpatterns along Jalan Tun Sambanthan, where the brick paved pavements giving the directional sense. Whole mass of vehicles can be found along the street. The crowd along the five-footwalkway in front of the shop houses lightens up the streets with happening activities and form small gathering node along the shaded area. The human and transports traffic tend to drive the pedestrian to move towards that direction as stated in Kevin Lynch’s theory of path, one is guided by main stream of traffic. The path then lays the destination ofSri Kota at the end ofthe path, able to view from the starting ofthe path, serve as another directing focal pointleading the crowd towards because one would know where would be the nextplace to go, and thus take action. Figure 3 street similarities formed by the arches Figure 4 Human and Vehicles traffic, guiding in direction of path
- 5. The path then stopped atthe Sri Kota, a concentration of human activities because of restaurants and streetfoods, intersecting pointofthe vehicles as itserves as the roundabout, connecting various streets together. Various streets connected to the center square of landscape feature, bringing a sense ofwondering and confusing. Itcan be seen in the map as dispersion ofpath happened here. Inability to foreseen the end ofvarious intersecting paths heightened the loss ofdirection. Figure 5 Centre square of landscape feature The continuous leading path interrupted by the sudden approach ofEmpty Square. The changes ofcirculation of pedestrian from moving in straight course into circular form when encounter the landscape area, making the people to stop in deciding which way to proceed. The wonder makes the people to stay longer and tend to remember more aboutthe surrounding. Therefore, the colour ofthe building, the arrangementof foods, the fonts design at the advertisementboard had recorded in the map. The landscape area monumentis drawn based on the memory and end up high similarity with the reality appearance. Figure 6 Drawing of Sri Kota node in cognitive map
- 6. Figure 7 Sri Kota image in reality The existing node is considered fail in guiding direction, caused by the outstanding landscape area with no relationship with the surrounding. The meaning of the sculpture and the form makes the people wonder ofits meaning. However, itserved as a good referencing landmark as it is visible from all direction. Directional signboards should be added into the node in order to guide people to continue the journey. Figure 8 Reference point visible from far
- 7. A research had carried outby Karen O’Rourke (Walking and Mapping: Artist’s As Cartographers, pg117), tested on the ability of people to walk in straight course through unfamiliar terrain, the Sahara Desertand large forestarea. The result shows that people tend to walk in circle under no external reference to recalibrate in the straight course. Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad has lacking in directional reference as the whole streetserves almostsimilar language. This can be seen via the cognitive map where Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad is drawn in circular form although the streetis straight in reality. The circular form of the map actually brings outtwo different districts by the mental map. Figure9Circularconceptionof cognitive map of Jalan Abdul Samad Figure 9 Circular Conception of Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad
- 8. Figure 10 Two districts of Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad As perceived by the experience from walking along Jalan Abdul Samad, after Sri Kota node, the building activities and streetpatterns and pedestrian behavior underwenttwo distinct differences, which then led to deviation ofpath being drawn. The path below where first underwent after the Sri Kota node is a whole stretch of temporary food stalls area with less pleasing environment. Trash can be seen everywhere, food exposed to flies, oil stain from the kitchen, noise by the eating people and working people,people travelling to and fro carrying goods under the exposing sun. Following by the existence oflow cost flat and ‘mamak food stalls’ in between the alley and back lane had hence form a small districtwithin the Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad. The district mapped by the drawing also contains the low-rise terrace houses, temporary food streets, which serves local Indian food, and rows ofold shop houses. These areas are imagined as a whole picture, which shares a same thematic unit. Referring to Kevin Lynch’s districtdefinition, area shares the same theme is seen as a district. (Page 68)
- 9. Figure 11 Messy and dirty street condition Figure 12 Lowcost flat areas However, path above the cognitive map drawing is a different image compare to the path in previous discussion. The path is drawn relatively closer to the KL Sentral as they serve almostsimilar environment. Unlike the path below which is covered with dirty and noisy background, the path above shares the more tranquil feelings, softbreezes blown, huge trees planted along the pavements, following the rhythm of the breezes, pedestrian walking relaxingly along the street, clean and wide road with lesser activities alongside, The building at
- 10. this area are normally for community daily needs based,which including mostly schools, church and crossover pedestrian bridge.The buildings existed atthis area are low in height, flat and equipped with empty land. Although the path is divided into two distinctdistricts by the memory map, the line is difficult to define as it shares the similar architecture style (similar building colours and type and height) blurs the image ofthe city. Only experiencing through the path individually can notify the line ofdifference. Figure 13 Shady and windy pavement Figure 14 Wide and Clean Environment
- 11. At the edge ofthe cognitive map drawn the memory edge ofthe area. Memory for this area is weakly shown in the map. There’s no exactlocation along the street, and neither a single special feature ofthe street is drawn. The area covers the whole stretch ofcommon shop houses, which used to connectthe two distinct districts together in the author’s mental map. The location of them in the map is notaccurately stated. With only the strangely high level ofpedestrian walkway is experienced atthe second stretch ofshop houses. Figure 15 Common old shop houses Figure 16 Higher level of pedestrian walkway
- 12. Moving on to the top ofthe cognitive map drawings, there’re three pedestrian bridges lying in the middle ofthe empty street. The contrasting design and colour (yellow) makes the bridges another small landmarks for the streets. As bridges or flyover can be identified by edge of the city, preventing the visual connection for path continuity. However, atthis area the continuation of bridges forms a sense ofcontinuity for the viewer to continue the path. Therefore, visual blockage ofcontinuity can be overcome by having a repetition ofan objectto form a sense offamiliarity. The map is ended by a striking LRT railway track heading towards KL Sentral from nowhere. The sudden appearance of the railway track creates question and curiosity among the people for notknowing where does the track came from and where it is heading. This eventually forms a visual edge for the journey as nothing is drawn beyond the track. Figure 17 Three bridges forming the edge Figure 18 one of the bridges
- 13. 3.0 CONCLUSION In conclusion, KL Sentral and Brickfield are in fragmentation patterns. As drawn in the cognitive map, the location ofsignificant landmarks is arranged randomly according to their historical originated place. The relationship between one with another is hardly seen in the street causing the site to form variety of streets characteristic. This would then led to confusion of recognition ofimage ofthe city. It can be seen via the random placementofthe iconic buildings drawn in the cognitive map. Figure 19 Another bridge Figure 20 The sudden approach of LRT railway track
- 14. The image ofthe area might be perceived as individual images rather than a picture of whole. However, the cognitive mapping is done based on the different personal experience and grown up background, therefore the accuracy ofit mightstill need to be enhanced and developed.As Kevin Lynch stated, mostoften our perception ofthe city is not sustained (scene changes, human crowd shifting generations and function of building changes) butrather more fragmentary mixed with other concerns. There’s no final result to create a good beautiful cities, agreed by people ofwidely diverse class and characteristic. Therefore, only partial control can be emphasized over the city growth and form while it may be retained in the overall form but keep changing in details. To enhance the messy arrangementofthe site, including ofsimilarity or repetition of features, nature or man-made, in order to create strong relationship among the whole area. For now, the hearth of KL Sentral is doing a good job in putting the arches along the street and brick paved, forming a strong one language ofJalan Tun Sambanthan. However, the language descended as itgoes further in the suburb area. By introducing the landscape design into streetpatterns can also making the image ofcity clearer and more directional. Put it in a nutshell, Image of City by Kevin Lynch is a good reference book when came to urban design. The building behavior interrelated to the human behavior forming the consideration ofthe design motive, whether where should the building faces? How should the Figure 21 Fragmented relation between iconic building
- 15. circulation are going to be? How to make the people stay and experience the building being designed? Kevin concludes all ofthem. 4.0 RERENCE 1) Brickfields' transformation – recognition for Indians. (2013, April 25). New Straits Time. Retrieved from http://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/21605/Brickfields transformation recognition for Indians 2) Kuala Lumpur Little India Brickfields. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kuala- lumpur.ws/attractions/brickfields.htm# 3) K. (2013). Walking and Mapping: Artists as Cartographers. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.my/books?id=wI_MlDWcPswC&printsec=frontco ver#v=onepage&q&f=false 4) K. (1960). The Image of th City. Cambridge Massachusetts: MIT Press. 5) R. H., S. C., & M. (n.d.). An Analysis offour measures ofcognitive map. 254-264. Retrieved from http://www.edra.org/sites/default/files/publications/EDRA04-Howard-254-264_1.pdf