Assignment: Physical Space and You

Due in Class Tuesday, Sept. 2

Assigned Reading: C&B, chap. 1: 13-19 (Pollan); Lynch reading on HuskyCT

Complete both parts.

1. Relying only on your memory, draw a map of your hometown that incorporates the ideas and symbols presented in the Lynch reading. Mark your home and the places that you visited most frequently.

2. Write a brief essay about how your daily life was shaped by the physical setting in which you spent your time. (Three pages, doublespaced)

In preparing to write this essay, think about the geography of this area, and about the built environment (buildings, roads, sidewalks, bridges, athletic fields, etc.). From what you can remember, how was your experience shaped by the geographical concepts employed by Lynch (paths, edges, nodes, districts and landmarks). Think about how you got around from one place to another. What kinds of activities and experiences were made more difficult by the physical setting? What kinds of activities and experiences were facilitated by this setting? How might your life have been changed if the physical setting were different? These questions are not a required outline for the essay. You have the creative freedom to write the essay in the way that best communicates your ideas.