Images in Motion

Images in Motion by Peter Bosselmann is an enlightening read about the movement, flow and time of urban design. The important perceptions that I noted are set out below:

1.         For urban designers, movement can be read and understood in pictorial sequence.

2.         Except where the main form of imaging a place is eye-level perspectives which can lead to overly picturesque designs, serial vision combined with measured drawings (e.g. maps) can provide important lessons about scale and dimension in city design for urban designers.  

3.         The images must be read from bottom to top in order to pull the reader into the space.

4.         During scanning of the images they are pieced together gaining the illusion of movement through space, like a film.

5.         During walks through cities, the perception of time is influenced by the dimension and placement of urban elements, making the walk appear to be longer or shorter

6.         Our perception of time’s flow depends on our awareness of change, which must be concrete.

7.         Our sense of time is influenced by successive acts of apperception and recognition, and knowledge adjustment.

8.         A consideration of rhythm in city design is valuable.

9.         The dimensions of the physical objects and the setting of these objects in space influence the sense of time.

10.       Designers have the power to affect the perception of time by arranging objects in space, by setting dimensions, designing textures, selecting colour and manipulating light.