The cognitive map's role in urban planning and landscaping: application to Braila City, Romania

Abstract

Spatial planning and urban planning represent aspects of urban dynamics. They have a complex character and aim to identify some ways of eliminating the territorial disparities, for ensuring the territorial functionality, following up the sustainable development principles. The territorial reality, that is to be investigated for this purpose, can be represented using the mental maps that present the subjective perception of the residents on the environment where they are living. This cognitive perception out lines an urban overview that reflects the local failures. Therefore, the urban overview can function as an instrument of urban rebranding, by its diagnosis and prognosis functions. As regards Brăila City, attractive, repulsive and neutral spaces were ident ified, being created in this way the premises for the appearance of some strategies of territorial planning, in accordance with reality.