The importance of silhouette in the perception of the urban landscape. Saldus example

Abstract

The silhouette of a city can be described as its image or as its face, which tends to change over time, and it is very important to incorporate it into urban planning to build a recognisable image of the city. The purpose of the study is to create development proposals and recommendations for building the silhouette of a city, while preserving and highlighting the valuable elements already present. In order to achieve this, the study examines the factors forming the silhouette of a city and their role in the human perception of urban spaces. A methodology was developed for analysing silhouettes, and was used in the towns of Tukums, Talsi, Kuldīga, and Saldus. The spatial and architectural structure of the towns, their history, factors forming their silhouette were studied, with general recommendations for the development of the silhouette from a specific kind of viewing location in the towns – their gates.