Effects of Cognitive Schema on Geographical Urban Image

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We can imagine the geographical structure of cities although the objects can not be seen directly. This fact suggest that we have a kind of cognitive schema to grasp the geographical characteristics of the urban space. It is very important in the studies on urban image to discuss not only the perceptible objects itself but also the cognitive schemata figured in our minds.In tihs study we focus on the shape of loop-lines which form the fundamental structure of cities and play an important role in our geographical urban image. In order to discuss the cognitive schema for the loop-lines, we made some surveys in Tokyo and Osaka by using the method of sketch-maps. Almost all the people draw the loop-lines as a very simple circular shape, and the other railroads which go through the inside of the loop-lines as a simple straight shape. This results show us that the shape of railroads in our geographical image is transfigured to the very simple shapes with the effects of the cognitive schema.This kind of cognitive schema is supposed to be based on the cultural backgrounds, Then, the shapes of the cognitive schemata figured in the different cultural backgraounds would not be the same. In order to test this hypothesis, we made another survey in Seoul. However, we can not find any differences between the sketch-maps drawn by Korean and Japanese whose cultural backgrounds and the term of residence are very different. This result shows that the cognitive schema which has a very simple and universal geometric shape dose not depend on the differences of cultural backgrounds.