Abstract
The purpose of this study is to interpret the townscape of Kyungju based on the urban images captured by citizens. 58 verval interviews and 50 sketch maps were collected and analized comparing with York which was a similar old city in England. In the verbal questions, elements like tombs, historic remains, families and historic values were frequently mentioned mainly because of their social and historic meaning. But in the sketch maps, physical elements like railroad station, city hall, roundabouts and streets were more frequently appeared probably because of their visibility. As a whole, many tombs which were built long ago in and around the city were commonly mentioned in verbal questions, sketch maps and even in nicknames. As the most dominant factors, it can be compared with York Minster in York. But whereas the shopping streets in York were very attractive to the people, many streets in Kyungju were regarded as dirty and inharmonious elements in townscape. In conclusion, we can call Kyungju 'the city of tombs', but to evoke the sense of place in the city the streets should be improved and activated as the center of city life.