Theorists who take a social semiotic approach to urban semiotics define their discipline in opposition to the methods of behavioral geography, beginning with the work of Kevin Lynch in The Image of the City, which they criticize for being limited by its exclusive focus on the denotative level of communication (recognition of spatial elements, such as paths, as conceptual objects), ignoring the connotative meanings associated with urban forms; instead, urban semioticians argue that urban structures often become recognizable because they have symbolic meaning beyond their functional meanings.
Theorists who follow a social semiotic approach to urban studies contrast their discipline with behavioral geography's methods, beginning with Kevin Lynch's The Image of the City, which they criticize for being restricted by its emphasis on the literal meaning of spatial elements (e.g., paths) rather than their underlying symbolic meanings; in contrast, urban semioticians contend that cities are often recognizable because they possess meanings beyond their functional functions.