高雄市近年來關注「城市意象」的議題，在政治部門有計畫的 推行，文化創意產業的推波助瀾，及西方城市文化的影響、市民意識的興起與廣泛的迴響下，企圖營造出高雄市自己的獨特風格，設計和規劃城市的整體意象，將高雄市在城市群結構中的地位更加突顯。 本文以都市研究學者 Kevin Lynch 的都市意象與符號學學者 Ferdinand Sauaaure 符號學的觀點來論述，從高雄早期的漁村文化、工業城市到現代國際性海港，城市形態不斷的轉變，透過對高雄觀察研究，賦予高雄意象的符號價值。以Sauaaure 符號學的觀點，對產生高雄城市意象的通道、地標、邊緣、節點、和地域等內容作分析，對單一記號的視覺圖像，其符號具（文字、色彩、造型等）衍伸的符號義（內容、意義、操作等），並探究其象徵意涵。 在城市與城市競爭的時代，「在地only one」特色是城市全球化的基礎，「城市意象」在導入城市美學後，高雄要找到自己的特點，逐步形塑成為「only one」全球在地化的新價值，使城市面貌不斷變遷產生新的意象符號，與海相生的時空背景詮釋高雄港灣城市意象與其新符號價值。

Development the transition that the urban form is constant, through observing studying to Kaohsiung, give Kaohsiung symbol value of an image. In order to asking for thread the Semiologies view, it is to producing for Kaohsiung city image of paths, land mark, edges, nodes, and districts, etc. content make analysis of, to the visual picture of the single sign, its signifier (characters, color, shape, etc.) spreads out the Signified (content , meaning , operation, etc.), and probe into it and symbolize meaning. In era when the city and city compete for, 'local only one' the characteristic is the foundation which the city globalizes, 'the urban image', after channeling urban aesthetics into, find one's own characteristic in Kaohsiung, mould and become the whole world of 'only one' in the new value melting progressively, it produces the new image symbol to make the urban appearance change constantly, the space-time growing with marine faces background annotates the harbor city image of Kaohsiung and its new symbol value.