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The Role of Semantic Organization and Readability in the Perceptual Quality of Landscape: A Comparative Study of Mellat Parks in Zanjan and Sanandaj
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Solmaz Ahmadi Barough *   |
| Payame Noor University |
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Abstract: (27 Views) |
| In recent decades, landscape architecture studies have tended toward an experience-oriented and semiotic understanding of space. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of the semantic organization of landscape on the perceptual quality of urban parks, along with the mediating role of landscape readability and the moderating role of cultural context (Turk and Kurd). The research method was descriptive-analytical with a quantitative approach, and data were collected through a 33-item Likert-scale questionnaire from 360 users of Mellat Parks in Zanjan and Sanandaj. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The modeling results indicated that the semantic organization of landscape has a strong positive effect on landscape readability (β = 0/68, p < 0/01), and readability significantly enhances perceptual quality (β = 0/57, p < 0.01). The indirect effect of semantic organization on perceptual quality through readability was 0/33 (with a 95% confidence interval: 0/24 to 0/42), which was significant. Multi-group analysis revealed that cultural context moderates these paths; specifically, in the studied sample, users of Mellat Park in Zanjan (with a predominantly Turkish population) experienced a stronger path from semantic organization to readability (β = 0/72), whereas users of Mellat Park in Sanandaj (with a predominantly Kurdish population) demonstrated a stronger path from readability to perceptual quality (β = 0/64). These findings confirm the mediating role of readability and the moderating role of culture, and provide an operational framework for designing urban parks that are sensitive to cultural context. |
Article number: 6 |
| Keywords: Semantic Organization, Landscape Readability, Perceptual Quality, Cultural Context, Urban Parks |
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Full-Text [PDF 1552 kb]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/05/30
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