International Journal of

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The concept of place has long been regarded as a foundational notion in urban design, environmental psychology, and cognitive science. Yet, the mental and neural mechanisms underlying place perception have rarely been examined through an interdisciplinary lens. This study focuses on the role of the hippocampal neural structure in the mental representation of place, exploring the links between episodic memory, emotion, lived experience, and the semantic dimensions of place. Drawing on cognitive and semantic theories, prototypes are considered as primary, central configurations that shape individual perceptions of place.

The research was designed at both conceptual and empirical levels. Conceptually, the notions of “place,” “hippocampus,” and “prototype” were analyzed from the perspectives of neuroscience, environmental psychology, and phenomenology. Empirically, free word-association data were collected from 60 residents and pilgrims in the vicinity of the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad. The data were analyzed using content analysis, with internal validity ensured through theoretical saturation.

Findings reveal that mental associations with the term " place" fall into four main clusters: personal spaces, sacred and spiritual spaces, functional spaces, and value concepts of place. Due to early theoretical saturation and the limited diversity of responses, place-based experiences in the contemporary urban context appear restricted, with urban spaces often failing to evoke memory, meaning, or sensory engagement—particularly among residents. Pilgrims exhibit more intense emotional engagement but a narrower spatial focus, whereas residents experience a broader spatial range with less emotional intensity.

In conclusion, place perception is not merely a spatial or functional phenomenon but is deeply rooted in the interweaving of memory, emotion, and daily life, underpinned by the hippocampus. By integrating concepts from cognitive neuroscience with place theory, this study opens new horizons for understanding human experience of place and for developing urban design approaches grounded in memory and perception.
 

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Examining the universities postgraduate landscape architecture table in Iran, indicates the increasing growth in the establishment of this major course in most universities nationwide, since almost 10 years from the beginning of the first academic course of this major in the Shahid Beheshti University (SBU). As a result, every year the number of graduated entering the market is increasing in this major. Which in this case no clear condition exist, the suitable professional contexts and prefaces for graduates and professionals entry for graduation in this major in and out of university is a big obstacle. The aim of this paper is checking the causes and most important factors to select this major in Iran, of which market conditions is one of the most important factors in the process of this research. The result of research shows the opportunity of developing the landscape architecture, the opportunity and chances of finding a job in the future and earning high fees is part of the most important general factors to choose landscape architecture major in Iran. Additionally the professors, friends and landscape architects, the most important reason for choosing the landscape architect is personal. Besides these cases, landscape architecture department credence’s, the quality of professors and location for College choice is the most important deliberation in this major.

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Respect and reverence for water and trees are institutionalised in many ancient civilisations due to socio-cultural traditions, values and beliefs. In Iranian societies, respect for trees and water, separately and in composite form as gardens, is a well-known cultural value both before and after Islam. Therefore, the first part of this paper explains the value and importance of plants and gardens according to the religious and socio-cultural beliefs of the Iranian people in various historical periods. The paper continues by focussing on the history of the Persian garden city during the Timurid and Safavid dynasties. The straight streets, long-lasting gardens and the water supply of the three capitals of Samarqand, Herat and Isfahan are explained individually according to their historical references. Furthermore, it explained the special idea that has had direct relation with religious believes. In Safavid period designers often used the gardens as parables of Heaven. This idea influenced on urban design and was important in selection of green spaces as composing elements in urban fabrics. Finally, the paper classifies the features of Charbagh Street as an axis of the city of Isfahan, and compares these features with the features of the axes in the cities of Samarqand and Herat. The results of the study compare the design innovations, features and origins of the Charbagh axis of Isfahan, the Safavid garden city, with earlier garden cities of the Timurid period.

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The importance of small urban parks (SUP) in mega cities has been accepted as an essential component of urban lung and restorative settings. As urban population in the world increases and the cost of maintaining large parks escalates, urban authorities are shifting their attention to creating and maintaining smaller urban parks. However, SUP may present a different ambience due to their location, size and visual appearence. In this regard, visual preference which is associated with spatial configuration and content of space, plays a vital role. This research examined 394 respondents’ visual preferences related to 16 SUP located in the city of Tabriz, Iran. It employed a quantitative photo survey method, based on Kaplan and Kaplan's information-processing and Appleton’s prospect-refuge theories as preselected variables by expert panels. Results indicated that mystery, as an indicator of having winding shapes of paths and expansive body of trees, was the most preferred spatial configuration of space, followed by coherence, refuge and complexity. Legibility and prospect as indicators of wide perspective and sky lines with clear focal points were the least preferred constructs. The results provide information on preferred visual configurations for SUP that may assist urban designers and landscape architects to improve their design of these specific green areas for the public.

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Current literatures on urban parks and green spaces showed that people’s preference for visiting urban parks in various group users is different. People visit parks for various motives and activities, leading to several patterns of park usability. However, the patterns in urban park use in majority of Iran cities are not yet known. This study presented the preference for activity in urban parks among people in Gorgan city. A survey research was conducted to gain understanding of respondents’ preferences for activity in urban parks. The Data was collected among 300 visitors of two well-known urban parks in Gorgan. Visitors rated preference for four activities: relaxation, socializing, nature involvement, and playing activities. The results revealed that the people of Gorgan chose relaxation and nature involvement as the most preferred activities whilst socializing and playing were the least preferred activities. Furthermore, a significant difference in two variables: relaxation and nature involvement activity was found among marital status and visitor age groups. The results also indicated the role of urban parks on psychological needs of the citizens, which creates urban nature as a valuable urban resource and key component for city sustainability. This result contributes notions towards significantly impacting design of urban parks and their facilities that designers and decision makers should manage those facilities to satisfy the visitors’ needs.

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Persian garden have deep roots in paradigms and beliefs in Iranian culture, from arts and crafts to architecture and landscape and from literature to philosophy and wisdom in particular. The current study was done based on a qualitative methodology. To understand the latent concepts of the quadruple paradigm, those engaged have aimed at testing in practice and analyzing new concepts through the latent directive content analysis. This helped us through the objectives of this article for developing the quadruple paradigm and a new classification of quadruple Persian gardens. In this regard, this study sought the relationship between archetypal and historical Persian gardens and four fold plans as the key factor for finding the secret meanings and symbolic concepts. For the analysis, seven case studies on the Safavied dynasty were selected. This is the first study investigating focused on the quadruple in Persian gardens to the extent of believing and art history as a philosophy of paradigm could be categorized into three main groups and the themes were identified as a major classification: 1) Sacred-Archetypal gardens as an interpretation of supernatural beliefs and paradigms, which might be manifested through a spiritual landscape, carpets, paintings, or architectural façades; 2) governmental and authority gardens, which could be seen in the fields of architecture, landscape, and many Iranian arts and crafts; and 3) orchards as the blessing gardens representing birth and growth, thus bringing spiritual blessing and genius loci for human comfort.

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Rest areas have been built on the freeway to avoid traffic accidents and drowsiness so that road travelers can rest. These supplemental rest areas are very small-sized resting facilities located between the larger regular rest areas, which is a unique design. However, the management of rest areas and their accommodations need to be improved by considering the effective factors involved. In this spirit, the purpose of this research is to study the effect of users’ preferences into planning parameters in rest areas. The study examines several rest areas, their roles and services. Customer satisfaction includes check-in time and purchase, type of service for travelers, intention to use the rest areas service, and satisfaction with the rest areas service.
A survey study was carried out among 360 passengers of four rest areas in different locations in Iran. The participants claimed that providing praying room (M= 4.13) is the service most expected from rest areas. They also expected better landscaping of these places in providing shaded spaces (M= 4.13) to mitigate temperatures in hot seasons. The results also show that there is a significant difference between genders in terms of recreational activities (t= 2.81, α= 0.005), landscape amenities (t= 2.01, α= 0.044), welfare services (t= 3.05, α= 0.002), where women prioritized these factors more than men did. The findings of this research can be used in better management, accommodating, and designing of future crossing rest areas according to tourists’ preferences.
 

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Even though the positive influences of nature on human health have been known for many decades, few studies have been carried out exclusively about the psychological benefits of exposure to water and sky as natural blue elements in built environments. Hence, close-ended questionnaire along with structured interviews (with open-ended questions) are applied to investigate the main question of this study: what are the effects of blue elements’ exposure on psychological restoration of university students? 81 students of architecture, urban design, and painting with graduate and post graduate degrees are considered as the participants and the main central courtyards of two traditional dwellings, which currently are used as educational environments, are selected as the case studies in the hot-arid climate of Yazd, Iran. The results of the close-ended questionnaire show that among natural elements, water has the most significant influence on fascination and being away (two components contributing to restoration). Besides, although in comparison to water, the sky has less effective influence on fascination and being away in the studied environments, it is as important as green elements in fostering fascination and being away. Through content analysis of structured interviews, it is revealed that not only is water the most preferred and important natural element of both courtyards but also students’ pleasantness, refreshment, and relaxation from stress are mainly due to water exposure. In conclusion, the study tries to highlight that in addition to green elements, it is essential to consider blue elements. Besides, some design strategies based on their exposure in educational environments have been recommended in order to foster the psychological restoration of university students.

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Nowadays, many urban parks are underutilized due to changes and developments of cities, parks location, inappropriate inner conditions of parks, and other factors. Besat Park in Tehran is located in an urban district where people have fewer recreational choices other than going to parks. So, the issue of underutilization in this park might lead to so many other problems. This research is aimed to identify and prioritize the effective factors which can improve the visitors’ number of Besat Park. Field observations and interviews with Besat Park users were used in this research. During the observation process, three main factors were scrutinized including activity, access, and legibility. Behavioral mapping was applied to observations in 18 parts of the park which occurred at 6 different times in various seasons. Behavior mapping recordings were based on people's age, gender, and activity. Also, a questionnaire was set up covering the three main factors investigated in behavioral mappings. The results show that activity as the main important factor had negatively affected the level of presence in Besat Park. Even on large scale, the incompatible land uses inhibited neighborhood resident’s interaction with the park edges. Inside the park, despite the lack of legibility and impermeability of some routes and districts, only the ones which had other issues in terms of activity, access, and other sub-factors were vulnerable to the mentioned problems. Generally, the factors affecting Besat Park use could be prioritized based on their level of influence respectively as activity, legibility, and access.

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Wind as an atmospheric element has some annoying aspects, therefore, controlling it and reducing its speed is one of the most important matters, which should be examined in landscape engineering. Natural windbreaks such as rows of trees with different gap distances between them are used to decrease wind velocity. The current study numerically investigates the effect of trees with irregular canopy form on wind speed reduction in urban open spaces and green belts. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate airflow through the trees as 3D forms. Quercus sp. is chosen as a typical tree with irregular crown shape. The influence of some criteria such as; 1. Number of tree rows, 2. Gaps between trees, 3. Trees arrangement patterns, and 4. Height levels on wind speed reduction are examined at this study.  According to the results, the best reduction is observed for the heights above 5 meters with 0.50 m gap distance between trees. The results also reveal that rectangular two-row arrangement of trees with irregular forms is more effective than the other arrangements in reducing wind velocity.

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Small Urban Parks (SUP) are vital parts of cities that can enhance the quality of the public environment. Visual Preferences (VP) in SUPs, which consist of diverse stimuli, are affected by multisensory perception, including the combination of auditory, olfactory, and tactile stimuli. However, the relationship between sensory stimuli integration (sound, smell, touch) and people’s VP has been neglected during the design process, which can influence the assessment of an environmental aesthetic and preferences. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate how multisensory can affect the VP of visitors through textual and photo questionnaires. Structural Equations Model and Regression were studied on 394 participants, chosen from 16 SUPs located in different parts of Tabriz, Iran. Results identified the “Human and Natural sounds, Human-Body and Natural smells” as influential factors on visitors’ VP; however, touch stimuli had no significant impact. In this regard, paying attention to the visitors’ experience of Natural Sound-Smell Stimuli and the Human-body Sound-Smell Stimuli are essential in designing SUPs. The outcomes of the current research provide a guideline for city planners and landscape designers regarding the relationship between senses and their practical implications in SUPs in order to promote people’s VP and visitation.
 

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Nowadays, global climate change makes urban planners and designers pay more attention to thermal islands to enhance thermal comfort conditions in cities. The present study aims to investigate the effects of evergreen and deciduous tree placement patterns, tree canopy height, and tree canopy diameter on the enhancement of ambient temperature and improvement of thermal comfort conditions. The ENVI-met model was used to replicate the research region and site. It was validated by comparing the outputs of the model with the values from field measurements. Finally, the recommended scenarios were simulated in the model to discover those scenarios with better performance in enhancing outdoor thermal comfort and temperature on days with low temperatures. At low-temperature situations, planting evergreen trees irregularly had a stronger impact on the improvement of thermal comfort (PMV) compared to deciduous trees. Furthermore, in all models, Populus nigra and Platanus showed the worst performance in boosting ambient temperature. Landscape designers and urban planners might use the findings to improve urban green space, construct sustainable cities, and enhance air temperature.
 

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Landscapes and urban green spaces, particularly urban parks, are among the most crucial urban areas. Therefore, planning and designing urban parks to offer appropriate services under various conditions, including during infectious disease pandemics, is essential and ensures citizens' health. This study aimed to bridge the gap between urban park design and pandemic needs by proposing design criteria based on expert opinions to meet park users' health needs during a pandemic. A questionnaire with seven questions was developed to establish these criteria, resulting in a total of 28 criteria. After collecting the questionnaires, the data were extracted, and the frequency of each option was determined. The criteria for designing urban parks under pandemic conditions were then ranked by importance. Our research identified three of the most important criteria: implementing an electronic queuing system in buffets or restaurants to eliminate customer lines, installing automatic hand sanitizers throughout the park, and equipping drinking fountains with smart valves to minimize hand contact. An additional 25 criteria were also prioritized. Designers and urban planners can utilize these criteria to create or redesign parks that are better suited for pandemic conditions compared to current parks

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Urban densities are prone to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, resulting in decreased outdoor thermal comfort for the growing urban populations in hot and dry climates. Canyon layout, surface materials, green cover, and ground moisture can alter the outdoor microclimates of urban canyons at the canopy layer. While the isolated impact of urban cooling strategies is researched extensively, the integration of these UHI mitigation strategies into design compositions for complex projects has yet to be thoroughly examined. This study explores the impact of six different design scenarios for the redevelopment of the entry canyon for the Afifabad garden in Shiraz during the hottest and coldest times of the last decade. The design scenarios include the final proposed and past layouts of the site, along with four interim scenarios introducing feasible compositions of greenery and cool surfaces.
The ENVI-met model of the site is validated by field measurement data from 2021, and then used to simulate all six scenarios for the hottest and coldest days of a typical year. The predicted mean vote (PMV) and physiological equivalent temperature (PET) values were calculated from the simulation results and evaluated to identify the most feasible and impactful design compositions. Findings indicate that high albedo pavements were not effective in isolation (scenario 4) and led to an increase in the mean radiant temperature (MRT). Street trees and vegetation were the most influential isolated measures, resulting in a 2.61°C variation in PET. The most impactful results were related to the combined effect of trees, turf, and cool surfaces, which resulted in up to an 11.3°C variation in PET due to the combination of appropriate greenery, shading over surfaces, and cool covers. Understanding the details of the impact of design configurations, when addressing heat stress adaptation in cities, enables the implementation of UHI mitigation strategies into feasible urban retrofit and regeneration projects.

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Urban parks play a critical role in enhancing the quality of urban life by offering a range of services. This study explores public expectations regarding services provided in urban parks, using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire completed by 481 participants, while qualitative insights were gathered via semi-structured interviews with 22 stakeholders. The analysis revealed that recreational and comfort-related services are the most valued features of urban parks. Participants emphasized the importance of soft landscapes, greenery, diverse and age-appropriate play equipment, walking paths, and spaces for popular group games. Additionally, there was strong support for incorporating intellectual and educational games to enrich the park experience and promote informal learning. Findings indicate that urban park planning should prioritize recreational and welfare functions, supported by thoughtful landscape design. Enhancing features such as green spaces, play diversity, and inclusive public areas can significantly improve user satisfaction and the overall functionality of urban parks. These insights can inform urban planners and designers in creating parks that better align with community needs and preferences.
 

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This study discusses some factors affecting landscape aesthetics’ perception in Persian gardens, with a case study of Delgosha Garden in Shiraz, Iran. To this end, the main physical elements of the Persian garden are identified, and their aesthetic value is assessed by analyzing landscape preferences in three steps: First, the appreciation of main physical elements in Persian garden is discussed; second, their effects on landscape preferences are examined employing photomontages; and finally, the visual impact of main physical elements of the garden, on aesthetical quality of the landscape, is quantified through a statistical model. An analytical-descriptive method is adopted to achieve this goal, and a statistical population including three groups of inhabitants is involved in the survey from November 2023 to December 2023. Three approaches were also used to analyze the landscape preferences. The main study tool is a questionnaire on aesthetic values. For data analysis, one-way ANOVA, paired sample T-test, and regression model were performed, using SPSS 24. This made it possible to determine if and to what extent the Persian garden's aesthetic values are shared among this study's participants. The results demonstrate that the alteration in the existence of the main physical elements in the Persian garden would lead to different aesthetic perceptions in three groups of interviewees. These findings may help landscape architects and urban designers in further designs to consider and prioritize the main architectural elements based on their impacts on different generations

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This study explores older adults’ perceptions of open-space landscaping in nursing homes, focusing on the psychological underpinnings of their preferences. A photo-based questionnaire employing the Content Identification Method (CIM) was administered to 277 residents of the Khooban Nursing Home in Tabriz. The instrument included three sections: demographic information, dependent variables, and visual imagery of the facility. Findings indicated that respondents highly valued "viewing green spaces was reported to provide comfort" and, in terms of safety, emphasized the importance of "appropriate flooring". Additionally, "having comfortable seating within green areas" emerged as the top priority. Factor analysis identified four key spatial dimensions—complexity, mystery (α = 0.71), prospect (α = 0.63), and refuge—with complexity receiving the highest mean preference rating (3.96 out of 5). Participants also expressed a strong appreciation for landscapes that evoke a "sense of comfort". In terms of visual quality indicators, preferences were ranked in the order of prospect, mystery, complexity, and refuge. These findings can be of interest to landscape architects and urban designers to create appropriate spaces based on the preferences of older adults in nursing homes.
 

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Landscape architecture confronts multifaceted challenges—from rapid urbanization and climate change to the complexity of managing large-scale ecological data—demanding advanced assessment methods to guide sustainable design and planning. As technological innovations reshape analytical capacities, this systematic review explores how emerging digital tools are enhancing landscape assessment across diverse domains. A comprehensive literature search across multiple databases initially identified 482 articles. Using the PRISMA methodology, a rigorous screening process narrowed this to 92 studies for in-depth analysis. This review categorizes landscape assessment into four key domains: visual, psychological, spatial, and ecological. It further organizes simulation methods into four distinct groups and classifies applied technologies into three primary categories: data management, visual and neuroscience applications, and photogrammetry.
By systematically comparing technological methods, assessment indicators, and software applications across these classifications, this study offers evidence-based guidance for landscape architects in selecting context-appropriate tools. Findings indicate notable advancements in objective assessment technologies—particularly in spatial and ecological domains—while highlighting ongoing challenges in integrating subjective human dimensions, such as psychological perception, into digital frameworks. The proposed taxonomy serves as a practical decision-making roadmap, enabling professionals to align simulation techniques and technological tools with specific evaluation goals—whether addressing visual impacts, social dynamics, ecological processes, or spatial configurations. Beyond mapping current technological trends, this review identifies critical gaps and opportunities at the intersection of landscape architecture and digital innovation, pointing to essential directions for future research and practice.