Analysis of the Role of Visual Comfort Variables and Their Relation with the Sense of Place (A Case Study: Yazd, Iran)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Planning, Yazd University, Iran

2 PhD Student of Geography and Urban Planning, Yazd University, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Understanding physical elements, tangible characteristics of the environment, their meanings and messages is of importance in considering the relationship between man and environment. Based on what was mentioned, much attention should be given to the sense of place, the place attachment, and the visual comfort level within the study area when it comes to achieving the concepts and different aspects of sustainable visual comfort and sense of place. In light of this, concepts such as visual comfort and sense of place are of essential elements and components in urban spaces. There is a need to determine their two-way relationship according to the type and manner of looking and understanding the appearance and function of the elements of the urban structure and the magnitude of the effects of each constructive component in the creation and construction of each other. Given the importance of this issue, great emphasis should be placed on it from the perspective of environmental psychology in architecture. For this purpose, after evaluating the indicators of visual comfort and sense of place, this research attempted to identify the level of relationship between the variables of visual comfort, including the effects of color and light, facade and architecture, etc., and the variables of sense of place, including security, readability, sense of belonging, etc. in Yazd. On this basis, the study seeks to answer the following two questions: What is the status Yazd in the indicators of visual comfort and sense of place? What is the relationship between visual comfort and the sense of place?
Methodology
This study is an applied research, and it is a descriptive and survey study in terms of method and nature. The methods of data collection were surveys, observations, and document analysis. A simple random sampling method was used to obtain a representative sample of the study area.
Results and discussion
To measure and evaluate the indicators of visual comfort and their relation with the sense of place in Yazd city, we used the ranking technique of MAPPAC and the Correlation Coefficient of phi and Cramer's V. According to the results, the respondents pointed out that factors such as the architectural quality of buildings in the first place, and then lighting quality, the quality of the facade of buildings, the color, the quality of pavements, the extensions of the buildings and finally the vegetation are the most significant factor affecting the visual comfort of people. This ranking reflects the unique tourism features of Yazd, extraordinary architectures, wind towers, minarets, domes, and old brick buildings. Moreover, the tissue and the specific architecture make the city one of the most prominent examples of architecture in a warm and dry climate in the world. The other features of this city are its suitability to the needs and climate-cultural conditions of people, besides the special beauty of its architecture.
In the center of each neighborhood, there are usually baths, bazaars, water reservoirs, mosques, Hussainias, lards, small workshops, waterways (to access the Qantas), many of which are still alive. Meanwhile, the city is grappling with shortages of green spaces and water scarcity due to its location in a dry desert area. Furthermore, sense of place, social security, existence of public spaces, social interactions, readability, quality of urban furniture, the safety of physical elements, respectively, are the most important factors affecting the sense of place. Therefore, it can be concluded that Yazd has preserved the culture and many of its traditional elements to this day. As a result, it consists of the paradox of tradition and modernity.
 According to the Correlation Coefficient of Phi and Cramer's V, it was revealed that there is a significant relationship between visual comfort variables and the variables of sense of belonging in Yazd (at 95% level). Therefore, it can be suggested that the more visual comfort variables, the more the sense of place is affected and vice versa.
Conclusion
According to the previous studies and the findings of the current study, the results showed some facts about the issue. In the surveys, 400 people were questioned, each of which had responses according to their different condition. According to the technique of MAPPAC, interviewees suggested that the indicator of the architectural quality of buildings has the most weight, it is the most influential factor affecting the visual comfort of people while the index of vegetation because of its relative lowest weight is considered as the least influential factor. Furthermore, the higher weight of social security has made it as the primary factor affecting the sense of place while the lowest weight of the safety of the physical elements has made it as the least significant factor affecting people's sense of place attachment.  
In the Correlation Coefficient of Phi and Cramer's V, it emerged that there is a relation between visual comfort and sense of place due to a correlation between their constructive components. The intensity of this relationship can be determined by identifying the extent of the relation between the constructive components of visual comfort, including the effects of color and light, facade and the architecture of the buildings and etc. and the elements of sense of place, including security, readability, sense of belonging.
However, the amount of this correlation and its intensity vary from one variable to another, and there is no complete correlation (a correlation coefficient equal to one) between the two variables. Also, among the constructive elements of the two former concepts, the variables of suitable urban furniture, architectural quality, and urban building facades had the most relationships with visual comfort and sense of place concepts in Yazd city.

Keywords

References

  1. Capeluto, G., 2003, The Influence of the Urban Environment on the Availability of Daylighting, Building and Environment, Vol. 38, No. 5, PP. 745-752.
  2. Castillo-Martinez A., and Medina-Merodio J. A., 2018, Evaluation and Improvement of Lighting Efficiency in Working Spaces, Sustainability, Vol. 10, PP. 1-16.
  3. Cross, J. E., 2001, What Is Sense of Place, Archives of the Twelfth Headwaters, PP. 2-14.
  4. Giovannini, L., Goia, F., Lo Verso, V., and Serra, V., 2018, A Comparative Analysis of the Visual Comfort Performance Between a PCM Glazing and a Conventional Selective Double Glazed Unit, Sustainability, PP. 1-20.
  5. Iommi, M., 2019, Daylighting Performances and Visual Comfort in Le Corbusier's Architecture: the Daylighting Analysis of Seven Unrealized Residential Buildings, Building and Environment, Vol. 184, PP. 242-263.
  6. Jackson, J. B., 1994, A Sense of Place, A Sense of Time, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, PP. 1-224.
  7. Manzo, L., and Wright, P., (2017), Place Attachment Advances In Theory, Methods and Applicatipns, Translate By: Hasan Sajadzadeh and Behnam Ghasemzsadeh, Hamedan: Bu-Ali University.
  8. Onder, S., 2006, Environmental Pollution and Solution Recommendations for Konya City, Turkey, Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol. 6, No. 4, PP. 864-871.
  9. Ramirez, L., and Hamza, N., 2018, Is the Study of Thermal and Visual Comfort Enough? (Case Study: Two Schools of the National Program of School Building in the Dominican Republic), Plea Hong Kong Smart and Healthy Within the 2-­Degree Limit, PP. 1-6.

10. Relph, E., 2008, Disclosing the Ontological Depth of Place: Heidegger’s Topology by Jeff Maples, Environmental and Architectural Phenomenology Newsletter, Vol. 19, No. 1, PP. 5-8.

11. Van Putten, I. E., Plagnyi, V. E., Booth, K., Cvitanovic, Ch., Kelly, R., Punt, A. E., and Richards, Sh. A., 2018, A Framework for Incorporating Sense of Place Into the Management of Marine Systems, Ecology and Society, Vol. 23, No. 4, PP. 1-13.

12. Yong Suk, J., 2019, Luminance and Vertical Eye Illuminance Thresholds for Occupants’ Visual Comfort in Daylit Office Environments, Building and Environment, Vol. 148, PP. 107-115.

13. Zomorodian, Z. S., and Tahsildoost, M., 2019, Assessing the Effectiveness of Dynamic Metrics in Predicting Daylight Availability and Visual Comfort in Classrooms, Renewable Energy, Vol. 134, PP. 669-680. (In Persian)

14. Bani Bashar, M., and Hanayi, T., 2018, Analysis of the Role of Lighting on Visual Comfort Components in Urban Space (Case Study: Mashhad Arg Street), Civil, Architectural and Urban Development Conference of Islamic World Countries, Tabriz, Tabriz University, Shahid Madani University, Azarbayjan University Applied Science of Tabriz Municipality, PP. 1-12. (In Persian)

15. Bell, S., 2016, Landscape: Pattern, Perception and Process, Translation by Dr. Behnaz Aminzadeh, Fourth Edition, Tehran University Press. (In Persian)

16. Center for Statistics of Iran, 2017, General Census of Infiltration and Housing, Yazd City. (In Persian)

17. Danesh Payeh, N., and Habib, F., 2018, Main Criteria of Sense of Place in Urban New Development Areas (Case Study: Tehran Municipality of District 4 and 22), Urban Studies Quarterly, No. 25, PP. 17-30. (In Persian)

18. Daveran, I., Khodaei, D., Gholami, S. and Daneshdost, M., 2012, Measurement of Visual Comfort Components in Urban Landscape (With Emphasis on Hosieyniyeh Neighbourhood of Azam Zanjan), Journal of Geography and Environmental Studies, Vol. 1, No. 3, PP. 45-60. (In Persian)

19. Falahat, M. S., Kamali, L., and Shahidi, S., 2017, the Role of the Concept of the Sense of Place in Improving the Quality of Architectural Protection, Journal of Report, Vol. 14, No. 46, PP. 15-22. (In Persian)

20. Falahat, M. S., and Noohi, S., 2012, the Nature of Signs and Its Role in Promoting the Sense of Architectural Space, Journal of Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Development, Vol. 17, No. 1, PP. 17-25. (In Persian)

21. Fallah, H. R., and Rahman Setayesh, A. R., 2018, Investigating the Effective Factors on the Sense of Place in the Improvement of Historical Neighborhoods (Case Study: Black Stone Neighborhood of Shiraz), Quarterly Report, No. 95, PP. 62-67. (In Persian)

22. Gheyasi, H., and Sarafi Gahar, I., 2017, Explaining the Theoretical Model for Improving the Sense of Place in Architecture and City Design, Urban Management Quarterly, No. 45, PP. 147-170. (In Persian)

23. Haghighatbin, M., 2017, the Place of Signs in Strengthening the Sense of Place in Iranian Garden, Landscape Quarterly, No. 40, PP. 6-15. (In Persian)

24. Mir Gholami, M., and Eisham, M., 2016, The Conceptual Model of Sense of Place Assessment Based on the Physical, Perceptual, Functional, and Social Components (Case Study: Urmia Imam Street), Urban Studies Quarterly, No. 19, PP. 69-80. (In Persian)

25. Moein, M., 2014, Persian Folly Culture, Vol. 6, Tehran: Amir Kabir Publishing. (In Persian)

26. Mohseni, S., and Shahraki, J., 2015, Application of Gray Fuzzy Planning in Water Resources Allocation in Yazd City, Agricultural Economics Research, Vol. 7, No. 3, PP. 73-90. (In Persian)

27. Molaei, A. R., Sanayei, A., and Ansari A., 2018, Identification and Measurement of Key Drivers in Determining the Sense of Tourism Destinations (Case Study: Isfahan City), Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, No. 26, PP. 52-67. (In Persian)

28. Mozafari, M., 2013, On the Path to Calm: What Is Tranquility and Comfort, Date of Insertion: 2013/8/20. (In Persian)

29. Rezaei, M. R., and Hajforoush, Sh. A., 2018, Evaluating the Amount of Satisfaction from Historical Context Recreating Projects of Cities with the Approach of Local Communities Case Study: Kavir Hamsayegi Complex in the Yazd City, Iranian Journal of Geographical Researches, Vol. 33, No. 2, PP. 40-55. (In Persian)

30. Sadeghloo, T., and Johari, L., 2017, Measurement of Visual Comfort Components in Improving City Environment Quality Using the Vickor Technique (Case Study: Mashhad Metropolis), Journal of Human Geography Research, Vol. 49, No. 1, PP. 167-183. (In Persian)

31. Saeidi, A., 2018, Scientific Criticism and "Critique" Structural-Functional Scale, Geography (Journal of Research and International Geographical Society of Iran), New Period, Vol. 16, No. 59, PP. 1-20. (In Persian)

32. Sheibani, M., and Pour Soleiman Amiri, Z., 2018, The Role of Natural Environment in Creating Sense of Place in Urban Housing, Research Center for Art and Urban Development., Vol. 9, No. 41, PP. 46-59. (In Persian)

33. The Second Detailed Plan of Yazd City, 2017, Yazd Municipality. (In Persian)

34. Zanganeh, Y., Hosseinabadi, S., Roshandel, T., and Nabipour, R., 2015, The Impact of Place Ownedness and Social Capital on Participatory Improvement of Old Neighborhoods (Case Study of Sabsevar Sardeh Neighborhood), Journal of Urban Planning and Research, Vol. 5, No. 19, PP. 111-128. (In Persian)

Geographical Urban Planning Research (GUPR)
Volume 7, Issue 3
October 2019
Pages 533-552

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics