Journal of Iranian Architecture & Urbanism(JIAU)

Abstract Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: The first condition for perceiving vision and space is light. Therefore, in the art of architecture, light is one of the essential components presented alongside other elements such as structure, order, materials, and color. Moreover, light is a fundamental element of architecture and environmental design, and urban lighting has significant potential to enhance the efficiency and well-being of people. In addition, it can contribute to the redesign of urban spaces, environmental architecture, and the urban landscape while providing beauty and security at night. Considering the importance of lighting in urban spaces and buildings, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of lighting techniques used for historical buildings in Tabriz on the quality of the urban landscape. Historical monuments are of great importance in cities because of their unique character and cultural identity. Therefore, appropriate lighting methods and techniques, as a complement to historical spaces and monuments, can be influential factors in strengthening identity and the sense of place. Furthermore, improving the quality of urban spaces through lighting increases the presence of citizens and, consequently, enhances the vitality and dynamism of the space. Accordingly, the present study, while examining lighting techniques applied to historical monuments in Tabriz, seeks to answer the following question: What effect do lighting techniques for historical monuments in Tabriz have on the quality of the urban landscape?

Methods: The research method adopted in the present study is a mixed-method (qualitative–quantitative) approach with an analytical–interpretive orientation. In the first stage, a qualitative content analysis was conducted to examine the lighting of historical monuments in Tabriz and compare it with successful international examples through documentary studies and field observations. Content analysis is a qualitative research method that focuses on identifying, analyzing, and interpreting patterns of meaning within qualitative data. In this method, the concept of content or theme serves as the central analytical element. Moreover, content represents the most meaningful unit of analysis and refers to the specific meaning derived from a phenomenon, word, sentence, or paragraph. The historical monuments examined in Tabriz include the Blue Mosque, Saheb-al-Amr Mosque, Arg-e Alishah, and Saat Square. These sites were selected because they represent different categories of historical buildings (religious, governmental, and service-related), have comparable successful international counterparts, and already possess completed lighting designs. To evaluate the effectiveness of historical monument lighting patterns on urban landscape quality—including enhancing beauty and visual appeal, organizing the visual environment, strengthening urban identity and image, and improving readability and landmark recognition—a quantitative approach employing the logarithmic regression coefficient was used. Data were collected from managers, officials, and architectural experts because of their professional knowledge in lighting and urban landscape design. Since the size of the statistical population was unknown, the Cohen method was applied at a 95% confidence level to determine the sample size. Accordingly, 90 participants were selected using the snowball sampling technique.

Findings: The findings indicate that the lighting of historical buildings in Tabriz, implemented in recent years using various techniques such as uplighting, surface lighting, and direct lighting, has enhanced environmental quality and the visual perception of these buildings. Furthermore, the lighting has contributed to increasing beauty and visual appeal, improving legibility and landmark recognition, organizing the visual environment, and creating a positive urban identity and image. Therefore, the use of diverse and integrated lighting techniques not only highlights the architectural details and distinctive features of historical buildings but also improves the overall quality of the urban landscape.

Conclusion: Urban landscape lighting is a comprehensive system that integrates the illumination of streets, buildings, urban furniture, traffic signals, and digital display screens. In addition to supporting urban activities and functions during nighttime, it plays a significant role in enhancing security, comfort, and the visual attractiveness of urban environments. Among the key responsibilities of urban designers and architects is the effective lighting of historical monuments, which represent the cultural identity, heritage, and symbolic landmarks of a city. The results of this study indicate that the lighting of historical monuments in Tabriz is in a relatively favorable condition. It has contributed not only to improving nightlife, security, and visual quality but also to enhancing beauty and visual appeal, increasing readability and landmark recognition, organizing the visual environment, and strengthening a positive urban identity and image. However, the findings also reveal that some buildings are illuminated using uniform lighting principles regardless of their architectural characteristics, and that users’ preferences have not been sufficiently considered in the lighting design process.
Accordingly, the following recommendations are proposed to achieve more effective lighting patterns for the historical buildings of Tabriz:
- Evaluation: Assess the existing lighting conditions by analyzing visual characteristics such as brightness, contrast, and shadow.
- Research: Review the historical background of each site and establish a timeline of architectural changes, social contexts, and previous lighting interventions.
- Classification: Classify monuments according to their architectural and functional characteristics and apply appropriate combinations of lighting techniques (e.g., uplighting, downlighting, surface lighting, and spotlighting).
- Technical considerations: Select suitable lighting sources with emphasis on aesthetic quality, energy efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

Abstract Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: The formation of the urban landscape, as a reflection of a city’s culture and identity, involves both objective and subjective dimensions. In recent years, urban planning in Iran has encountered difficulties in managing the urban landscape. The failure to implement urban projects effectively highlights the absence of control and visual guidance regulations, which serve as tools for urban policies, thereby complicating efforts to address urban landscape issues. Comprehensive research has not yet focused on identifying and ranking the semantic-identity challenges of Iran’s urban landscape. Although numerous studies have explored urban landscapes, a comprehensive approach to categorizing, prioritizing, and addressing these challenges has been largely overlooked, forming the basis for this research. The overall goal of this study was to identify and rank the challenges of Iran’s urban landscape based on expert opinions.
Methods: This research adopted a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative components, to thoroughly identify and prioritize the semantic-identity challenges of the urban landscape in Iran. A comprehensive and focused search was conducted across domestic and international databases, as well as reputable publications in landscape architecture, using relevant keywords such as “landscape,” “urban landscape,” “urban image” (visual aspect of landscape), and “historical and contemporary landscape.” A total of 256 articles were collected, and more than 40 domestic and international studies from the past decade were carefully selected for further analysis. Content analysis of these studies was performed to extract the semantic-identity challenges facing Iran’s urban landscape. The identified challenges were categorized using the “Trilogy Analysis model” for a more structured approach. In the third step, expert opinions were gathered by asking a sample group of professionals in fields related to urban landscape (urban planning, architecture, and landscape) to rank the challenges within each category. For ranking, the one-sample t-test and Friedman test were applied using SPSS 24 software. A total of 240 questionnaires were distributed online to experts using the snowball technique, and 118 were completed within seven days.
Findings: “Structural challenges” in the urban landscape primarily relate to urban governance and decision-making processes. These challenges include issues such as the failure to convert urban landscape development plans into actionable outcomes. A major contributing factor to this problem is the inefficiency of regulatory systems. In Iran’s urban planning system, the monitoring and evaluation aspects are often overlooked. Specifically, there are no proper criteria for visual control of the urban landscape, or they are neglected. Additionally, the lack of adjustment in protection programs for historical cities has resulted in significant changes in recent urban developments. In addressing the challenges in the “content and behavioral” sector, attention was also given to the behavior of urban landscape professionals and the general public. Limited public participation in Iran’s urban planning system has long been an issue. The absence of public involvement in the design phase leads to a neglect of the visual and perceptual aspects of the city in the minds of citizens, as well as the cognitive and semantic dimensions of projects. As a result, many urban landscapes fail to establish meaningful connections with users, contributing to a sense of placelessness and lack of identity in cities. Furthermore, a significant challenge in the urban planning system is the absence of a common language between the academic community, professionals, and urban managers, leading to ineffective communication between these groups.
The findings showed no significant differences between the averages. However, based on expert opinions and the one-sample t-test, the three contextual challenges with the highest averages were:
1. Crisis and chaos in the landscape of contemporary cities.
2. Transformation of the cityscape and the loss of balance in the city’s appearance.
3. The disconnection between the historical and contemporary landscapes in cities.
In the category of “structural challenges,” inefficient oversight systems and the lack of evaluation and assessment in implemented plans are identified as the most critical issues. Challenges related to the behavior of professionals and citizens in the urban landscape fall under the content (behavioral) branch. Among these, the disregard for the concept of meaning is a key factor contributing to the phenomenon of placelessness in cities. This issue highlights the need for urban management to focus on the perceptual and visual aspects of citizens, which can be addressed through active public participation in creating the landscape.
Conclusion: This research, which specifically addresses the challenges within a particular area of the urban planning system, will be more effective in resolving issues in this field and can more purposefully determine the path of future actions in the urban landscape. Despite the abundance of studies focused on the urban landscape, a comprehensive examination of the semantic-identity challenges of the urban landscape, addressing both the objective and subjective aspects, has not been sufficiently explored. The findings of this research can be valuable and the results indicate that the three-part classification of 1) content (behavioral) challenges, 2) structural challenges, and 3) contextual challenges ranked in order of importance from first to third. To tackle the issues and challenges of the urban landscape, priority should be given to addressing “behavioral challenges.” Conversely, contextual challenges, such as the lack of sufficient knowledge in the landscape field or the adaptation of global guidelines to local ones, rank last in importance.