Scientific Quarterly Journal

Urban Landscape Reading Approaches: A Systematic Review of Conceptual Model Development

Volume 17, Issue 72
Autumn 2025
Pages 28-39

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
The urban landscape, as a multidimensional (holographic) phenomenon, emerges from the simultaneous interaction of the city’s physical form and the observer’s (citizen’s) perception. Professional reading of the landscape relies on landscape knowledge and requires a holistic understanding of the city. This study systematically reviews various approaches to reading the urban landscape, analyzing them along a spectrum from reductionist to holistic. Reductionist approaches focus on the detailed examination of urban components and either the objective or subjective space features. In contrast, comprehensive approaches integrate both objective and subjective dimensions to achieve an integrated understanding of the urban environment. Holistic approaches, however, perceive the urban landscape as a unified entity shaped by human spatial perception. The aim of this study is to investigate different approaches to reading urban landscapes through a systematic process of searching, selecting, analyzing, and evaluating scholarly sources. This study employed a qualitative methodology to identify relevant sources from reputable national and international academic databases. The approaches toward key concepts and models of urban landscape reading were categorized and evaluated through content analysis. Findings reveal that the evolution of urban landscape reading approaches is closely linked to the advancement of landscape knowledge. Holistic approaches, particularly those employing integrated methodologies, provide the most comprehensive frameworks for studying the urban landscape. Furthermore, the interrelation of these approaches highlights the necessity of multidimensional analysis. Ultimately, reading the urban landscape as a multilayered process requires the application of precise scientific models and tools. Integrating various methods within a systemic and holistic framework contributes to a meaningful and enduring understanding aligned with the city’s identity, essential for effective planning, management, and place-based urban interventions.

Keywords

Subjects
Adelvand, P., Mousavilar, A., & Mansouri, S. (2016). “Urban art” as a landscape phenomenon in today’s society. Bagh-e Nazar, 13(39), 39–44. https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_14940.html 
Alexander, C. (1977). A pattern language: Towns, buildings, construction. Oxford University Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Pattern_Language.html?id=hwAHmktpk5IC
Antrop, M., & Van Eetvelde, V. (2017). Landscape perspectives: The holistic nature of landscape. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1183-6 
Atashinbar, M., Mansouri, S., & Sheibani, M. (2013). Order: The main element in the scientific analysis of avenue landscape. Bagh-e Nazar, 9(23), 93–102. https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_2459.html 
Bacon, E. (1976). Design of cities (Rev. ed.). Penguin Books.
Bahrami Hamedani, S., & Taghvaei, S. H. (2021). Landscape assessment framework for historic boulevards based on the FVFL model in line with the HUL concept: The case study of Tagh-e Bostan (Shahid Shiroudi) Boulevard, Kermanshah. Soffeh, 31(2), 83–110. https://doi.org/10.52547/sofeh.31.2.83 
Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies (A. Lavers, Trans.). Hill and Wang. (Original work published 1957)
Bell, S. (2012). Elements of visual design in the landscape (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Berque, A. (1995). Les raisons du paysage: De la Chine antique aux environnements de synthèse [The reasons for the landscape: From ancient China to synthetic environments]. Hazan.
Berque, A. (2013). Thinking through landscape. Routledge.
Brenner, N. (2009). What is critical urban theory? City, 13(2–3), 198–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13604810902996466 
Canter, D. (1977). The psychology of place. Architectural Press.
Carmona, M. (2009). The public realm: Exploring the city’s quintessential social territory. Journal of Urban Design, 14(2), 199–212.
Carmona, M. (2019). Principles for public space design, planning to do better. Urban design international, 24(1), 47-59. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41289-018-0070-3 
Collado Capilla, V., & Gómez-Pardo Gabaldón, S. (2018). Urban landscape assessment. In 24th ISUF International Conference. Book of Papers (pp. 1501-1511). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/ISUF2017.2017.6020 
Corner, J. (1999). The agency of mapping: Speculation, critique and invention. In M. Dodge, R. Kitchin, & C. Perkins (Eds.), The map reader: Theories of mapping practice and cartographic representation (Chapter 12). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470979587.ch12 
Cronon, W. (1992). Nature’s metropolis: Chicago and the great West. W. W. Norton & Company. https://books.google.com/books/about/Nature_s_Metropolis_Chicago_and_the_Grea.html?id=7OCQAwAAQBAJ 
Cullen, G. (1961). The concise townscape. Architectural Press. https://books.google.de/books/about/The_Concise_Townscape.html?id=UoUJFju-10AC&redir_esc=y 
de Certeau, M. (1984). The practice of everyday life (S. Rendall, Trans.). University of California Press. (Original work published 1980)
Derrida, J. (1993). Memoirs of the blind: The self-portrait and other ruins (P.-A. Brault & M. Naas, Trans.). University of Chicago Press. (Original work published 1980)
Dorn de Oliveira, T., Ragasson, M. M., Franken, N. K., Johann, D. M. W., Soares das Chagas, D. H., de Andrade, B. F., Zulato, F. V. G., & da Silva, Á. R. F. (2023). Image, reading and public policies for cities: The right to the city and Gordon Cullen’s concept of urban landscape in Ijuí/RS. Concilium, 23(11), 384–397. https://doi.org/10.53660/CLM-1412-23H01 
Faizi, M., & Asadpour, A. (2013). Residence perception of urban high-rise buildings’ scape, case study: Shiraz Chamran Hotel. Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies, 2(3), 107–121. https://jias.kashanu.ac.ir/article_111712.html?lang=en 
Fakouhi, N. (2004). انسان‌شناسی شهری [Urban anthropology]. Nashr-e Ney. [in Persian]
Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for people. Island press.
Golkar, K. (2008). Conceptual evolution of urban visual environment; From cosmetic approach through to sustainable approach. Environmental Sciences, 5(4), 95-114. https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_96898.html?lang=en 
Hashemizadegan, S. A., Mansouri, S. A., & Barati, N. (2020). Proper understanding of landscape architecture precedents for knowledge production. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of Landscape, 12(51), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.22034/manzar.2020.226684.2060 
Heidari, F., & Behbahani, H. (2019). Archaeological landscape readings: Reconstructing perceptual and natural layers. Archaeological Research of Iran, 9(22), 7–26. https://doi.org/10.22084/nbsh.2019.17760.1853 
Heidegger, M. (1971). Poetry language thought. Harper and Row.
Heise, U. K. (2016). The environmental humanities and the futures of urban nature. New German Critique, 43(2), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.1215/0094033X-3511847
Hoseinzadeh, M., Atashinbar, M., & Alaee, P. (2021). A street landscape reading: Mashhad’s Bala and Paein Khiaban as entrances to Imam Reza’s Holy Shrine. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of Landscape, 13(57), 64–77. https://doi.org/10.22034/manzar.2021.286699.2130 
Jacobs, J. (1961). The death and life of great American cities. Random House.
Karimi Moshaver, M., Sajadzadeh, H., & Vahdat, S. (2016). Measurement of readings priority landscape of urban spaces from the standpoint of citizens (Case study: urban squares of the city of Hamadan). Bagh-e Nazar, 12(37), 3–14. https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_12918.html 
Karimi, M., Bemanian, M. R., Ansari, M., & Mansouri, S. A. (2023). Recognition of the components of the urban landscape visual system elements and values. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of Landscape, 15(62), 72–85. https://doi.org/10.22034/MANZAR.2022.306979.2156
Kasravi, R., & Hashemizadegan, S. A. (2023). A comparative study of Sima, Manzar, and Chesm Andaz as Persian equivalents of landscape in English. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of Landscape, 15(64), 54–59. https://doi.org/10.22034/manzar.2023.393131.2237 
Kostof, S. (1991). The city shaped: Urban patterns and meanings through history (Reprint ed.). Bulfinch Press.
Lassus, B. (1998). The landscape approach. University of Pennsylvania Press. https://books.google.de/books/about/The_Landscape_Approach.html?id=ZNJS3qr3FP0C&redir_esc=y 
Lavrenova, O. (2024). Urban landscape as a text: Methods of reading and interpreting. In F. Bellentani, M. Panico, & L. Yoka (Eds.), Semiotic approaches to urban space (pp. 81–96). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800887220.00011
Lazarevic, E. V., Kekovic, Z., & Antonic, B. M. (2017). In search of the principles of resilient urban design: Implementability of the principles in the case of the cities in Serbia. Energy and Buildings, 158, 1130–1138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.11.005
Lefebvre, H. (1991). The production of space. Blackwell.
Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. MIT Press. https://books.google.de/books/about/The_Image_of_the_City.html?hl=de&id=_phRPWsSpAgC&redir_esc=y 
Mansouri, S. (2005). An introduction to Landscape architecture identification. Bagh-e Nazar, 1(2), 69-78. https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_1489.html?lang=en 
Mansouri, S. A. (2010). چیستی منظر شهری [What is urban landscape?]. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape, 2(9), 30-33. https://www.manzar-sj.com/article_405.html?lang=fa [in Persian]
McHarg, I. L. (1969). Design with nature. Natural History Press.
Norberg-Schulz, C. (1980). Genius loci: Towards a phenomenology of architecture. Rizzoli.
Pallasmaa, J. (2005). The eyes of the skin: Architecture and the sense (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Popa, A., & Enache, C. (2019). Decoding the urban landscape. Postmodern Openings, 10(1), 272–279. https://doi.org/10.18662/po/66
Raaphorst, K., Duchhart, I., Van Der Knaap, W., Roeleveld, G., & Van Den Brink, A. (2017). The semiotics of landscape design communication: towards a critical visual research approach in landscape architecture. Landscape Research, 42(1), 120-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2016.1257706 
Raaphorst, K., Roeleveld, G., Duchhart, I., Van der Knaap, W., & Van den Brink, A. (2020). Reading landscape design representations as an interplay of validity, readability and interactivity: a framework for visual content analysis. Visual Communication, 19(2), 163-197. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470357218779103 
Relph, E. (1976). Place and placelessness. Pion.
Rose, G. (2012). Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials (3th ed.). Sage.
Sad Berenji, S., Ansari, M., Bemanian, M., & Hassani, M. (2021). Semiotics as a Framework for Reading and Writing Landscape. Bagh-e Nazar, 18(103), 65-74. https://doi.org/10.22034/bagh.2021.278517.4852 
Sojoudi, F. (2011). نشانه‌شناسی کاربردی [Practical semiotics]. Elm. [in Persian]
Spirn, A. W. (2008). The language of landscape (S. H. Bahraini & B. Aminzadeh, Trans.). University of Tehran. (Original work published 1998)
Valibeigi, M., & Inanloo, E. (2021). The Framework of Urban Landscape Reading from Walter Benjamin’s View. Journal of Urban Society’s Arts, 8(2), 124–130. https://journal.isi.ac.id/index.php/JOUSA/article/view/6086 
Van den Brink, A., Bruns, D., Tobi, H., & Bell, S. (2020). Research in landscape architecture: Methods and methodology (S. Hashemizadegan & R. Kasravi, Trans.). Nazar Research Center.  (Original work published 2016)
Wang, J., & Foley, K. (2021). Assessing the performance of urban open space for achieving sustainable and resilient cities: A pilot study of two urban parks in Dublin, Ireland. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 62, 127180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127180 
Wang, M. (2020). Linguistic semiotics. Springer.
Way, T., Oaks, D., Karmon, D., Buckley, J. M., & Cunningham, T. A. (2022). Rethinking the urban landscape. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 81(3), 268–298. https://doi.org/10.1525/jsah.2022.81.3.268 
Zandieh, M., & Goodarzian, S. (2014). Landscape approach, the success factor of urban tourism. Bagh-e Nazar, 11(30), 59–66. https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_6498.html 
Zekavat, K. (2006). چارچوب استراتژیک مدیریت بصری منظر شهری [Strategic framework for visual management of urban landscapes]. Journal of Urban Design Strategies, 10(4), 75–90.  https://sid.ir/paper/448892/fa [in Persian]
Zekavat, K. (2011). جایگاه سازمان فضایی در طراحی شهری [The position of spatial organization in urban design]. Safheh, (54), 105–118. https://sid.ir/paper/501080/fa [in Persian]