Investigating The Effect of Movement Direction on the Perceived Visual Quality of Bidirectional Perspectives in Urban Passageways: A Case Study of the Ab-Anbar-e No Neighborhood Passage in Sari.
Urban landscape perception emerges from the interaction between the physical characteristics of the built environment and the observer’s experience of movement. Although Gordon Cullen’s theory of Serial Vision emphasizes the fundamental role of movement in shaping landscape perception, most previous studies have assessed the visual quality of urban passageways without considering the influence of movement direction. This study investigates the effect of movement direction on the perception of urban landscape quality, using the historic Ab-Anbar-e No Passage in Sari, Iran, as a case study.
This applied research adopts a descriptive–analytical methodology based on a mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach. Sequential perspectives of the passage were first documented in both forward and reverse directions through field surveys and photographic recording. The photographs were subsequently transformed into line sketches to facilitate visual analysis. A questionnaire was then developed based on three perceptual dimensions—sequence, complexity, and mystery—and administered to 50 residents of the neighborhood. The collected data were analyzed using the paired-samples t-test in SPSS.
The results revealed statistically significant differences in the perceived visual quality of the forward and reverse perspectives across all three dimensions, with the reverse direction consistently receiving higher evaluation scores. Furthermore, qualitative analysis indicated that variations in the sequence of spatial revelation, degree of enclosure, spatial rhythm, façade diversity, and the gradual discoverability of the urban landscape were the principal factors underlying these perceptual differences.
The findings suggest that urban landscape perception is highly sensitive to movement direction, and that changes in the sequence of visual perspectives can substantially influence citizens’ visual experience. Accordingly, movement direction should be recognized as an important consideration in the analysis, evaluation, and design of urban landscapes.