With the translation of Kevin Lynch’s book, the “Image of the City”, new literature was added to Iranian architecture and urban planning. In this book, Image, the picture (or perception) of the city was translated to “Sima” regardless of its linguistic roots. With the introduction of the LANDSCAPE architecture discipline, a new theoretical framework was added to the architecture and urban planning literature. Later, “Chesm Andaz” was also used by some experts as an equivalent for the term “LANDSCAPE”. The use of these three words interchangeably has caused confusion in the translation of the concept of LANDSCAPE or narrowed down its real meanings. This comparative study drew upon the European Commission’s definition of LANDSCAPE to examine the extent to which vocabulary can convey the meaning of LANDSCAPE in Persian. This study employed library research and lexicographical analysis. The two basic components of the LANDSCAPE are dependence on the external place and the importance of the human mind and perception in his interactions with the environment. Nazar, in the language of Iranian thinkers, is a dynamic tool used for raising new awareness based on the perception of sensations, and “Manzar” is the name of the place in which this phenomenon occurs. Compared to “Sima, ” and “Chesm Andaz”, “Manzar” conveys a more complete sensory perception, and especially compared to “Chesm Andaz”, perception is distant and does not necessarily have a positive attribute. “Manzar” and “Sima” are not synonymous and interchangeable in terms of meaning. “Sima”, in the late meaning, is focused on form and does not express the subjectivity behind the form, therefore it can be considered a LANDSCAPE form. The observer’s continuous conflict with the form of “Manazar” and is accompanied by its memories implies him from the image to the LANDSCAPE. Compared to the stability of “Sima” and “Chem Andaz”, the level of the “Manzar” is more compatible with the dynamics of the LANDSCAPE.

The desert areas of the playas are important due to the diversity of geomorphological landforms and the great potential for geo-tourism development. These areas can be provided using statistical and quantitative models to determine the areas with a higher geomorphological diversity value to land planners for the sustainable development. This research was conducted to evaluate the geomorphodiversity in Mesileh playas in Namak Lake and Hoz-e- Sultan region. The geomorphological landforms in this area were extracted using satellite images and field studies, Fragstats software and the eight quantitative indicators of the LANDSCAPE metrics include Patch Richness Density, Relative Patch Richness, Simpsons Evenness Index, Index Shannon Evenness, Shannons Diversity Index, Simpson's Diversity Index, Modified Simpson's Diversity Index, Modified Sahanon Evenness Index were exerted to evaluate the richness of geomorphological units in Masileh playas. The results indicate that the geomorphological units of alluvial fans, salt flats, salt mud flats and dunes, respectively, have the highest value among the LANDSCAPE metrics. In addition, from the point of view of the LANDSCAPE metrics, the northwest regions of Kashan and Abuzeydabad have the most incredible variety of geomorphology. This research showed that geomorphological units could be used as a suitable indicator in evaluating the diversity of the LANDSCAPE, especially in flat areas with morphometric and geological diversity.

Space syntax theory proposes a quantitative and tangible method to recognize and analyze the space configuration and structure. Although it is not a new technique, it is still applied and evolved. In this regard, the current study sought to solve some of the structural and conceptual limitations and deficiencies of the space syntax by providing a novel method through recognizing the LANDSCAPE aspects. Then, the novel term definition, “LANDSCAPE Syntax”, can be obtained using the achievements of this method. This research seeks to answer the question that How different will the indicators and assessment method be if we use LANDSCAPE syntax instead of space syntax? This study aims to reconcile the definition of LANDSCAPE with space and syntactic patterns of space, seeks to enable a specific syntactic pattern of LANDSCAPE to understand the syntax of the LANDSCAPE. The current basic research is qualitative in nature and applied in terms of purpose. The research process is a mixture of content analysis (descriptive, analytical, and deductive explanation). The space syntax concepts are classified using the content analysis method and are corresponded to the LANDSCAPE concepts. According to the results of this study, the LANDSCAPE has neglected aspects in space syntax concepts. (Some of the LANDSCAPE aspects has been neglected in space syntax. )The main part of the new concepts of the LANDSCAPE approach that are not in the syntactic system is the semantic factors, especially interpretive-subjective factors. These factors have value indices that must be inserted into the syntactic simple graph calculations. To this end, a network of the new LANDSCAPE approach indices is put on the syntactic network to determine the valuable points. The newly developed method is the LANDSCAPE syntax network. The graph obtained from the LANDSCAPE syntax is a weighted graph, which is weighted through the value of the LANDSCAPE approach indices. LANDSCAPE syntax is developed by adding the new aspects of the LANDSCAPE approach, which is an upgraded and developed version of the previous versions.

Current metropolitan buildings consider windows solely as sources of natural light and rarely provide for favorable views. This paper investigates the favorableness of window view towards the sky. To this end, a literature survey including both cultural and evolutionary approaches indicates that sky is a favorable view per se. A sample of working adults was then selected for survey. Their preference for diverse views was recorded. The results show that view from a window towards the sky is significantly preferred to views to the cityscape and its built elements. After view towards the sky, vistas including the city silhouette as well as the sky are favored. The worst preferred views are those that look at built elements at a close distance.

Land cover/use change induced by human activities, ignoring environmental constrains caused LANDSCAPE degradation. The continuous land use change has also severe impacts on natural ecosystems. Therefore, in consideration with the negative effects of unsuitable use of land and land use change, knowledge and understanding about the changes is essential in environmental impact assessment for sustainable planning and land management .This study is for investigating the trends of changes in the LANDSCAPE, in Neka Watershed. In order to provide land cover maps the satellite images of MSS 1972, TM 1992, ETM+2001 were applied and LANDSCAPE metrics of class area, largest patch index, number and mean patch size were used to quantify LANDSCAPE patterns. The analysis of LANDSCAPE metrics revealed that the extensive replacement of agricultural lands and forests with rangelands and the results verified that increased patch number and decreased mean patch area were two important fragmentation indicators and the trend of degradation and fragmentation of the LANDSCAPE was increasing. Therefore the results necessitated paying attention to the quality of land use and cover in the region for decreasing the natural resources degradation.

The problems of rapid civilizations, ignorance of urban open spaces & urban sprawls especially in Europe and North American cities, cause the new approach "LANDSCAPE Urbanism" in recent decades. Besides, interaction and overlaps between LANDSCAPE architecture and urban design and ignorance of them to the LANDSCAPE and open space as a main infrastructure of the city has been increased the need for this approach. In the traditional approaches, architecture always considered as a main element of city building. However, with the growing importance of LANDSCAPE urbanism, this emphasize as been changed.The main goal of this article is to understand LANDSCAPE urbanism as a new approach emergent according to the interaction of LANDSCAPE architecture and urban design. The result of this article shows that LANDSCAPE urbanism as a new trend owns its fundamentals and goals from LANDSCAPE architecture and urban design. This approach has an interdisciplinary nature. In this trend, LANDSCAPE and open space as main elements of the city building are the core emphasizes. The survey of academic conditions shows that a few universities establish independent educational programs of LANDSCAPE urbanism. Teaching the courses of this discipline is done in the middle of the related programs syllabuses.

This research attempts to determine those LANDSCAPEs and LANDSCAPE properties, which stimulate place attachment. To this end, a series of unstructured interviews were held with some 160 respondents from Shiraz and Tehran. There was an even distribution in terms of gender, age, and education in the sample. In these interviews, open questions were asked on:Type of LANDSCAPEs in which the respondent feels internal ecstasy;Examples of LANDSCAPEs the respondent feels them to be sublime;Types of LANDSCAPE which are fit for certain functions or feelings such as contemplation, privacy, reclusiveness;Example of LANDSCAPEs favored by the respondent;Degree of predilection for Modern parks and/or Persian gardens;Type of house preferred by the respondent; and LANDSCAPE elements that carry symbolic meanings. Answers to these questions were recorded and subsequently coded for statistical analysis. In conclusion, factors which cause the respondents to like or dislike a certain LANDSCAPE were classified in functional, aesthetic experimental; and environmental categories.

The ‘ water stream’ is a symbol of life in the Persian cities. The ‘ water distribution system’ in the traditional cities of Iran is the main infrastructure that is required for surviving and constructing residential houses in an urban organization. In cities with no flowing river, the initiating point of the city is dependent on water, which either boils in form of a natural spring or representing a man-made aqueduct. If consistent with an urban topography, this point will establish the urban center and the city will subsequently develop along with the path of water streams that are expanding from this point. In each of these conditions, the urban spaces were being formed along the waterways and the residential houses were built on either side of them. The water streams in addition to supplying water for the gardens and agriculture fields located inside and around the city was constituting the system of water supply for the inhabitants, that was providing the traditional water reservoirs (Ab-Anbar) for the house buildings. The water dividing and diffusing points were being considered as the focal points of the neighborhoods, which traditionally were built along an ancient tree, a mosque, and a tomb, creating together the major points of a traditional LANDSCAPE in the Iranian city. The water stream was also a place for children`s playing. A safe, dynamic, natural, fresh, and appropriate LANDSCAPE of human nature; it was of the best attraction place for children and a community for elderlies to make their social life. Water, as an active element and the source of biological life, was used to be a symbol of passion and community [in Persian land], due to its important role in people› s lives. The water streams of Tehran city are being considered as the capillaries of the urban historical-natural LANDSCAPE, which were alive in the past, with more than five hundred aqueducts, of which only about ten percent have remained today. The urban gradient of Tehran, which is positioned in the slopes of the Alborz Mount., making the abundant supply of the plain undergrounds aquifers flow, arising from Alborz, in numerous water streams, which gives the city of Tehran an exemplary and unique position compared to other cities in the world. The steep slope of ‘ Tehran Plain’ increases the speed of the water flow, generates the sound of water, and the water foam in the margins of its sidewalls that enhance the capacity of people’ s memory and their perception of the city. Artist ‘ Khosrow Khorshidi’ , a prominent Iranian designer, has painted a picture of Valiasr Street in his memoirs of old Tehran city in 1320 SH (1941), in which children, similar to miniature pond fishes, were playing in the water stream under the rows of plane trees. Today, this urban environment has turned into a concrete and solid paved path, due to the inadvertence of the urban management, which is an inappropriate place dedicated for the urban rats and for trashes thrown away by passers-by. One of the most important constituting factors preserve the historical and natural LANDSCAPE is the continuation of their position on their People`s mind, which, if lost, their objective and physical remaining will be consequently destroyed as well; This is the disaster that awaits the trees of Valiasr Street; If now the trees are getting dried, the first reason is due to the removal of water flow and cutting off the natural watering of the trees, and the second is due to the construction of tall buildings that prevent wind blowing to the crowns of the available trees. To save (the trees of) Valiasr Street its global registration would not be helpful; rather, the ‘ Salvation’ will be achieved by reviving its LANDSCAPE.