@article{article_1908348, title={A Statistical Method for Evaluating the Factors Influencing the Visual Quality of the Historical City Center of Edirne Province}, journal={Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi}, volume={27}, pages={1–15}, year={2026}, DOI={10.17474/artvinofd.1908348}, url={https://izlik.org/JA64ZF82BK}, author={Çay, Rukiye Duygu and Arabulan, Selin and Aşılıoğlu, Fatma}, keywords={Tarihi çevre koruma, Görsel peyzaj kalitesi, Çevresel algı, Sokak görünümü, Edirne}, abstract={<p>The visual impact of an area refers to how people perceive the environment, having positive or negative effects on environmental characteristics. An increase in visual quality positively impacts the aesthetics of the environment while improving the citizens’ quality of life and fostering tourism activities. This study aims to evaluate the factors affecting visual quality in the historic city center of Edirne, which possesses high cultural value and tourism potential. The study is based on a psychophysical model that measures the relationship between the physical characteristics of the landscape and the perceptual decisions of the users. During the data collection process, photographs taken from 38 strategic points representing the visual character of the area were utilized. These photographs were evaluated by 97 random participants selected through a simple random sampling method, which is critical for the reliability of the results. In the evaluation, 10 different parameters were used: landscape aesthetics and historical texture, cultural objects, elements disrupting the texture, color harmony, focal image, degree of naturalness, maintenance, complexity/order, sense of security, and excitement/mystery. In the analyses conducted via the SPSS software, the effect of the parameters was tested using regression analysis, while their relationship with user appreciation was tested using correlation analysis. As the most important finding of the study, it was determined that the parameter most strongly affecting the visual quality scores was excitement/mystery (β=0.188), and the parameter with the highest correlation with user appreciation was the sense of security (r=0.665). As a result of the statistical evaluations, it was observed that the majority of the city center has moderate or poor visual quality. These findings provide an evidence-based foundation for local administrators and planners in restoration decisions, making a strategic contribution to Edirne’s sustainable tourism vision and the quality of life of its residents through the preservation of historical texture and the improvement of urban aesthetics. </p>}, number={3}