Visual Quality Method in Assessing Landscape Characteristics: Case Study of Bozcaada Island

Landscapes are an extremely important resource for tourism and quality of life so there is a need to classify and manage landscapes. In the implementation of visual impact assessment, Bozcaada in the province of Canakkale was selected as the sample area in the research. An analytical and perceptual method covering physical relationships of user environment was applied in the research. Initially, the landscape beauty was evaluated according to the survey of observer preferences. Secondly, the landscape elements and attributes were weighted. Finally, regression and correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationships between weighted landscape attributes and survey results. There were 9 panels, each containing 16 photos, and 210 participants ranked the best 4 and worst 4 photos of each panel. The results showed that degree of wilderness, the presence of negative man-made elements, and percentage of land covered by vegetation decreased the visual quality in Bozcaada. Furthermore, it was determined that visual quality increased with the presence of well-preserved man-made elements, scale, harmony, and color contrast. The research revealed which landscape elements and attributes are important in landscape design.