Identifying the Key Components Influencing Human–Nature Interaction in the Persian Garden Based on Specialists' Subjective Judgment Patterns

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Architecture Engineering, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Soore International University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/ats.2026.2095358.1066
Abstract
The Persian garden, as one of the most prominent models of landscape architecture, represents the systematic integration of humans and nature. However, no comprehensive model has yet been developed to simultaneously explain the dimensions and components shaping this relationship. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to investigate the dimensions and components of human–nature interaction in the Persian garden and to organize them into a conceptual model. In terms of purpose, this research is fundamental; in terms of nature, it is exploratory; and in terms of data collection, it is descriptive–survey. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, the research components were identified through content analysis of the literature. Their validity was subsequently assessed using the Delphi method based on expert opinions, and the resulting data were further analyzed through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The findings led to the identification of four principal dimensions—perceptual–semantic, functional–behavioral, physical–spatial, and cultural–social—and six underlying factors: perceptual quality, sense of space, spatial interaction, place identity, cultural dynamism, and place memory. The results indicate that the perceptual–semantic dimension plays the most significant role in explaining human–nature interaction, while perceptual quality emerged as the most influential factor. The principal contribution of this study is the development of an integrated conceptual model that systematically organizes the four key dimensions and their associated factors into a coherent framework while clarifying their relative importance. The findings demonstrate that human–nature interaction in the Persian garden is the outcome of the synergistic interplay among perceptual, physical, behavioral, and cultural dimensions. Simultaneous consideration of these dimensions provides a comprehensive basis for the analysis, design, conservation, and evaluation of Persian gardens as well as other landscape environments

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 24 October 2026

  • Receive Date 23 July 2026
  • Revise Date 08 August 2026
  • Accept Date 09 August 2026
  • First Publish Date 24 October 2026
  • Publish Date 24 October 2026