An Evaluation of Visual Landscape Quality of Coastal Settlements: a Case Study of Coastal Areas in the Van Lake Basin (Turkey)

Abstract

During the planning and design stages of visual resource management and landscape utilization, it is necessary to evaluate the visual quality of landscape elements, determining the requirement for their preservation, restoration, enhancement, and concealment. Turkey has the advantage of offering a wide range of visual resources to its visitors, shaped by its climatic and geographical features. The Van Lake Basin located in the Eastern Anatolia Region is of particular significance as it is one of the rare locations offering numerous visual resources to the visitors. Sustainable management of these resources is very important in terms of their contributions to the economic development of the region and its local population. Coastsal areas provide resources with limited landscape elements, that are hard to be reproduced. These elements play a critical role in recreation and tourism sectors. In respect of landscape architecture, coastal areas represent a combination of land and water, providing the visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature. The coastal areas around Van Lake have a high potential for recreation activities due to their richness of landscape resources. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the landscape quality of Van Lake Basin by conducting a biophysical investigation of its coastal areas, containing considerable amount of landscape elements. The study determines the areas that should be prioritized for preservation or restoration, and reveals the most suitable precautions for their sustainability, taking into account their nature and identity.