The transformation of urban environments in contemporary cities has increasingly distanced spatial structures from their cultural roots, generating identity crises and visual homogenization across diverse contexts. In response, the discourse on urban landscape has shifted toward cultural and identity-oriented paradigms that regard landscape not merely as a physical composition but as a medium of social meaning and collective memory. Within this framework, local identity emerges as a decisive factor shaping the perceptual and aesthetic qualities of urban space, ensuring cultural continuity and social cohesion. This study investigates the role of local identity in forming the urban landscape patterns of Urmia—a culturally diverse city in northwestern Iran—and develops a policy framework aimed at enhancing landscape quality through the integration of indigenous cultural values. The research addresses a significant theoretical and practical gap in Iranian urban studies, where the relationship between cultural identity and landscape morphology remains underexplored, and planning policies often neglect the symbolic and social dimensions of place.
The study adopts a mixed-method approach combining causal–comparative and survey techniques. Quantitative data were collected from 384 Urmia residents, selected via Cochran’s formula and stratified random sampling to represent all five municipal zones. A structured Likert-scale questionnaire measured eight cultural dimensions—historical, literary–artistic, economic, political–diplomatic, ecological, religious, ethnic–local, and ethical–perfection—and their correlations with urban landscape indices such as visual quality, diversity of spatial forms, and perceptual coherence. Data were validated for reliability using composite reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, and average variance extracted (AVE), and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression models. Complementary expert analysis was conducted to derive strategic policy orientations, integrating empirical findings into a comprehensive policy framework for identity-oriented landscape governance.
Findings reveal that all cultural dimensions contribute to the formation of Urmia’s urban landscape with varying magnitudes and mechanisms of influence. Among them, the “culture of perfection”—a composite construct reflecting ethical, spiritual, and humanistic values—exerted the strongest impact (β = 0.796, p < 0.001), indicating that moral and value-driven cohesion serves as a critical foundation for aesthetic harmony and collective belonging. The “economic culture” (β = 0.691) and “historical culture” (β = 0.689) followed in significance, emphasizing the dual role of functional vitality and heritage continuity in maintaining urban identity. The “literary–artistic culture” demonstrated a considerable correlation (β = 0.574), reinforcing the idea that aesthetic symbolism and local art practices enrich urban readability and sensory engagement. Likewise, the “ethnic–local culture” (β = 0.575) enhanced spatial diversity and social inclusiveness, particularly in districts characterized by strong multiethnic interaction. In contrast, “religious” and “technological–organizational” cultures showed limited effects, suggesting that modern urban governance in Iran has increasingly detached spiritual and managerial domains from the experiential and symbolic layers of space.
The analytical synthesis underscores a multidirectional and reciprocal relationship between culture and landscape: while cultural values inform the configuration and perception of urban form, the spatial structure simultaneously reinforces or transforms collective cultural expression. This interdependence positions the urban landscape of Urmia as both a mirror and a mediator of local identity. The dominance of ethical and perfection-oriented values signifies the persistence of human-centered worldviews in Iranian cultural consciousness, where spatial meaning extends beyond visual form toward moral and social order. The interaction between economic and historical cultures further reveals that sustainability of the landscape depends not only on preserving material heritage but also on embedding economic vitality within culturally resonant urban fabrics. Moreover, the influence of artistic and ethnic dimensions highlights the importance of participatory cultural production in creating legible, inclusive, and emotionally engaging urban environments.
Building on these insights, the study formulates five strategic policy axes for identity-oriented landscape governance: (1) **Historical dimension** – revitalizing historic cores and incorporating local narratives in urban design to reinforce collective memory; (2) **Artistic dimension** – integrating vernacular arts and crafts into urban façades, furniture, and public spaces to enhance aesthetic coherence; (3) **Economic dimension** – linking creative economies and cultural tourism with sustainable urban development to generate place-based value; (4) **Ethnic–local dimension** – reflecting cultural diversity through inclusive design processes and supporting community-led cultural initiatives; and (5) **Ethical–perfection dimension** – institutionalizing moral and cultural values in planning through cultural charters, training programs, and performance assessment tools. Together, these strategies propose a transition from a “landscape of power,” dominated by top-down aesthetic regulations, toward a “landscape of culture,” shaped by shared meaning and civic participation.
The results have broader theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, they contribute to the emerging body of knowledge linking local identity with urban landscape quality, demonstrating that cultural variables can be empirically measured and integrated into planning frameworks. The findings confirm that landscape quality is not a static visual property but a dynamic synthesis of cultural narratives, collective values, and spatial experience. Practically, the research offers a policy model adaptable to other culturally diverse Iranian cities, providing a pathway for embedding identity-oriented approaches in urban design, regeneration, and heritage management. By aligning urban policy with cultural continuity, cities can foster resilience, belonging, and aesthetic integrity in the face of modernization pressures. The Urmia case illustrates that sustainable urban landscapes emerge when cultural memory, creative expression, and moral values are intertwined within spatial planning, ensuring that the city’s evolution remains rooted in its local identity rather than abstract global templates.
Overall, this study demonstrates that the revitalization of urban identity in Iranian cities requires a paradigm shift—from material reconstruction to cultural regeneration—wherein urban landscapes are re-envisioned as living narratives of place. Integrating indigenous cultural dimensions into planning and governance can thus transform landscapes from passive physical environments into active cultural systems that sustain meaning, continuity, and community well-being.