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Visual
assessment for the evaluation of Erzurum-Bayburt-Of highway
as scenic road
Isik Sezen* and Sevgi Yilmaz
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Landscape, Ataturk
University Agriculture 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
isiksezen@atauni.edu.tr. Tel: +90 442 231 2178. Fax: +90
442 2360958.
Accepted 14 January, 2010 |
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A visual assessment study was conducted to evaluate the
possibility of the use of E- 97 route in Erzurum-Bayburt-Of
(Trabzon) D925 state highway as scenic road. Highway of
Erzurum-Bayburt-Of, which is 231 km, is a short cut from
Eastern Anatolia to the Black Sea Region of Turkey. This
route offers passes through three distinct natural and
cultural zones as it passes through the cities of Erzurum,
Trabzon and Bayburt. These represent the regions of Eastern
Anatolia, the Black Sea and the transitional zone between
the two regions, respectively. The rivers of Karasu and
Coruh, the mountains of Kop and Soganli, and Uzungol Nature
Park, are included in the study area, and contribute to the
recreational potentials and increase the visual quality
values. In the study, detailed maps showing all the
elements, including the natural and cultural structures of
the route and existent recreational values and vegetation
cover were drawn. In the visual quality assessment of the
route, four hundred university students from Ataturk
University scored the scenes presented in a computerized
format. Data were analysed using frequency distribution
analysis, t- test and Anova test. According to the results,
there were significant statistical differences between the
parts of the route in the respect of visual quality. The
segment between Soganli Mount Passage and Of (SO) received
the highest mean score with 4.18 point while the segment
between Erzurum and Bayburt (EB) got the second and the
Bayburt and Sogalı Mount passage (BS) received the third
highest scores with 3.55 and 3.49, respectively. For the
visual quality characteristics of scenic beauty, excitement,
attractiveness, water effect, colour effect, natural
vegetation, road scene, recreational value, pastoral view,
land form, naturalness, authenticity, originality, panoramic
view, confidentiality, vitality, uniqueness and harmony, SO
part received the highest scores while EB segment got the
highest scores for cultural values. It was consequently
found that the Erzurum-Bayburt-Of highway route has highly
efficient natural, cultural and visual values to be
evaluated as scenic road and some suggestions were proposed.
Key words:
Visual landscape analysis, visual quality, scenic road,
highway, Erzurum-Bayburt-Of highway route. |
